Whitney's Funeral

I think celebrities deserve private time with their loved ones and to not have to give that up. Boundaries people.

I can only imagine how miserable it would be to always have to be "on" and looking my best. How unnerving it would be to wonder which friend leaked my personal business for money.

It would NOT be worth it to me.

Well, media wouldn't put them on a pedestal if the public didn't do so, first. The media gives the people what they want. This country's obsession with celebrity & excess is something I just don't understand or care about. Yes, they signed up for it, but I think every person deserves a basic human thing like privacy & space.

What I think is that your perspective needs to mature. Adolescents believe that because people have fame and money their lives are perfect. Adults really should know better.

Walk a mile in someone else's shoes...
I don't think ANYONE deserves to have their every move and problem put out there as "entertainment."
The tabloids and tabloid TV and the people who work for them, and READ and WATCH them, are disgusting, IMO.

I think society should just get over their fascination with celebrities. They are people just like everyone else. Who cares where they had ice cream with their kids, or whether they are having marital problems, etc. I do agree they live charmed lives and if they are stars like on Disney that a lot of young people are in to, I believe THEY owe it to their fans who, after all, are what makes them stars, to live a good, clean, honest life and give the kids something to really strive for. I think most let down the public in general with all their stupid sh**! They are just people; acting is just a job. Get over it!

I do agree that they choose the life the lead, but I took that to mean the media should remember that they are people too and not just " love" them when they are on top. They put her through the wringer for years and nvr considered what that did to her emotionally. From what I can gather from interviews a lot of celebrities give they are really insecure, their entire sense of self worth is wrapped up in whether or not the public " loves" them. What other talent did she have? She spent her entire adult life singing/acting, then to lose her voice for w/e reason had to be hard. They don't deserve any special or royal treatment and should not be above the law, but how many of us have everything we do splattered on every media outlet? I think if we did, we would be just as messed up as some of them. We are able to live down our mistakes and embarrassments, celebrities, not so much. Her "sin" falling in love with a man that was wrong for her, broke her spirit and brought drugs to her life, the public didn't support her in her road to recovery, instead it relished in her misery and struggles. I think to her it was like the people she depended on to love and support her turned their backs on her. Why does her drug problem mean her death was not tragic? Why does that mean she wasn't a good person? Why does the media act like they are perfect and when we find out that they are just "human" like us, dump all over them? What the media does to celebrities in any other situation would be considered bullying and we would sympathize with them. They have a God-given talent ( well some of them hehe) and are just doing what they love.

I think the Rupert Murdoch scandal has shown that things have gone too far. Phones being tapped. Confidential medical and personal documents and email accounts being hacked. The bloodlust for information on celebrities is out of control.

I don't think celebrities live "charmed" lives.

America wouldn't be America without our bashing stars. We build them up to tear them down which is why they don't really live charmed lives.

I've gotten access to VIP rooms and have had exposure to the creme de la creme but that doesn't or shouldn't equal the world being exposed to my short comings.

Some won't understand until you walk a mile in their shoes. Imagine being super talented at something that required you to be in the forefront instead of the background. To sell your music people want to see you. When they want to see you they just don't stop with you on stage they want to get all up in your personal business and life. Unfortunately as you rise people make money off that and when you fall they make even more money from that and don't even care where you land or if you survive the fall.

It would be nice if the media backed off but it won't and that's unfortunate for the casualties of being a star - the star's kids.

I personally don't care. I was over Whitney's death 30 minutes after I first heard about it. And am sick about all the hoopla that is still going on about it. I think if you are a celebrity, you have to take everything that comes with it, the good and the bad. Just like the decisions we make in our own lives, we have to deal with the outcome. And as many celebrities that have "charmed lives", many don't, and I would not want to switch lives with them for a second, just because they make "oodles of dough".

I think they deserve to be treated like human beings. Sure they get perks, but what a price they pay. I feel sorry for them. Money can't buy everything.

This question brings me back to the star of "The Partridge Family".
David Cassidy was absolutely drop dead gorgeous to just about every girl on the planet back in the days when family tv was conservative. Years later, David was interviewed by Oprah & he explained to her that he had absolutely NO privacy whatsoever. David Cassidy decided to take himself OUT of the spotlight. And for the most part, he did.

I don't mind reading that Oprah got another dog or that Fantasia has a new hit song. Or that Justin Bieber turns 18 on March 1st (Today).

Sadly, our media is out of control when it comes to morals and values. And it sells ! The other day I was standing in line at the grocery store and I took a glance at a magazine cover that was deplorable. The model (on the cover) needed more clothes on. I covered it with another magazine.

I'm with the other ladies -- I don't really care. On the other hand, I do not want my kids seeing or hearing about these "sins". Our media is a tad out of control !

The only people who think celebrities should be treated with more respect are the celebrities themselves and their own idiotic fans. If anyone goes into show biz thinking they will be papparazzi (sp?) free their whole career are pretty stupid. Show me one celebrity who grew up under a rock and who hit fame and fortune never having watched TV, gone to the movies or read celebrity tabloids. You won't find one b/c exposure to the media is how their dreams started to begin with. They KNOW what they are getting into. Noone deserves such scrutiny for being human, but then again, they shouldn't be so stupid knowing cameras follow them everywhere either.

