Emotional Stripping of Celebrities

Whether it be Amy Winehouse or Kurt Cobain, people have an almost voyeuristic obsession with their lives and their details. Even today, when a pop star speaks up about traumatic experiences from their lives, it makes the headlines of tabloids, blog posts and is talked about by every social media user. It reduces the courage it takes to publicly talk about these topics into mere gossip.

Emotional stripping: What is it? Emotional stripping prioritises the overexposure of the star’s human self – her traumas, her addictions, and her mental health struggles – above all other aspects of her brand and her personhood. When a star emotionally strips, she peels away her brand – which, if built and managed properly, should be the protective layer between herself and her audience. Emotional stripping is almost like the breakdown of the wall that masks a celebrity's real-life struggles, to be left exposed and analysed by the audience. Of course, there's nothing wrong with an artist being public about their personal lives and mental health. When people with a wide reach openly talk about their struggles, it makes these conversations easier for their audiences as well. It can inspire them to communicate with their loved ones, and also enable them to empathise with the struggles of others. It is only made a problem by audiences. When every news update about a celebrity's trauma is followed like it is the next installment of a fantasy novel- it becomes a real problem. Substance abuse, sexual abuse, and failing mental health are some of the topics that the public cannot seem to get enough of. And when it is coupled with a famous persona, it becomes the perfect new story. This is especially evident with the #MeToo movement. Although the outpour of support for survivors of sexual abuse was commendable, it seemed as if news outlets wanted to squeeze out every piece of information there is. And it seems as though viewers feel almost a sense of relief from watching these excerpts- relief that it isn't them. When Billie Eilish sang, "I want to end me," upward of 5 times in her song Bury A Friend, or Kurt Cobain singing Nirvana's I Hate Myself and Want to Die - the focus is more on the rawness of the work and its impact on the audience; rather than its impact on the artist themself. While we should celebrate honest and groundbreaking art, it should never come at the cost of ignoring cries for help. Amy Winehouse sang about not wanting to go to rehab before she died of alcohol poisoning at 27 years of age. So what should be the key takeaways from reading this article?

1. When your favourite celebrity speaks out about one of their experiences, do not go out of your way to extract as much information as you can about their ordeal. Respect their privacy and allow them to share only as much as they're comfortable with. Make sure to apply this principle in real-life relationships as well.

2. Do not glorify or romanticise these struggles.

3. Expect better from media sources. There's a video of an actor going through a mental breakdown on your Explore feed? Click on 'not interested'.

4. Lastly, and most importantly, understand that before being artists or celebrities, these are real people. And all people, no matter how famous they are, deserve to be treated with respect and empathy.

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