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When mental health becomes a spectator sport

by generaldecay | January 9, 2008 at 10:12 am | 306 views | add comment

Britney, one TV therapist announced to the world, is in urgent need of "medical and psychological intervention".

Not dissimilar judgements have been piously passed on such stars from singer Amy Winehouse to actress Lindsay Lohan. Why do we seem to so relish celebrity distress?

You could hear about it on the BBC Radio 4 headlines or read about it in the tabloids: Britney's breakdown bridged Britain's traditional media divisions as to what counts as news.

"Increasingly the spectacle of this kind of emotional turmoil brings us together," says psychologist David Giles, author of Immortality: A Psychology of Fame and Celebrity.

"Britney, Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty. We can all say - ha! If you take drugs, get mixed up in dodgy dealings, or indulge in
too much too soon, you'll get your comeuppance. It's like a modern morality play which we can all understand - and all enjoy."

I agree with this very much, and have often thought about it. It seems to me now that the more troubled 'celebrities' become, the more 'we' love it. Everything they do, right down to their nervous breakdowns, becomes everyone's business. Now, it could be argued of course that by publicising themselves so much, they invite the attention they receive during the good and bad times but I can't help but think that some things - such as one's mental health - should still be sacred.

Thoughts?