Rumors

Lindsay Lohan. You know who she is. You have seen her face on the cover of magazines, in films, on the news. You know about her change from Disney star to party girl, her family issues, her stints in rehab, her DUIs, and her girlfriend. Even though she had made it clear she wants to be left alone, we are still fascinated with watching her life unfold. Why does she have so much control over our attention and how has this obsession affected society negatively?

Lindsay Lohan was a child star that worked her way into our hearts starting with The Parent Trap. Girls like me, who were around her age and younger, followed her as she grew up, starring in several Disney Channel Original Movies such as Life Size and Get a Clue. Lindsay was our Miley. We followed her every move as came out with more feature films, dabbled in singing, and as gal-pal Hilary Duff stole her boy-toy Aaron Carter. And then we watched her slip, slowly at first, but then with speed, into a world where there 

are dresses with no panties, not enough food, and too much alcohol. She has been in a series of minor car accidents that occurred August 2004, October 2005, November 2006, May 2007, and July 2007. She was found driving under the influence on two occasions and possessing cocaine. Reports rose of her being unprofessional on movie sets and that she was suffering from exhaustion. She has been hospitalized multiple times and has spent time in rehabilitation centers because of her eating disorder and alcohol and drug problems. As all of this happened we were still watching, and she was influencing us, affecting the type of people that we wanted to be and the values that we held. Lindsay made us want to be skinny, tan, and popular. She showed us that you could get away with underage drinking and that you’re parents weren’t the boss of you. We trusted her and she led us astray.

It is easy to blame Lohan for issues such as low self-esteem, catty behavior, eating disorders, and stress, that plague so many teen girls today. But can the problems that affect a segment of society really be pinned down on one person? I also have to wonder if all her struggles are her fault, and if she has only had a negative influence. There are many places to lay blame for some of her problems. She came from a broken home and her father spent time in jail. She entered show business at a young age, removing a large amount of normalcy from her life. Lohan has done positive things, such as portraying a teen getting sucked in to a world of cliques Mean Girls, which cleverly brought to light the difficulties that face middle and high school girls. She has also supported charities such as ONE campaign and Angelwear. Her recent relationship with Samantha Ronson has mainstreamed a gay relationship without classifying her sexuality. Overall Lohan’s life has been a bit rocky, but according to her April 23, 2009 interview with Ellen DeGeneres she has shown that she is back on her feet and ready to move on with her life. She is producing a television show and is starting to shoot a new film in October. I don’t know if I believe everything she says about her personal life, but I will keep on watching to see what happens next.

Posted by Julia