When Parents Fail...

…what’s a child to do? Often times, when kids get into trouble and experiment with drugs and alcohol, we blame it on hanging out with the wrong crowd. Peers that are bad influences. What’s a parent to do? But that’s not always the case. Sometimes the parents really are to blame. I made the mistake of not changing the channel fast enough on Monday and I left Dr. Phil on. There was a 19 year old girl in some big trouble. She has made some terrible choices and has an eating disorder, bulimia. Some people might blame her for her miserable life, until you hear her talk about her parents, who were both there to “defend” themselves. Kylie developed her eating disorder at 12 years old. Her mother taught her how to “throw up” and bought her laxatives. The mother, Paula, modeled anoxia and bulimia for her daughter. The mother’s excuse is that she struggled with weight her whole life and has been on all kinds of diets. The daughter says her mother is an alcoholic and a mean, abusive drunk at that. She calls her daughter a “whore” and wishes she was dead. Kylie also says her mother steals her prescription drugs. Kylie started experimenting with drugs at the age of 14. Right now Kylie lives with her dad. Her father, Cory, has OCD which creates a lot of anxiety for Kylie. On top of that, he abuses alcohol and smokes marijuana with his daughter, he even has a bong. He admits to that.

Kylie says she always wanted her parent’s approval. She had intentions of being a model, but got sidetracked into working in porn. Her mother says she doesn’t want her daughter doing that, but Kylie says all her mom cares about is if she got paid for the job. Paula says she takes her daughter to the doctor to make sure she hasn’t contracted any diseases. Kylie says her mom takes her because it’s required before she can be in a project. Kylie hates her life and wants help from Dr. Phil for her eating disorder and addiction.

And this is what led me to start thinking about Lindsay Lohan yesterday morning. I have been hard on Lindsay, like most people, because she has the financial means to help herself out of her problems and get the proper treatment. Lindsay was a bright and beautiful child. She was talented and had a lot of potential. But, like poor Kylie, her parents left a lot to be desired. Her modeling career began at age 3, her acting career began at 10. Her mother became her agent. By the time she was 16 (and maybe before that), she was successful and out partying in the fast lane. Her family was so dysfunctional. Her father, Michael, in and out of jail and an alcoholic himself, while her mother Dina abuses both alcohol and drugs. Her parents divorced and fought over Lindsay’s money. I think it’s safe to say the girl had no parenting, and her lifestyle and money gave her too much freedom. Now, 10 years later, she have been before a judge at least two dozen times and only by the grace of God is she still alive. I always got the impression her parents only cared about her money and what it could do for them.

Now, if reports are true that Lindsay started abusing alcohol and drugs at age 16 or 17, and you believe what Dr. Phil says, then her brain never matured. She is mentally stuck at that age. We see a 26 year old who acts like a reckless teenager because her brain hasn’t continued to develop. On top of that, her addictions warp her way of thinking, and she can’t make good choices for herself. She has “yes” men all around her who tell her what she wants to hear. We have seen this scenario all too often, and it almost always ends in disaster.

Why does this bother me? Lindsay was born in 1986 and has been spiraling downhill for ten long years. She had little to no parenting that I have read about. Maybe even the roles were reversed and Lindsay had to be the “parent” at one point. My daughters are close in age to Lindsay. They were raised very differently and maybe with a little too much parenting. They have worked hard and done well for themselves. They have been allowed to be children and they were loved, as all children should be loved. It bothers me that no one on this world cares enough about Lindsay Lohan to get her to see she needs help. Not even the two people who brought her into this world. Instead they led her on the path to self destruction, from which she can’t seem to extricate herself. I find it sad. I fear that one day I will wake up and hear the news that she died of an overdose or in a car accident. Once a beautiful, innocent child with so much potential and her whole life ahead of her, is now headed for a tragic ending. No one seems to care whether she lives or dies. Maybe what started out as “partying” has turned into a way of coping with that realization? I don’t know. But I find it sad when people have children and then failed them miserably as parents.

Lindsay and Kylie deserved better than that. Kylie is going to get help and hopefully will start over, on her own, without her toxic parents. I wish I could say the same for Lindsay.

Dr. Phil Show link: http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1966

Dr. Phil on Lindsay Lohan’s Arrest

I am not a big fan of Dr. Phil or Lindsay Lohan, but I am peeved and decided to say something.