Child stars are a different matter. Most likely their parents push them into the industry or they were too young to decide for themselves longlasting decisions.

It's not about deserving anything. It's what people have come to feel ENTITLED to.

They CHOSE this lifestyle. Some do it with more dignity and grace than others. Some SO enjoy the spotlight that any press is good press.

As long as there are people out there demanding to see the "stars" and buying "People Magazine" "Star Magazine", etc. they will continue to dish out the good, the bad and the ugly. Maybe we should stop focusing on celebrities and focus on our families?

These 'stars' don't realize, well, yeah they do, the affect they have on some people. Brittany Spears was a role model for the longest time, then she jumped off the deep end and went down the wrong path. STILL she was glamorized for it.

Teenagers getting pregnant - they are being glamorized for it. Getting TV shows, their faces on magazine covers, etc. so other teen girls who don't have their head screwed on straight - see this and WANT IT TOO!!!

They are getting this attention because people are "craving" it. Do I think they deserve to be treated different? Nope. They get dressed just like I do. One foot at a time.

I think we all need special treatment when it comes to our sins-hence, God!

Well I think I come at all of it from a slightly different angle. Having a gift is hard. I personally think that Whitney Houston had one of the most angelic and amazing voices I have ever heard. This is so completely on a smaller scale but I have always sang and played the piano. I lived in Mexico for several years and I played and sang a lot, like many times per day sometimes because I did this for church and sometimes there could be several different meetings in a day etc. Well something I always found strange is people often felt like they knew me. They would come and talk to me like we were friends etc. Not that I didn't care for them, don't get me wrong, but it was a pretty big church and I didn't know everyone personally. I was also tall, thin (at the time!) and blonde with blue eyes, which in that particular culture was found to be very attractive. People always wanted to be close to me, hang out, etc. But whatever anyone's perceptions were, I was just myself and in no way perfect. Having looks and a gift didn't make me a better or nicer or more acceptable person. Those things I did nothing to get, but people think so highly of a gifted person. Gifting does not equal character, but when you do have gifts it's like people think you are a better human being or something. And even in just that small mini society it was a pressure cooker. You are held to a higher standard and so much more is expected of you, yet you are just a regular person, not better, not worse. This experience was so intense for me, that when I came home after several years I have completely stayed out of the lime light. I am not involved with anything musical at the moment and now I have kids etc so who has time??? I don't think they choose to be stars exactly. When you have something like music, or art or acting bursting inside of you, it's something you want to express, it just aches to come out of you. I think people who don't have a performance type gifting may get a little starstruck or even a little jealous. I think if we as a society valued character above all things would be a whole lot better. Whitney paid her dues in life, a bad marriage, a terrible addiction and none of those things are different than lots of folks in this world. But her music moved many of us and we placed higher expectations on her than others. I think it's all crazy, but there must be some human reason, bc it's like all societies do this. I couldn't tell you exactly what it is, but from the 'star' position, I can tell you it is no picnic to feel like you live under a microscope and that people are waiting to see you fall. I think her death was a tragedy and the world lost an unbelievable artist.

I wasn't even going to read this post...since it had Whitney's Funeral in the subject line.

I don't think they get royal treatment in the media...I think society gives them royal treatment. They chose a career that is high profile. Do we have a right to know their every minute? no...and I don't really care. Had I not known about her drug issues I might have felt some sort emotion over Whitney's death. But I did know and I it made a difference in my viewing her death as sad.

NO! What kind of role models are they anyhow? Who are they but people living lives I wouldn't live or want my kids to live?

personally I just dont have time to give a rats behind about anyone unless they live in my home or in my family tree....society as a whole has made us nosey.
i patiently await the day I can watch the news or even turn on the internet and the main headline isnt about snooki, or kardashian or anything "hollywood".
you ever wonder why only certain "stars" get hammered?

I don't think they deserve royal treatment but I I do kind of feel badly for them when it comes to the lack of privacy. I cannot even imagine having people photographing me every time I take my dog out to pee or arrive at an airport. That would be beyond frustrating. I have never been star struck so I don't understand why people care what a celebrity is up to. There are so many 'ordinary' people out in the world who are much more deserving of praise and admiration.

I think if you make your living because other people are fascinated by you, then you can't be surprised when people are fascinated by you. I mean, someone who makes millions upon millions of dollars because of an adoring public can't be shocked when they stumble around in a drunken/high haze for years at a time and people take notice. Seems like common sense to me?? If you don't want people commenting on every aspect of your life, then you can always go become a teacher, lawyer, police officer, stay at home mom, retail or construction worker like the rest of us! Of course, with that, you don't make millions, you have to wake up on time, you can't stumble around in a drunken haze, you have to drive your kids to the places they need to go because us normal folk don't have limos and chauffeurs... but yeah, nobody reports on our every move in the media! LOL