Seeing the news that one of the great actors of our generation, Philip Seymour Hoffman had passed yesterday was truly saddening. Not only was he immensely gifted in his profession and enormously successful by the world's standards, but he was admired and loved by many peers and fans. It is always shocking to lose someone we know or care about before their time, but the incidental rate of these tragedies is seemingly and needlessly rising. It seems fame has a cost and potentially a very high one at that. Inside the fishbowl that comes with international stardom and fame comes immense scrutiny and a lack of respect for a person's privacy. But that's one of the sordid byproducts. Since Hollywood has been around and as long as I can remember the famous of the world have had no fewer problems than us regular folks. Money and multiple houses won't buy happiness, peace and contentment. Often as we read or see in the news, on the internet or on the numerous tabloid television programs more and more celebrities are spiraling out of control. In some ways how could they not? Look at the recent cases of Justin Bieber and Lindsey Lohan. Both are young, rich, talented and surrounded by parasitical entourages and money grabbing publicists and promoters. They are in essence expendable cash cows, racehorses to be exact. Both are nothing short of tragic and their lives unfold to us in a daily dose of wild unruly antics, drug and alcohol excess, shoddy behavior and a total disregard for laws and people. Because actors and performers are relied upon for the generating of revenues of the multibillion dollar entertainment and music industries they are in essence trapped inside a gilded castle. Isolated, coddled, nurtured in many wrong ways and idolized to ridiculous degrees, they can become demigods who think they can do no wrong and are somehow immune to the constraints of life itself. By the way, both Justin and Lindsey are from broken homes with enabling divorced parents who also are regular tabloid fodder. But that is a discussion for another day.
Because we glorify the altar of celebrity worship, we in essence have created the monster. It is the general public's insatiable demand for entertainment in both it's forms public and private, that there is no rest for these people. They become ticking time bombs and often tragic one's at that. In the past two decades numerous promising actors, singers and musicians have died mostly unnecessarily before their time. They have left a huge void for all of us and especially their loved ones because of the God given enormous talent they squandered and the fame that they succumbed to the pressure of. Actors such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Corey Monteith, Brittany Murphy, River Phoenix, Corey Haim, Chris Farley, Lisa Kelly, Heath Ledger. Singers and musicians like Chris Kelly, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston. The list goes on and on and the common denominator being by far, drug and or alcohol abuse. Why? Because they often are overwhelmed and unprepared emotionally, physically and most definitely spiritually for the 24/7 demand of their profession. They become commodities instead of precious human beings who have insecurities, feelings and needs. Everybody wants them or a piece of them. Quite often the circles of friends or advisers become like a malignant cancer eating away at them till there is nothing left. So they often self medicate to escape with tragic results. In the case of Philip Seymour Hoffman, he leaves behind three beautiful children and a grieving girlfriend. Let me be clear, I'm not formulating an indictment of the the entertainment industry itself, as there are many successful actors and actresses, singers and musicians who are great role models, philanthropists and decent moral human beings. But the propensity of ungodly amounts of wealth, ego driven fame and an insatiably demanding public fan base is a toxic combination in the right circumstances. Unfortunately those circumstances are becoming all to common. We need to hold our society and it's industries of entertainment to a higher standard and reset the moral compass. Drug and alcohol addiction are cancers throughout all aspects of our society but are especially high amongst the rich and famous. But poor choices are without prejudice and certainly these celebrities made them. If we don't seek help or relief from the pressures of this world we will continue to become victims of the merciless pressure of it. God offers us that rest! He offers a place to retreat to. A retreat for the renewing of the mind and soul. We all need rest, love and healthy support. But Hollywood proves over and over that the world offers the wrong kind of solutions. That without Christ we are truly alone! Maybe some of these celebrities could have been saved. Maybe a few of their lights would still be burning brightly! Don't let the world's offerings be the source of your happiness, choose the Water that gives life and doesn't take it.
Colossians 2:8
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
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