I happened to be watching The Talk, when they had their guest Dr. Phil come out to promote his new book “Life Codes.” The first thing they asked him was his opinion on Lindsay Lohan’s recent arrest. First he gives a quick resume of his legal background with the court system and then offers up his two cents. He explains that Lindsay is on probation, or as he likes to call it “sweet poison,” because if she does anything wrong she just bounces back to jail without a trial. He goes on to say that when on probation you have to avoid even the appearance of impropriety or you can get in trouble. That doesn’t seem to apply to Lindsay, as far as I have seen. However, Dr. Phil says, you don’t take a high risk individual (Lindsay) and put them in a high risk situation (Bar at 4 am) and then act surprised when something bad happens. Now here is the part that irritates me: He says it may have been her parents who got her into this situation, but she is an adult now (at 26) and she makes her own decisions and must take responsibility. He adds, “when you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences [she’ll go to jail] and then we will spend about $25,000 a year of taxpayer money for her to look at a wall, I guess.” Very compassionate, wouldn’t you say? Well that’s if nothing worse happens, Dr. Phil.

I’ll explain why all this bothers me. I have heard Dr. Phil say many times that teenagers do not understand the consequences of their behavior. The frontal cortex of the brain, where this understanding takes place, is not fully developed until a person is 25. Now back to Lindsay. It’s true that Lindsay is now 26 years old, however how many years ago did she start “partying,” drinking and doing drugs? There were many reports of her out with her mother, Dina, who we have recently seen on Dr. Phil. The woman is a mess and I would go so far as to say she was an unfit mother. Never mind Lindsay’s loser father who speaks matter of factly about his daughter’s recent arrest and blames it on the city and people, not Lindsay or her parents. Dina has always loved being in the limelight and I get the impression she was living her dream for fame vicariously through her daughter. It’s no surprise that she went partying with her young daughter and that Lindsay was introduced very early to the “partying” lifestyle by dear old mom. This was during her teenage years. I could not find out exactly when it all started because there are thousands of hits for “Lindsay partying” on Google. 

So when Dr. Phil says Lindsay is an adult now, that is technically true, but her brain is fried. We don’t know if her frontal cortex had a chance of developing normally while she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Obviously she hasn’t been thinking clearly and making good choices for a very long time. Dr. Phil, with his impressive resume, should know all this and place much more blame on her parents and getting Lindsay proper help. Where are his resources and offers of help? Lindsay may not have the mental capacity or even be sober enough to decide she needs to go to rehab. Her parents are hopeless. The poor girl has had no parental guidance, instead she was exploited by both parents for the money she was making. So who is going to step in and save this girl’s life before she ends it with an overdose? Before she mixes too much alcohol and too many pills? Before she gets behind the wheel of a car and kills herself or others? Who? Dr. Phil? Dr. Drew? Her lawyers? The legal system who lets her out of jail in 15 minutes every time she is arrested? 

When she kills herself will everyone be crying and saying she was so young? Will they be wringing their hands saying if only we had done something? When will those closest to her wake the hell up!  It’s as predictable as Michael Jackson’s early death.

I just read this morning that Lindsay is out of jail again. Great. And everyone is failing her again. She is just a hot topic of conversation for all the talk shows and tabloids. But when the hell is someone going to step in and actually do something before her story ends in tragedy? Maybe I should send this blog off to Dr. Phil. Maybe he can do a show with Lindsay during February sweeps, if she lasts that long. 

I think it’s so sad that this once very talented 26 year old girl is being left to her own devices when it’s clear she is headed for a tragic end. Maybe all these incidents are a cry for help and no one is answering. I just can’t be the only one who sees this, and my resume is not close to being as impressive as Dr. Phil’s.

Lindsay Lohan's "Accident"

A couple of days ago, when I saw a headline that Lindsay Lohan was in a car accident, I jumped to conclusions. Here we go again! She is going kill herself or worse, innocent people on the road. But, as I read the article, I happy to learn I was mistaken. A truck, an 18 wheeler, allegedly cut her off, totaling the Porsche she was in with her assistant. By the way the Porsche was rented, and the car the studio provided for her, with a driver, was following her car, as she was going to the set of “Liz and Dick.”

