2008 Woodie Awards
R.I.P. Heath Ledger
Avivah Furman
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Op/Ed
At approximately 3:30 p.m., Jan. 22, Actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his downtown Manhattan apartment. He was twenty-eight years old. Ledger was found when his housekeeper went to inform the star that his masseur was ready for his appointment. Imagine her dismay to find the lovely starlet unconscious, pills strewn around him.
When the paramedics arrived, Ledger was already in full cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at the scene. While still unconfirmed, police officials suspect cause of death to be the result of a drug overdose; no foul play is suspected.
The Australian-native actor has a two-year-old daughter with former fiancee, Michelle Williams. After a very public courtship during the making of Brokeback Mountain, the two separated in September, 2007. Ledger recently wrapped up filming The Dark Knight, where he played the Joker in this latest Batman installment.
Celebrity drug issues are becoming more and more common. With the myriad of public downspiraling of our celebrity heroes, it comes, sadly, as no shock to hear of yet another fallen star. Celebrity rehab has become a right of passage for some celebrities as they dance in and out of these rehab centers as if they were hot nightclubs. Their cries for help echo through the media as the hungry paparazzi furiously snap each and every step in celebrity downfall.
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew chronicles the painstaking, gut-wrenching process of overcoming addiction in front of millions of viewers; tabloids run frequent images of celebrities in inebriated states and run articles speculating on their current level of sobriety. Celebrity addiction has become less something to revere, and more something to be entertained by, to gossip about, and to possibly inspire us. Whereas celebrities were once held with the highest respect, there is now a great deal of public pity for these struggling entertainers. But the inevitable question of the message being conveyed is somewhat muddled. Do we purely look down upon these celebrities as lost, confused souls? Or has addiction become glamourized and enviable? Is crack the new Birkin bag? Will the attraction of Britney's "One More Time" school girl outfit be replaced with an admiration for shaved heads and smashing car windows? To what extent will the public take this new fascination and how far must celebrities go to entertain their audiences?
When the paramedics arrived, Ledger was already in full cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at the scene. While still unconfirmed, police officials suspect cause of death to be the result of a drug overdose; no foul play is suspected.
The Australian-native actor has a two-year-old daughter with former fiancee, Michelle Williams. After a very public courtship during the making of Brokeback Mountain, the two separated in September, 2007. Ledger recently wrapped up filming The Dark Knight, where he played the Joker in this latest Batman installment.
Celebrity drug issues are becoming more and more common. With the myriad of public downspiraling of our celebrity heroes, it comes, sadly, as no shock to hear of yet another fallen star. Celebrity rehab has become a right of passage for some celebrities as they dance in and out of these rehab centers as if they were hot nightclubs. Their cries for help echo through the media as the hungry paparazzi furiously snap each and every step in celebrity downfall.
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew chronicles the painstaking, gut-wrenching process of overcoming addiction in front of millions of viewers; tabloids run frequent images of celebrities in inebriated states and run articles speculating on their current level of sobriety. Celebrity addiction has become less something to revere, and more something to be entertained by, to gossip about, and to possibly inspire us. Whereas celebrities were once held with the highest respect, there is now a great deal of public pity for these struggling entertainers. But the inevitable question of the message being conveyed is somewhat muddled. Do we purely look down upon these celebrities as lost, confused souls? Or has addiction become glamourized and enviable? Is crack the new Birkin bag? Will the attraction of Britney's "One More Time" school girl outfit be replaced with an admiration for shaved heads and smashing car windows? To what extent will the public take this new fascination and how far must celebrities go to entertain their audiences?