Shortly before Lil Wayne’s arrest, I’d recently become reacquainted with him. I’ve met a lot of artists through time, and even when I’d met Wayne a couple of years ago, I wasn’t impressed. I honestly didn’t feel, at the time, that his music was all that good. But this year, I was proven wrong. Lil Wayne came up like Godzilla from the ocean, and he now has my respect. Sort of.
Heath Ledger has had an equally meteoric rise, with that rise expected to go on full blast with his latest role as The Joker in the new Batman film. The Joker’s presence appears to be the central theme of the movie and I am sure there are rooms full of Hollywood executives trying to figure out how to manage the fact that one of the two most important people in their new blockbuster film is now lying in a casket.
I feel bad for Heath Ledger and Lil Wayne. It appears that both of them had an odd love affair with a set of mind altering substances.
There are at least three clear differences between Heath Ledger and Lil Wayne: First, one guy is dead and the other only has a death wish. Secondly, one guy’s substances are illegal, and the other guy’s stuff should be outlawed. Third, I am not sure if Heath Ledger ever had a chance to experience the greatness of Lil Wayne, and I would not be surprised if Lil Wayne missed out on Broke Back Mountain. I honestly missed it too, it was just too weird.
But that’s where the differences seem to end.
Drugs are everywhere. As a college professor, I’ve seen drugs destroy the lives of many otherwise normal, happy, healthy young people. What’s worse is that many of our greatest drug dealers are major corporations. I tire of seeing one commercial after another, seeking to bring out the hypochondriac in all of us. They overmedicate our kids to turn them into lifeless, wide-eyed, zombies. They tell old men that they can have bigger penises and use them more often. Anyone who can’t sleep or has a series of bad days is given something in a bottle that will make the bad days turn sunny.
Actually, they’re right. People on drugs are usually much happier than those who actually face their problems and work through them….at least for a while.
I am not here to say that psychiatric medication is not necessary. I like the idea that I can escape the pain of surgery and suddenly see Halle Berry in a bikini. However, the idea that our society allows an industry to make money hand over fist by getting us all hooked on their product is quite disturbing. Pookie on the corner offering hits to school children has been overshadowed by men in business suits showing up at the same school to offer a more powerful product.
Heath Ledger had problems, and his doctor gave him prescriptions to make it better. He eventually dies from an overdose. Lil Wayne surely has problems of his own, since the list of haters gets long when you’re on top. He found his own medication. Part of the reason I never wanted to be a huge celebrity is that the psychological toll can be astronomical. In this case, the inability to handle this toll has stolen the life of one of our most talented celebrities, and may steal the livelihood of another.
I must admit that all of this just makes me sad. But then again, I’m sure some company will soon offer me a drug that can make it go away. Perhaps I should see my pusher….err uhh…doctor. Either one would be just fine.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University. He makes regular appearances in national media, including CNN, FOX, BET, CBS, and ESPN. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
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