What do I say about Whitney? Twitter bullies might suggest that none of us thought twice about her until it was announced that she passed away. How unfair and positively untrue! I often find myself trying to imagine what it must be like to be rich, famous and incredibly talented. Being that I am only one of those things, it's a fantasy I play out in my head (mostly when I'm watching MTV Cribs or an episode of Behind the Music.) Believe it or not, I sometimes add in one more element to the dream; what if I were rich, famous, incredibly talented and an addict? Because if at this income level I can afford to buy a bottle of wine at least once a week and a couple shots at the bar to celebrate anything and everything (Superbowl Sunday, Happy Hump Day, I woke up this morning, etc.), would I become an alcoholic if I had millions at my fingertips and my minions at my feet to supply all that I demand? I would imagine that someone who dabbles in recreational drug use might upgrade their status based on their financial ability. Whitney told Oprah she'd been experimenting since before "The Bodyguard", and her habit grew stronger right after the film's release. One has to wonder if the wild success of "I Will Always Love You" had anything to do with that. So we have the riches, the infamy, the talent, the addiction and let's add one more ingredient to this recipe for self-destruction: pressure to out-do perfection. Some people might drop everything and hop a plane to Africa to meditate, others might start smoking cocaine-laced marijuana.
Whitney Houston was America's sweetheart, the ultimate diva, the brightest star of her day, the tragic stereotype, and the tabloids' mistress. See, around here we dispose of you when we're done with you or in some cases, when you run around acting like you're done with yourself. And around here, we then hoist your corpse on the pedestal that you fell off of in the end. No, I can't tell you the first time I heard Whitney Houston sing, or what my favourite song of hers is. And the reason for that is simple. In my life, Whitney Houston always was and always will be. Every song she recorded was her best song. I can't tell you much about 1991, but I remember the Star Spangled Banner. Let me tell you something, Whitney Houston's talent is a reason to believe in God, otherwise we all would be able to sing effortlessly and reign over our crafts supremely. And Whitney Houston's talent proves further that God is real, because without Him there would be no devil to recognize her weaknesses, tempt her and twist her, and take her away. May she rest in peace.
