Under the influence

The news is rarely happy but today’s seems worse than normal with British soldiers killed by US unfriendly fire, tragic words from the family of the Liverpool teenager killed by a shot to the face by teenagers and more damning news about the health service and stroke patients. What I found most depressing on a personal level, however, were The Sun’s photos of Amy Winehouse.

After a late night row with her husband who is, apparently, a known junkie, the couple made up temporarily and went to the corner shop to buy cigarettes, where they were caught by a Sun photographer. The husband is shown with scratches and blood all over his face and Amy’s arms are covered in self-harm/suicide attempt scars and bandages. Most disturbingly, there are deep, fresh blood stains on her pink ballet shoes where, reveals the newspaper gleefully, she has been injecting herself with heroin between her toes. An alleged ‘pal’ of Amy’s claims in the article that she takes drugs this way ‘as it gets her high quicker’.

I don’t know who I’m more annoyed with: the singer or The Sun. As an ex-celeb obsessive, I know how much influence popstars can have on young people. Fortunately, my love of Howard from Take That only caused me to a) wear a red bandana on my wrist non-stop for three years because Howard had endorsed it as ‘cool’; b) start listening to Pink Floyd; and c) start supporting Manchester United. I also successfully completed my self-imposed challenge of writing the words ‘take’ and ‘that’ consecutively in every single one of my GCSEs. Similarly, my Michael Jackson phase inspired a hefty portion of my art coursework as I made alternative cassette covers and a collection box for all of the singles from his Dangerous album. Eventually, my interest in all things celebrity led me to pursue a career in pop journalism where I came across a whole lot more deranged young fans who were willing to travel the length and breadth of the country – and beyond – to see and scream in the direction of their idols.

I was fortunate in that the objects of my affection were, although unarguably stupid, pretty clean individuals (MJ's paedophilia aside...). There have always been worse role models and drugs are nothing new – but to my knowledge, no celebrity has ever been photographed with inter-toe blood stains caused by heroin injections. Had it happened in my day, I strongly doubt that I would have seen it as an endorsement of such behaviour – but I know with absolute certainty that there is a petrifying number of young, impressionable people with access to drugs and little motivation to stay off them who will find these pictures an inspiration and a justification rather than a warning.

Ms Winehouse is clearly a talented and respected musician but she is trying to ignore the responsibilities that come with that gift. As a role model she sucks. She is in turmoil and should remove herself from the public eye until she understands the weight of her influence and is better able to set an example. How idiotic – or drugged – does a celebrity have to be to leave their house wearing blood-stained shoes? She needs help and I could understand if many parents were very angered by her behaviour.

Meanwhile, The Sun has the largest readership of any newspaper in the UK and by printing these pictures and publicising her actions they are increasing the likelihood that this behaviour will be emulated – in spite of pathetically insincere urges for her to ‘Get help’ in their headlines. And don’t even get me started on their thinly veiled lesson in attaining a more effective heroin high. Celebrity and the media: two sides of the same tarnished coin. Suddenly I feel really old.