Lindsay was in the Porsche with her assistant. She told police officers that her assistant was driving the car and that she was the passenger. However, while Lindsay was being treated for minor scrapes and bruises, her assistant told police that Lindsay was driving and she was the passenger! I knew something wasn’t right. Okay, it doesn’t take a genius if the story involves Lindsay, does it? I don’t know why Lindsay chose to lie. Is it just a bad habit or did she have something to hide? In any case she didn’t do herself any favors because providing false information to the police has now put her probation for shop lifting in jeopardy. She could serve jail time. Really? What, another 15 minutes behind bars? I’ll believe that when I see it. She has really learned her lesson hasn’t she? She must have nine lives like a cat. There isn’t an accident or courtroom that can scare her straight.

Unfortunately for Lindsay, several honest witnesses stopped to tell police that both Lindsay and her assistant got out of the passenger side of the Porsche. What possible reason could there be for that I wonder? The only reason that sounds remotely plausible is that she was driving the car. Her assistant has no reason to lie. Oh, and another little tidbit, when the truck driver denied cutting her off, as Lindsay claimed, she changed her story to the brakes on the Porsche failed. The brakes on the Porsche failed? For all the lying Lindsay does, she still isn’t very good at it. Maybe if she was driving a Hyundai or Toyota she could claim the brakes failed…but a Porsche? 

Since she doesn't have much luck with driving, maybe she should have been a passenger in the company car with a safe driver? It seems to me she goes out of her way to look for trouble every which way she can.

Lindsay Lohan To Play Elizabeth Taylor?

Back in the news as Liz Taylor Project gets underway!

Lindsay is always full of surprises, amongst other things. She is trying to get her career back on track and has had two good courtroom appearances. After making a mockery of the justice system for years, Lindsay was praised for getting her act together and finally doing the community service she was assigned to do, who remembers how long ago, I don’t. I guess she decided to take some good advice or she is sick of delaying her own fate or afraid of going to back to jail. Whatever the case, she has made some progress and will now be making her fourth appearance on SNL. People will tune in out of some misplaced curiosity, to see how she does. I won’t be one of those people.

Lindsay also reports, and this is the killer, that she will be playing the role of movie icon, Elizabeth Taylor, in a movie made for television. Lindsay claims she has been doing a lot of research for the role and has always been fascinated with Elizabeth Taylor. I wonder what Liz would have to say about all this? Lindsay has spent most of her career living in a haze of drugs and alcohol and playing “catch me if you can” with the law. How in the world is she fit to play a legendary star? It’s beyond me. I can only think that the people producing this project want to capitalize on all her bad publicity and are counting on people tuning in to see Lindsay’s “come back” performance. That is “if” the movie ever gets made and “if” Lindsay doesn’t relapse at some party that you know she will be attending. She never did the real work necessary for her addiction or completed a legitimate rehab program. She just waltzes in and out of rehab, as she pleases, and goes right back to partying. So excuse me for being both cynical and skeptical.

Can anyone see her playing Elizabeth Taylor? She better do a damn good job because this role just might jump start her career or kill it. Let’s see if she can pull it off without a hitch. 

Lindsay Lohan Fired From Community Service?!?

What a surprise! Lindsay Lohan has made the news again, and not in a good way. All her tearful, apologetic words to her judges, time and time again, seem to pull at their heart strings and they give her no jail time. Instead, they give her community service, which she always has an excuse for not doing. Here is the latest news and then I will go take two excedrins because my head is exploding.

Apparently, Lindsay has been kicked out of her community service program for violating the rules numerous times. Last time she bulldozed the judge with her “sincere regrets and promise of change,” she was sentenced to serve 360 hours at the Downtown Women’s Center in LA, in lieu of going to jail for shoplifting. The sentenced required that Lindsay serve at least 4 hours at a time, and be reliable and non-disruptive.

But in true Lindsay fashion, she blew off nine visits to the center and the times she did show up she would leave after serving just one hour. Now she has been rescheduled to work at the Red Cross. She is due back in court next week to assess her progress which is basically none. The judge made is clear that if Lindsay “messed up” again she was going to jail. I will believe that when I see it!

Meanwhile, someone got a nice close up of Lindsay’s teeth, which are stained and appear to be decaying. There was no comment from her team of publicists about that. I have my own thoughts on it. It’s a real shame that someone so young and full of potential, with huge opportunities before her, is choosing to risk losing everything: her lifestyle, her career, even her freedom. Oh well, another train wreck that might make for a good Dr. Phil show in a year from now, but it will have to be during sweeps months (Nov. Feb. or May).


Now where are the damn excedrins, this is headache #1058!



Lindsay Lohan Kicked Out Of Party!

Even “party” people don’t want Lindsay Lohan around and Lindsay never learns her lesson. She is the last person that needs to be out partying, it always gets her into trouble with the law.

