Brad Renfro and Other Celebrity Deaths: Waiting for Our Stars to Fall

With the most recent celebrity death of Brad Renfro on Tuesday at age 25, the extreme substance abuse of superstars like Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan, the conversation in the media has been focused on discussing the stress and pressures of being a pop culture icon. What isn't being discussed is how the current societal climate might be affecting the lifestyles of icons in contrast to the lifestyles of icons past. While celebrity and decadence have been synonymous with each other since our forefathers, it seems that in recent years, the celebrity lifestyle has replaced decadence with danger.

Living a life of decadence has traditionally involved alcohol abuse and some drug abuse, but within bounds. The life of Johnny Cash who overcame substance abuse to become a highly respected music legend is case in point. Decadent living is on the edge, but knows where the edge is and when to stop. Dangerous living, on the other hand, is characterized by a fundamental display of chaos and ruin. Brittany Spears, who has recently lost custody, has become the poster-child for celebrity meltdowns. Her neglectful parenting and lifestyle of drugs and partying has endangered not only herself, but her two children ages 2 and 1.

Have the pressures changed? Somewhat. There is an increasing amount of pressure on celebrities to generate publicity. There is a strong market for publicity good or bad. With the number of reality shows growing exponentially and with free internet-based media to compete with such as YouTube and illegal music downloading sites, celebrities have to rely more and more on the entertainment market as a source of publicity to help their careers along. MTV News and the Entertainment channel are new ways for celebrities to connect with audiences and new career opportunities. Anna Nicole Smith's death last February was preceded by a reality TV stint in which she seemed to be playing a disturbed celebrity. When the entertainment sought from the world of celebrity becomes a dysfunctional life, it is time to look beyond the average stress and pressure of stardom as the causes of such perilous behavior.

Pressure is not the sole cause of the celebrity decay into danger. Boundaries regarding the use of drugs, alcohol, and more generally, morality have become virtually nonexistent. In an era where we attempt to Catch a Predator in the act, dish Dirt on celebrities, where dysfunction is the panacea to the public viewing audience, is it any wonder why our stars are falling?