Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The High Price of Fame

Last week, Scott Weiland passed away at 48 years old.  He used to be the lead singer for one of my favorite bands, Stone Temple Pilots.

Unfortunately, we hear about celebrities dying far too soon all the time.  Weiland was living the dream that many guys have.  He got to play in a famous band, yet faced problems that ultimately took his life.  We see famous actors, musicians, and athletes have so much success on the surface but battle battle depression or addiction behind the scenes and wonder how it could happen.  How could someone who had all the fame and money he could possibly want be so unhappy?  It's hard for us to understand.

When Robin Williams committed suicide last year, many of his fans lamented his untimely death and sympathized with how he may have faced demons outside the public eye that were too much to handle.  But others criticized Williams for "taking the coward's way out" or not doing enough to address his problems.  Yes, there are things we can do, both medically and through counseling, that can address depression.  But it's not always that simple.

I think most people have been depressed at one point or another.  I know I have been.  I won't claim mine was as serious as what others have gone through, but I at least know the feeling.  Admitting you have a problem is difficult.  Even if you recognize the problem, overcoming the hurdles it takes to get that help is more difficult than it looks to others.

In the case of Scott Weiland, it's hard to fathom why someone who seemed to have it all would throw their success away through drugs.  Addiction itself is a major challenge, and it's hard to overcome.  But why would he even start?  Why would he put himself in that situation?

Success in life only comes with hard work, so the more success you have, the more you have to do.  Weiland probably had to deal with the stress of demanding fans.  He probably read a lot of bad reviews and had a really hectic schedule.  And he probably had tons of women throwing themselves at him and friends and family asking for favors.  Being in the public eye does not come naturally to most folks, so they either have to find the mental toughness to get through it, or find another way.

Again, I'm just speculating here.  I only know Weiland through his music and know little about his personal life.  But I can sympathize.  I'm certainly not going to criticize him for failing to overcome his addiction or even for any moral shortcomings he may have had.  After all, celebrities are only famous because they entertain us.  We have to approve what they do, or they wouldn't be successful.

Even if you don't know any celebrities, think about anyone you know who may be going through a hard time.  I recently watched a webinar at work that described people as icebergs.  Icebergs only peak a little above the surface of the water.  Most of the mass of the iceberg is underwater.  When we see an iceberg, we only see a small part of it.  In the same way, when we see people, even those we know well, we only see a small part of the person and ultimately know little about what they are dealing with.  We try to understand, but it's not always possible.

We know even less about celebrities.  We see them in movies or hear their music, but know very little else about them.  It's a shame that we lose so many of them so soon.  They wanted to become famous, but it was ultimately their demise.  As much as I enjoy many STP songs, their music is only a small part of my life.  For Weiland, it was everything.  Weiland devoted his life to pleasing fans like me.  It's sad this is what happens as a result.