Taking on Hollywood beginning at the age of three, it is not surprising that Lindsay Lohan is in the position that she is today. As a child, Lohan appeared in numerous commercials and print ads for companies like Toys €˜R Us and Jello. Her success in the 1998 Disney remake of The Parent Trap led her to partake in more films including Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and Mean Girls, a movie which earned her both a Teen's Choice Award and an MTV movie award for her performance. However, despite Lohan's success in acting, her fame and wealth soon started to get to her head.
As her status and popularity grew, so did her presence at nightclubs throughout New York City. Her life and image as an inspiring actress slowly began to fade. Living at the Chateau hotel for over a year, Lohan's party lifestyle and wild behaviors made her an instant attraction to both the media and tabloids around the world. On May 26, 2007, Lohan crashed her Mercedes-Benz into a tree in the Beverly Hills area and after trying to run away from authorities, was eventually arrested. Not even 2 months later she was arrested again in Santa Monica after being involved in a car chase with her assistant who had recently quit on Lohan. In addition, Lohan was found to have been drinking and there was also cocaine found on the scene. In just one night, Lohan had been involved with drinking, drugs and the harassment of a former employee. If that does not stress the trouble she was in, I do not know what will.
However, although Lohan had cocaine in her possession, the amount was under .05 so no serious felony charges occurred. Surprisingly, after both of these run-ins with police authorities, Lohan was only charged two counts of drinking under the influence and one count of reckless driving. Shortly after Lohan's car chase, a woman who was a passenger in the car Lohan was accused of chasing sued her for both assault and negligence. After escaping felony charges and taking a plea deal which dropped the charges to a misdemeanor of drunk driving and cocaine charges, Lohan received the minimum penalty. She was required to spend four days in jail, but eventually this was decreased and she was required to spend only one day in jail and complete 10 days of community service at the hospital.
In addition to serving one day in jail and doing community service, Lohan was also required to go to rehab. She checked herself in to the Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in August and was later released in October, claiming that she was a changed person , who was much more humble and sober. But was this really the case?
Today, Lindsay Lohan is still facing jail time because of the problems she has had with both drugs and alcohol. According to a source, Lohan was headed back to jail for a third time on September 24, 2010 because she failed a mandatory drug test. She was denied bail and ordered to be held in custody until her hearing in October. Lohan was handcuffed and reporters last saw the police car driving towards the women's jail located in Lynwood, California.
Lindsay Lohan is a perfect example of how fame can easily get to someone's head. She used to be a successful, inspiring actress who individuals loved to watch. Her performance as an actress got her recognized and she had the privilege of partaking in many box office hits. And yet, today, she will not be found signing autographs or shopping in Hollywood. Rather, one can find her locked behind bars because she was unable to separate herself from the pressures and influence of the media.
Below is a clip with images relating to all that Lohan has accomplished throughout the years. It is an attempt to try to remember her when she was an inspiring, successful actress with dreams and ambitions.
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It is amazing how much Hollywood can bring a person down. There are countless stories of fame leading to drugs or other methods of downfall. One has to wonder if the cause is the type of people that are attracted to Hollywood, the environment itself, or the fact that we notice these examples more because they are highlighted by the media.
I think Lindsay Lohan is a perfect example of what the media can to do a person. The whole Hollywood dynamic is unhealthy and can absolutely destroy individuals who don’t handle the media well. I think that the media is the villain in Lohan’s case. I really don’t understand the appeal of Hollywood when we hear so many stories like Lindsay’s. I think that’s the saddest part – that this is by no means a surprising story in this day and age.
I completely agree that the stress and vulnerability that come along with fame do have the potential to really get to a person. From the constant exposure to cameras and reporters, to the great amount of susceptibility to tabloid exposures and "Breaking News" stories resulting from one tiny mishap or blunder, celebrities have quite a bit on their plates in terms of always having to be at peak levels of performance; otherwise, they will find themselves becoming the hottest topic to "Tweet" and the most popular subject searched on Google.
Despite all of this, though, I am going to have to say that, in the case of Lindsay Lohan, I honestly do not feel THAT sorry for her. As we learned in class today, (through the Hitler example), society has a tendency to "seduce" people in a way that could either be positive or negative, by potentially targeting their abilities to make good decisions. The paradoxical element within this notion, though, is the fact that, no matter how strong the temptation is, people still retain the choice and ability to make a reasonable decision. So, why do people give in to such seemingly enticing notions and allow their decisions to be determined for them when, in actuality, they really do have a choice in the matter?
Therefore, in the case of Lindsay Lohan, despite the vast amount of stress and pressure of fame that has probably been placed on her, she still, (at least at the time), had had enough common sense to make logical decisions. She had the choice. She made her own bed.
I agree with Katy that the only person Lindsay Lohan can really fault for the position she is in today is herself. Along with some degree of talent, I think the major key to success in Hollywood is maturity and the ability to stay grounded. Lohan’s story reminds me of Britney Spears. Both actresses became celebrities at an early age and had huge potential and were expected to accomplish great things. But they were both missing adequate support systems and goal oriented path in life, and succumb to the pressures of fame. Sadly their celebrity statuses got the best of them and they lost sight of what was truly important. Hopefully both Lohan and Spears will eventually redirect themselves and get back on the right track.