The story is that Lindsay was not welcome at the Marc Jacobs Fashion Week party (have no idea who he is), but managed to get in to The Gallery at The Dream Hotel Thursday night. Lindsay doesn’t like to take no for an answer and eventually made her way into the event. The reason she was person non grata is that the night before, Lindsay threw a glass at a waitress in a violent episode, and word got around. However, as soon as Lindsay made herself comfortable at a table, security guards came over and asked her to leave The Gallery. Lindsay got up and left without a scene and promptly went back to the Boom Boom Room where she had the incident with the waitress the night before. They allowed her back.  I'm not totally heartless, I do blame a lot of Lindsay's mistakes on her parents (she never really had any) and the bad example they set all along the way.

Kate Gosslin On My Last Nerve!

What is it about Kate Gosslin that she will not fade into the sunset and off the television screen? Her show has been cancelled after the last episode aired recently. Kate managed to insult all her fans when she said Jon had a regular job and is content with “mediocre” for his children, while she insists she needs a television job in order to give them the best. All the viewers with regular jobs and mediocre lifestyles just have to suck it up. Meanwhile, Kate, who wanted one more child and got six more instead, is hardly being a mother to them. The children have been affected by growing up on television and many have some serious behavior issues. What would be “best” for her children is to have a full time mother who isn’t screaming at everyone 24/7! Oh did I forget to mention that Kate is driving around in a two door sports car? I’m sure that is best for her eight children. Maybe if she is kept off television she will go back to parenting before it’s too late for all her children?

Lindsay Lohan And Others, Back In The News…

All set to party again!

Yes that’s right, she was released from house arrest and immediately went back to “celebrating.” She was seen joining a group of her friends at the Lexington Social House at 11 PM. Reports claim she was drinking nonalcoholic beverages during the affair, before leaving at 2 AM. I, for one, would love to believe that, I really would. Why she would place herself in a position where she would surely be tempted is beyond me.

Lindsay Lohan still has to complete her community service portion of her punishment, which involves working at a homeless shelter and a morgue. Let’s hope something sinks in this time around so I can devote my time and energy to other needy causes. But, be prepared anyway, she turns 25 tomorrow!

In other news, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, star of The Tudors (which I loved) was rushed to the hospital when it was suspected he attempted suicide. Meyers has had a long battle with alcohol addiction and may have also taken pills. It’s a shame that so many celebrities have problems with addiction and, although they have the financial means to get help, they are so often in denial and even when they get help, they relapse the moment they are released. Meyers is a talented and gifted actor in his early 30’s and probably needs to resolve some issues in therapy along with rehabilitation for his addiction.

And how can I leave out Charlie Sheen? The man who provided the world with an ongoing spectacle of what being on drugs can do to a person. Videos of Sheen should be shown in high schools throughout the country as a campaign against drug use. In any event, and not much of a shocker, Charlie has recently admitted to using illegal drugs…oh, but wait, they aren’t they drugs you are expecting to read about. He admits to using steroids for six to eight weeks during the filming of his 1989 movie, Major League. I don’t even remember that being a movie, but if Charlie says so I guess it’s true. I guess he figures if major league players can get away with steroid use why not him? But, I’m pretty sure the steroids worse off by now so what else has he been taking to make him act so bizarre? I don’t think he is ready to admit that. Unfortunately the man is seriously ill and possibly psychotic and it amazes me that nothing can be done to help him.

Of course, I think it has long been an issue that as long as celebrities use and glamorize drugs, it makes the campaign against drugs in this country that much harder. Add to that the fact that they simply get a slap on the wrist and can go back to partying, without skipping a heartbeat, trivializes the seriousness of the issue. I don’t think we should come down harder on celebrities for their drug use, but for pete’s sake, at least treat them like everyone else who abuses substances and drives under the influence. It’s not just their lives they are putting in jeopardy at that point. And how many times must your ass be hauled off to court before a judge decides you need to do some real time like everyone else? They make a mockery of the judicial system, which apparently has a double standard for celebrities and the rest of us.

I just wish they would all get help and stay out of the news for a while so can I focus on other things. They are just impossible to ignore







Lindsay Lohan At It Again…

It seems as though it never ends with Lindsay Lohan. A few days ago I read that, while under “house arrest” she made a very short, maybe 15 second commercial ad, for an online business. Not such big news, so I skipped over it. If you read my blogs on Lindsay, you already know I am not a fan and that I do not consider “house arrest” a punishment. She was supposed to get jail time this time around. That’s a punishment that might deter bad behavior. But sitting at her luxurious home for four months, eating bonbons, watching television and playing on the computer is not going to teach her a thing. And I was right.

