America and Ok! Magazine Reward Lindsay Lohan's Bad Behavior

America once again demonstrates its endless capacity to reward bad behavior.

Just a few months ago, Americans media outlets handed out five-figure paydays to women whose principle accomplishment in life was having sex with a married man (Tiger Woods). This time the beneficiary of America's fascination with celebrities behaving badly is everyone's favorite former jail-bird and current rehab patient, erstwhile actress Lindsay Lohan.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lohan has reached an agreement with OK! Magazine to publish her first interview after she completes her rehab stint. The troubled 24 year-old actress is set to receive a one million dollar windfall for telling her story.

Reports also indicate that Lohan may be in line to receive substantial payouts ($10K-$50k) for club appearances, and up to $500K to show up in Las Vegas from time-to-time. Good grief! Who is the genius that decided it was a good idea to pay an emotionally fragile young woman with a history of alcohol and substance abuse to appear at parties and clubs where drug and alcohol abuse are rampant?

Perhaps Lindsay should consider an alternative means of making a living. Surely there is an occupation less hazardous to her well-being; like strapping fish filets to her back and swimming with sharks.

Lindsay Lohan Turns a DUI Conviction, Probation Violation, and Jail Time into Cash

Imagine an unemployed auto worker getting pinched for DUI, repeatedly ignoring court orders, violating probation and doing jail time. Do you think anyone would feel sorry for him? Would he get any slack from the public for his transgressions? Would he turn his anti-social behavior into a million dollar paycheck? How many local watering holes would pay him to belly up to their bars?

What has Lindsay Lohan done to deserve such privileges? It is understood Lohan is a "celebrity", but in reality she has not appeared in a decent film since 2005, which may as well be pre ice-age by the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately standards of Hollywood. Since then she has watched her personal and professional reputation crumble like week-old wedding cake. Her current celebrity status owes far more to her unstable and erractic behavior than to her acting credits. It long ago ceased to be amusing. Now it is just pathetic.

Lohan Deserves a Second Chance-Again

America is very forgiving of its celebrities. Everyone deserves a second chance, and Lindsay Lohan is no exception. But a second chance includes acknowledging and showing genuine remorse for your mistakes, altering your behavior , and working to repair the broken trust of those people negatively affected by your bad behavior. From this vantage point, Lindsay Lohan does not yet appear willing to do that.

That she is about to cash in for her bad behavior says more about us than it does about her.