In case you’ve been under a rock for the past handful of days; Whitney Houston is no longer of this Earth. Her loss at the hands of …well…whatever it was that ended her life at the relatively young age of 48, is but another example of celebrity gone bad.
Since the reports of her not-so-shocking, yet unfortunate demise, there’s been an out crying of support not only for who she was and what she had accomplished, but also for what she won’t, due to the flawed side of an otherwise exceptional talent.
If you’ve notched at least 30 years on this planet than you’re likely familiar with Ms. Houston’s contribution to the music and pop culture world. From the mid-eighties to roughly the turn of the century she sat at or near the top of America’s “A-List” personalities. From her debut album Whitney Houston through her acting successes in movies such as The Bodyguard, Waiting To Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife, Dionne Warwick’s cousin, Aretha Franklin’s god-child, and Clive Davis’ discovery sold more albums, collected more awards and had more consecutive #1 hits than any artist in the history of modern music. However, for all of her strengths, she – like many like her – seemingly couldn’t overcome one all too familiar weakness; drugs and alcohol.
By now you’re wondering not only where I’m going with this, but also how I’m going to deliver on my promise to successfully link this to sports? You’ve likely already had your share of all-things-Whitney, tired of the never-ending tangents daily programming continues to shove down your throat, and are possibly in the midst of searching feverishly for contact information for yours truly in an effort to berate me for doing something similar, but I assure you I will not disappoint.
You see, while I appreciate what Whitney accomplished and acknowledge her incomparable talent, I’m also willing to recognize the ill of her ways, while being equally disgusted by many’s inability to do just that.
Whitney, like many of her brethren who’ve fallen into the same trap, has been celebrated for her countless triumphs while ignorance regarding her numerous missteps runs amok. And that’s not good enough.
It’s important that young people understand not only what people like Whitney meant to those around them, but also how they sabotaged their own careers, and later their life.
Celebrities, be it athletes or performing artists, often fall into the trap of believing their own hype. They’re convinced they’re “special” beings, when reality suggests they’re merely beings with “special” talent. You often find this in Hollywood, professional sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL and MLB, in addition to at the collegiate, high school and sadly, even younger levels. Role models (Sorry Charles, but like or not if you’re in the public eye, you are just that.) often fail in their attempt – or lack thereof – to set positive examples, then when they fall prey to negativity of their own doing, we as a society fail to use such as an opportunity to educate the very people mourning the death of that same iconic figure.
Is Whitney’s death and the death of those like her tragic? Of course, but real tragedy is not just death, but rather the death of those with no hand in their own undoing.
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011, Oregon State defensive lineman Fred Thompson died of an apparent heart attack while playing pick-up basketball at campus rec center…that’s a tragedy.
Sunday, July 13th, 2008, Oregon freshman safety Todd Doxey drown in the McKenzie River after jumping from a bridge with roughly 40 of his teammates…that’s a tragedy.
Thursday, August 12th, 2004, Oregon recruit Terrence Kelly was shot and killed in the driver’s seat of his car just 2 days prior to leaving for his freshmen year at the University of Oregon…that’s a tragedy.
All of the aforementioned instances sent shockwaves through the universities and the communities in which they reside. Teams were devastated, fan bases mourned, and families were left without answers to simple questions like, “why?” There were no drugs involved, no alcohol, and no unruly activity, just kids being kids, and dying as a result…that’s a tragedy.
Trust me when I say I appreciate the level of Whitney Houston’s talent and am certainly not making light of her death, but at the same time I’m a tad uncomfortable with the deification of a person who at one time bragged of having “…too much money to smoke crack.”
Is it sad when a 48-year-old woman with 10 lifetimes worth of talent, endless amounts of money, and a teenage daughter dies before her time? Absolutely, but excuse me if I’m more concerned with the untimely death of kids who haven’t committed crimes, haven’t abused their bodies and haven’t even had, and unfortunately never will have the opportunity to waste the gifts they were given by the almighty of your choice.
Celebrities will always be in the spotlight and unfortunately will always make mistakes. But it’s our job to identify said mistakes, and communicate them as such to kids too young to do so themselves. Whitney Houston may have died too young, but let’s not allow such an untimely death to take such a disproportionate place amongst the real tragedies of our time: Fred Thompson, Todd Doxey and Terrence Kelly. People truly lost before their time.
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