Latest story on Lindsay is that she just tested positive for alcohol and has to return to court. Duh! What did the courts expect? She needed a real rehab for a long time. One she cannot check out of and go straight to a party whenever she feels like it. Well, last week she was tested twice for drugs and alcohol and tested positive for alcohol, now what?

This is apparently a violation of her probation. She is due in court this morning. She wasn’t supposed to drink alcohol while on probation because of her DUI case (of which there have been many). Meanwhile, the house arrest was for stealing a necklace. The LA Probation Dept. wants Lindsay out of house arrest and in the county jail. So do I. That is where she should have been all along. She should not be getting special privileges because she is a celebrity. She drinks, does drugs and drives. She doesn’t learn her lesson. She doesn’t stay in rehab. She can wind up killing someone or herself. And, if she does, who will be responsible? Lindsay? At this point I would look to the judges who are enabling her behavior with these slaps on the wrist, instead of what would be required of you or I with the same history. They would be just as responsible, if not more responsible, for whatever happens next.

Oh, and by the way, Lindsay has been hosting parties at her house while under “house arrest.” Yeah you read it right. Neither the Probation Dept, nor I were happy to learn about that. On June 13^th, it was reported that she threw a “Roof Party” where pictures could easily be taken by the media and tourists. A flagrant disregard for the judge’s orders that she be discreet during house arrest. Of course, the judge looks like a fool, trusting Lindsay was going to abide by any court ruling. She has proved time an time again that she has no respect for the judicial system. Beer and wine was served at the party, but Lindsay was not “seen” drinking. The party was long too, sounds like a whole day affair. Like I said in a previous blog, if this is punishment, I better go out and commit a crime!



Lindsay Lohan Is Sentenced...

And guess what? People Magazine says she is mad! I am mad too. I have waited a long time to see what punishment she was going to get. She has a long arrest record. Her latest problem, for which she is being sentenced, is her jewelry theft of a $2,500 dollar necklace. If you would like to see the impressive timeline of her criminal incidents there will be a link below that begins with October, 2005 up until today. Yes, you read right, 6 years of criminal offenses.

Well, let’s see what her sentence is and then why she is angry over it. For being guilty of stealing the necklace AND violating probation she was taken to a women’s prison yesterday morning and released a few hours later and sent home for house arrest for four months. Not only that, she will have to wear an ankle bracelet for 35 days. Since the police department already have her mug shot and fingerprints already on file, none of those time consuming procedures were necessary. Lindsay is going to foot the bill of the monitoring. The prison term was imposed not for the theft of the jewelry, for which she pleaded no contest, but for violating her 2007 parole. Lindsay Lohan had no comment about the house arrest, but I do.

House arrest is like a slap on the wrist for celebrities. They live in the lap of luxury. What kind of punishment is that? Surrounded with all their prize possessions, eating the food prepared by their chefs, watching their large screen televisions with surround sound stereo systems, sleeping in king sized beds with deluxe mattresses, ordering their maids around, swimming in their in ground pools, and having their friends over. I would trade places with her in a heart beat and I would bet you would too. Punish me! Punish me! I would love to spend four months in Lindsay Lohan’s house! How is she ever going to learn anything when she keeps getting away with everything she does? There is a double standard in our justice system that sends the message that celebrities are above the law. Unfortunately, these cases get a lot of media attention so that young people are getting the wrong message.

Lindsay is also very lucky. I thought she would never work again because she is so unreliable an irresponsible and movies are very expensive to make and delays cost money. But, no I was wrong again. I was shocked to see she was being considered for a role in the new John Gotti, Jr, movie starring John Travolta. All I could do was shake my head. With all the actresses out there, why did they pick Lindsay? Does anyone know the answer? I don’t even find her to be a good actress. I guess this is one of the mysteries of life.

I’m sure she won’t be “punished” the entire four months either. I just want to see what they are going to do if she breaks the law again or if, as she told the court, she has learned her lesson and plans to act responsibly in the future. I’m a skeptic, so I am thinking there will be another incident before long. Stayed tuned.

Lindsay's Crime Timeline: http://www.wwtdd.com/2011/05/the-lindsay-lohan-crime-spree-legal-timeline/