I have been accused of many things: being a shameless promoter, having frivolous interests, excessive drunkenness, ambiguous sexuality, to name a few. One could not accuse me, however, of a lack of heart. As I trolled through the mountain of e-mails I receive every day, I received a text from a dear friend informing me of the death of Brittany Murphy at the age of 32. Let me just say that I did not know the young lady. Like you, I was entertained by her movies and her talent. There is a recent photo of her dated December 1, 2009 that may or may not tell the story. She seems so dangerously thin that it’s difficult to recognize her. It should remind us that Hollywood is a lifeless, soul sucking bitch of a place to make one’s living. Acting is one of the few professions (along with the music industry, of course) that I can think of where you are judged solely on your appearance and talent (I don’t count models. They have no talent.) And the difference between working and not working may be ten pounds here or there…or a nip here and a tuck there.
Women bear the brunt of it, of course. And please, don’t talk to me about Meryl Streep or Sigourney Weaver. They are the exceptions. For every Meryl (a delightful woman, by the by. I have Summered in the Hamptons when she was there) or Sigourney there are thousands more that stop working because they’ve reached an age or weight threshold. What truly galls me is that the Hollywood power brokers and producers who will make public statements and “mourn her” are the very blood suckers that perpetuate the entire operation. Nothing will change because the vampires are in power and they are on constant vigil for new meat. Throw a rock and you will hit the next victim. The tragic reality is that there are a million Brittany Murphys plying their craft in Hollywood and many will fall prey to the Hollywood machine. And as the cult of celebrity grows, we, the public, will demand more sacrifices to be made in its unholy name.
Listen. I’m no saint. The music industry, the industry that I have devoted my life to, has done more to fuck talented people than just about any other. Hollywood…Nashville…pick your poison. I like to tell prospective clients, “Bend over and wait for the anal exploration”. And I must confess that I have bagged my share of pretty actresses with the promise of a part in a music video.
(Pause)
Now that I think about it, maybe I’m the last person to make commentary. I guess it just struck me as kind of a needless death.
Another Johnny Walker Blue should do the trick. I’ll probably forget that I even wrote this.
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