TruTV's World's Dumbest Commentator Leif Garrett

'World's Dumbest' features clips of dumb people doing dumb things with commentators who have done equally dumb things in their time. In fact, some of those commentators are still getting caught in dumb moments. The show airs on truTV on Thursday nights at 9 PM. If one show isn't enough for you, tune in at 7 PM to get an extra two hours of laughter. Since the commentators are what make the show so funny, I thought I would give some of them a voice they don't usually have. Everyone loves to cling to the bad things that people do. It is very rare that people stop to think about all the good those people do as well. The first in the series is Leif Garrett.

A Closer Look at Leif Garrett

What can a person say about Leif Garrett that hasn't already been said. He's been more in than out of trouble with the police. He started his career at the tender age of five. His mother got him into the business, but they could not have known where that path would lead some forty-five years later.

If you were an American, teenage girl in the late seventies, you probably know who Leif Garrett was. He was a teen idol that girls couldn't get enough of. He had long, blonde, curly hair (which most girls wished they had themselves). His career at the age of five consisted of appearances on shows like the Odd Couple and movies such as Walking Tall. When Leif became a teenager, his life would change in ways that would make most people's heads spin. Unfortunately, Leif's head did spin and it went completely out of control by the time he was ending his 17th year of life.

Leif's drug antics , being arrested in subway stations and the like, is what people think about today when they remember him. He is also notorious for wearing bandannas and hats to cover his head. The real reason for the bandannas and hats (most often bandannas) is relatively uncertain. What is known is that he is balding and there is some scarring on his forehead. If you notice, the bandanna consistently gets lower over his forehead. If he brings it any lower, his eyes will be covered. That would be a real shame considering his blue eyes are one of his best attributes. The bandanna is often the target of jokes on " World's Dumbest ". Balding and scarring are the two best guesses as to why he wears the annoying pieces of material.

The next biggest question that people ask about Leif Garrett is whether he is gay. If he is gay, he has put on a good act over the years. He has given no indication, personally, that he is gay. He seems to enjoy the company of women very much. All indicators, according to Leif's words and actions, say he is " straight " as an arrow. Put that tale to rest.

Many posts on the internet suggest that Leif is a loser. Okay, they don't just suggest it, they out and out say it. People who have no concept of compassion give this label to him. Compassion isn't easily given when someone has consistently lied to them and who seems hell-bent on self-destruction. Yes, that's Leif for you. He's hooked on some of the hardest drugs available. He has been in and out of rehab and drinks like a fish. It wasn't that long ago that I wrote an article blasting Leif for that behavior. Then I found my compassion button. I don't see him or anyone else as a loser these days. There are other words for it and they do need to deal with the substance abuse problems, but that does not mean there are no redeeming qualities about them.

Here is what I found while researching Leif:

Work - Leif has had financial problems at times. He even filed bankruptcy at one point. I found several comments about this on the internet. Rumor has it that Leif was living off $1000 a month that his mother gifted him. This issue will be brought up a little later in the article. What people don't pay much attention to is the fact that Leif has consistently worked, even in his worst moments. I found a myriad of movies, songs and other information that shows his progress through the years. He's not the huge hit he once was, but that does not mean he sits around being lazy now. Looking through all of the videos of Leif, the work he has been doing never stops. He is still passionate about what he does, or appears to be. He needed help from his mother at that point in his life. For all we know, he may still need her help. That doesn't make him a loser. It makes him human and vulnerable. Please do not misunderstand me. I think that he needs to get off the drugs. I also think that people should show compassion on others no matter what their situation is.

Family- Leif loves his family, though there have been issues because of the drug use. The problems with drugs are not the root of the family problems though. Several factors need to be addressed by the family. That is the only way he will ever really be able to get past them. Some people can let those thing roll of their backs. Leif is not one of those people. Leif feels his mother is partially responsible for his addictions. She left him "out there" so to speak. She didn't make sure that he was safe from these things when he was younger. I have to agree with that, she shouldn't have left him out there for the wolves. She did what she thought was right, though. Now that he is an adult, it is time for him to take responsibility for himself and his actions, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't need to work through old hurts.

What people fail to see in all of this is that Leif provided a home for his mother and sister for several years during his disco era reign. At sixteen years of age, he was making more money than his mother and sister combined. You could probably add his father's income to that as well. In other words, before you judge someone on whether his mother is or was "gifting" him money, understand that he put out his share of money for his family when he had it. That is the only fair way to look at it.

Charity- Last, but certainly not least, Leif has poured his heart into a number of charities . He still plays for charity events helping to bring in a lot of money that wouldn't come in otherwise. He has been doing charity work since he was very young and his continued efforts should count for something.

Leif Garrett has serious issues. He has to address them and should probably do so privately from now on. Fans want to see Leif overcome the addiction, not succumb to it as Jeff Conaway finally did on April 27, 2011. In the meantime, remember, even when someone has problems as deep as Leif Garrett's, there is likely another pile of layers that you haven't taken off yet.

As for the bandanna problem, Leif seems to have many fans urge him to take it all off. We know, Leif. We have seen what is under there. If vanity is making you cover up so much, drop the vanity and realize that not everyone in the world is shallow enough to judge people on the way they look. We are all grown up now and that means less worry about our vanity. Take care of yourself, yes. Worry about imperfections we can do nothing about? No. Place the bandanna on the ground, put your hands in the air and step away.