Amanda Bynes Meltdown: A Product of Unstability or Celebrity Fascination?
Attention and Applause 'Has Become Their God,' Says Pastor
In today's celebrity and pop culture obsessed world it is nearly impossible to not know what everyone's favorite actor, artist or athlete is doing at any given time or place. Unfortunately, not all celebrity life is glamorous and fun. They deal with real problems and unlike a regular person who can keep these matters private or within their family, Hollywood has no escape.
"It's a lot of pressure to be constantly under the limelight and being pulled into a bunch of different directions. Then again when some of them don't get the lime light, for example, Amanda Bynes, they can turn nuts to try and get it again," a Youth Coordinator for YMCA in Staten Island, N.Y. told The Christian Post.
One example of a star that is not burning so bright is Amanda Bynes, a former Nickelodeon star who seemingly transitioned from child personality into adult actress without any hitches or speed bumps.
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Bynes seemed to be the rare exception of child celebrities growing up and staying out of trouble. She retired from acting in 2010 after a successful career in which she starred in movies and her own television shows.
However, last year things started getting a bit crazy for the actress as she piled up driving infractions and DUIs. Then she had the bizarre incident at the tanning salon where she was allegedly walking around uncovered and refused to get dressed.
A few weeks ago her apartment was raided by police and she was arrested for drug possession.
In addition to her public struggles, she has been busy slamming other stars on her Twitter with bizarre rants. She has gone after celebrities such as Lance Bass, Rihanna, Ru Paul, and even her own father, calling many of these people "ugly."
She also claims to be working on a singing and rapping career while working on an album. Prior to her "meltdown," Bynes never publicly demonstrated any musical ability or interest.
Bynes has been working on changing her appearance as well. She has gotten a nose job with another planned and has changed her hair several times as well as gotten cheek piercings.
Her instability has seemingly come from nowhere, and some believe it has to do with the pressue of being in Hollywood so young.
"I believe that many who pursue careers in any performance arts are inspired by the attention and the applause they receive. For some this starts at a very young age. Unfortunately there is never enough attention, because this becomes their god," Pastor Tim McIntyre of Oasis Christian Center told CP. "They act out to continue to draw attention to their lives. I've always been amazed at how some celebrities even give their kids the weirdest names. I believe this is also for the sake of drawing more attention to themselves. They think its 'artistic' but I think its a cry for more attention."
Dr. Keith Ablow on Fox News agreed with Pastor McIntyre's assessment when he also spoke about the mental stability of a child star being weak.
"Stage parents often defend selling their kids out to the entertainment industry. They claim it comes from an early recognition of their children's true dreams and their respect for their ambitions," he said.
The same can be said for other young stars who are experiencing public problems such as Lindsay Lohan, Chris Brown, Rihanna, and Macaulay Culkin, to name a few.
"The decision to force kids to attend auditions, act in commercials, movies and televisions shows is always rooted in the parents' own narcissistic needs and their focus on themselves, to the exclusion of their sons and daughters ... Bynes' parents treated her like a possession, not a person, like a commodity, not a child, and that is psychological poison," Ablow explained.
