CollegeCandy » amy winehouse

Presumably, we all know that Amy Winehouse passed away on Saturday afternoon, after a long, public struggle with substance abuse. Though we do not know exactly what the cause of her death was, her tumultuous relationship with drugs and alcohol were most likely linked to any health complications that led to her passing. When the news broke, I was on Twitter, and immediately, there was a huge collective burst of sadness and shock among the people I follow who loved her music and were rooting for her to make a comeback. At the same time, there was another loud outpouring of contempt by people who decided to make tacky, tasteless jokes about how she should have said “yes, yes, yes” to rehab and celebrated the death of another waste of space drug addict. The complete lack of empathy for her, her family, her friends and her fans was just shocking to me, especially mere moments after her death was announced.

It’s one thing to delight in the glee of celebs showing up to events in consistently tacky outfits, becoming divas on the Home Shopping Network, continuing to star in movies that flop or getting caught in ridiculous sex scandals (Seriously, tweeting a crotch photo? Comical, lame and totally worth mocking).

It is a completely other story to take pleasure in another human being’s death. I don’t know what it is about celebrities that makes us forget that they are actual people. Is it the over-the-top lifestyle? Is it the way they live their lives so openly in a way that would mortify most of us? I remember talking to a friend during Charlie Sheen’s meltdown, and I asserted how uncomfortable I was with the way people were idolizing and condoning his ridiculous behavior, especially since he has a history of violence. In response, she said “celebrities don’t count.” But celebrities do count. Their actions have consequences. They don’t exist in a bubble. The way that we choose to contextualize the actions of our celebrities says a lot about our society’s values.

Sheen, the highest paid actor on TV with a long history of domestic violence, goes on some awful rants, complete with some completely unnecessary Anti-Semitism (rants that eventually led to making money), and everyone bows down to the altar of yet another privileged white man who knows how to drum up publicity and make a profit for himself. Chris Brown has still not been forgiven for his attack of Rihanna. He had a fit on the set of Good Morning America and the media was quick to paint him as angry and unstable, and I find it impossible to believe that race doesn’t have anything to do with it. He’s a young black man who sings music that widely appeals to a young black audience — ie: the majority of people are not interested in investing in him or his success. Now, I am not an apologist for violent men. I don’t think it’s hard to avoid hitting women, and I believe both Charlie and Chris should be blacklisted, but the unequal treatment is most certainly not a coincidence.

And when Amy Winehouse dies, her struggle with drugs and alcohol made people feel comfortable enough to express their delight, because they know their marginalization of substance abuse, mental illness and, let’s be totally honest here –women — is acceptable in our society. It’s even been perpetrated on College Candy. Amy Winehouse, despite winning five Grammys in one night, despite having two critically acclaimed albums, despite being a distinguished vocalist and songwriter who has sold several million albums worldwide, is still not considered “worthy” of being part of a morbid club of rock stars who have all died far too young. The impact that she has made in the music industry is undeniable.

To deny the fact that celebrities reflect the ignorant and dysfunctional norms of our culture is to deny the true extent of how deeply our collective racism, misogyny and tendency to devalue people with mental illnesses runs. It’s counterproductive and doesn’t allow our society to evolve to its true potential.

Candy Dish: Too Strong For Him?

CC Staff — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:00:16 +0000

Are you too intimidating for men?

Would you wear yellow nail polish?

Dyeing your hair on a shoestring budget

Did a broken heart kill Amy Winehouse?

Is this the saddest movie ever made?

