Celebrity Breakdowns: Who is to Blame?

Britney Spears’ disastrous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA’s) on September 9th was simply the latest blunder added to her ever-lengthening list of shame. The lackluster show opener—already made infamous by video parodies, mean-spirited comic strips, and ruthless reviews—was a perfect illustration of just how far Spears has fallen from the height of fame. Her bouts of bizarre behavior and multiple attempts at rehab since her split from ex-husband Kevin Federline last November have left no doubt in many people’s minds that Britney is having a breakdown.

But Britney is not the only one. Celebrity breakdowns are nothing new. Mariah Carey, Mel Gibson, Johnny Cash, Anna Nicole Smith, and Courtney Love are only a handful of celebrities who have hit rock bottom.

In reality, the term “nervous breakdown” has no medical basis, but is used by the public to encompass a wide range of mental disorders. The phrase is generally used to describe an emotionally distraught individual who is unable to function normally. Symptoms may include uncontrollable crying, erratic behavior, and indecision, among others. Some breakdown triggers are stress and drug and alcohol use.

Stress and substance abuse are probably the two most frequently cited explanations for celebrity breakdowns. The first obvious question is why breakdowns are so common in Hollywood. While under constant pressure to perform, look perfect, and sell product, stars are perpetually provided with and have easy access to drugs and alcohol. This environment creates a Russian roulette-type of situation where something is eventually bound to go wrong. When it does, paparazzi cameras are standing by waiting to snap a high-priced photograph of a fallen star.

The most recent celebrity tabloid fodder is Lindsay Lohan(pictured below), the starlet more known for her wild partying and revolving door stints in rehab than for her acting ability. Lohan has been recovering in a Utah rehab center and has not been seen in public since she was arrested on July 24th on suspicion of DUI and cocaine possession in Los Angeles. The troubled star has experienced breakdowns in the past, and may be the perfect—if not extreme—example of the way tremendous pressure and opportunity for substance abuse can lead to a nervous breakdown.

If these breakdowns are so common amongst celebrities because of their high-intensity environments, the next logical question would ponder the environments themselves. If consumers did not scrutinize famous people with such fervor, would the entertainment industry place such a high value on celebrities’ images, which in turn places the celebrities themselves under unhealthy amounts of stress? The answer can only be speculative.

The public’s thirst for all things celebrity has led the mass media to address the demand for such information through magazines, blogs such as perez-hilton.com, and television shows. This has created a cycle in which the more we see, the more we want. The more we want, the more they give. Simply, the public places pressure on the media which places pressure on the industry which finally places pressure on the people (celebrities). If celebrity escapades were not so highlighted, would society truly care about whether or not Nicole Ritchie (at left) ate lunch today? More importantly, would Nicole care?

The idea that we the public perpetuate the cycle of celebrity exposure and infatuation, placing pressure on the famous and possibly (however indirectly) leading to a future breakdown is an uncomfortable thought for most. Instead of acknowledging the fact that without an eager consumer market, the very institutions which place celebrities under pressure would cease to exist, the general public ignorantly places all blame on the media. However, if we as a public would like to see the amount of celebrity breakdowns reduced, we need to stop caring so much in the first place.

Britney Spears’ life is in chaos. The VMA performance proves that. But instead of harpooning the media—or worse, laughing at her—we must stand by the fallen pop star and realize that our adoration is what eventually put her there.