The factors that make men and women cheat

Celebrity rundown for the afternoon

Anatomy of a Harry Potter geek girl

How to make good girlfriends

Current Events Cheat Sheet: RIP Amy Winehouse

Avery - UNC Chapel Hill — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:00:07 +0000

At least 93 people were killed in Norway on Friday, when a man detonated a bomb in the country’s capital and later opened fire on young people at a retreat. The 32-year-old who is currently considered responsible, Anders Behring Breivik, was hoping to incite an Anti-Muslim revolution with the attacks. In a document Breivik posted online, he wrote that the massacre was ‘the ultimate love gift’ to his country and ranted against the ‘indigenous Europeans’ who were open to the Muslim immigrants in Norway. He also posted a video on YouTube with a similarly heinous message. The bomb was set off at government headquarters connected to the left-leaning Labor Party, and the youth retreat was a political gathering related to the more liberal party as well. Norway, where most police don’t even carry a gun while on duty and the Nobel Peace Prize was born, is- unsurprisingly- reeling from the events.

It was really hot this week. As if you didn’t know that when you stepped outside, and then realized it was far too freakin’ hot and went back indoors to the AC. If it makes you feel any better, it really was really hot- one of the largest heat waves of the decade, according to some meteorologists. At least 22 people died from the heat, and about 1,000 record highs were set across the country. In Minnesota, for instance, the heat index reached 134, surpassing the previous 1966 record by ten whole degrees. Weather doesn’t make for the most exciting news, but it does give journalism freedom to come up with some unique headlines. Here are some of the gems the over-heated reporters came up with: “Feelin’ hot, hot, hot” from The Suffolk News Herald, “When Mr. Heat Comes to Washington,” from Forbes, and “The Agony of the Heat,” from NPR. Thankfully, temps should be cooling down, so our makeup won’t be dripping down our face and journalists won’t have to come up with anymore, ahem, ”clever” headlines.

Singer Amy Winehouse was found dead on Saturday in her London apartment. It was well-known that Winehouse struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, but as of yet, the death is considered “unexplained.” Winehouse was super-talented; she wrote and sang her uniquely soulful hits including “Rehab,” which hit the top ten back in 2007. The album that song came from, “Back to Black,” won her five Grammys. She’s been relatively out of the spotlight for the past few years, attempting to recover from her addictions. Her death came less than two months after the end of her latest stint in rehab.

On Monday, 40-year-old mega-bookstore chain Borders announced that its remaining 300 stores will close. “The truth is that Borders has been facing headwinds for quite some time, including a rapidly changing book industry, eReader revolution, and turbulent economy,” president Mike Edwards wrote to his employees. “We put in a valiant fight, but regrettably, in the end we weren’t able to overcome these external forces.” 10,700 employees will reportedly lose their jobs, during a time when job-hunting is already notoriously challenging. What will be Barnes & Noble’s fate? No one is sure yet, but lets hope at least some bookstores stick around. Where else will I read my free magazines?

Pic o’ the week:

Joel Saget / AFP / Getty Images.

Bicylclists competing in the 2011 Tour de France rode towards the Arc de Triomphe on Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris yesterday in the last stretch of the race. Cadell Evans of Australia won the tour, which ended Sunday, and he was the first Aussie to do so. Congrats Cadell!

Candy Dish: Gone Too Soon

CC Staff — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:00:30 +0000

Celebs who died before their time

Madonna’s Material Girl line is expanding!

The best costumes at this year’s comic con

Talking dirty without being gross

10 Celeb d-bags who walked out on their pregnant wives and girlfriends

Easy and fun ways to squeeze in exercise this summer

Not all superhero movies can be awesome

Krisin Cavallari and Jay Cutler call off their engagement

Kim Kardashian’s bachelorette party looked fun

Our Favorite Celeb Train Wrecks <3

Kim- Syracuse University — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:00:53 +0000

The hot messes that are our favorite celebrities. Ah, what would a typical day in Hollywood be without nip slips and exposed undies for the paparazzi and the rest of the world to see? As we all know, you can’t have the glitz and glamour without the A-list slip-ups and infamously disheveled stars. Let us revel in the moments of celebrity dysfunction that always seem to draw attention not to any particular talent, but to ever-present trifling tendencies.

I present to you: our favorite celebrity train wrecks.

initiating the gallery...