Yes, she’s a mess – so why do we teenagers still love Amy?

I’ve harped on about that how young people see celebrity drug takers is more complex than is often portrayed in the media; so it was refreshinig to see Jemima Owen piece in The Observer trys to explain the appeal of Amy Winehouse to teenagers:

While Winehouse is the first to admit that her behaviour is not an admirable example to impressionable teenagers – ‘I’m not in this to be a fucking role model’ she told one interviewer – there does seem to have been an increase in the number of young women sporting her trademark heavy eyeliner, unkempt tangle of hair and even adorning their arms with the odd nautical tattoo.

So what is it about Winehouse that makes her so captivating? The past year has seen several iconic figures nosedive into depression, addiction or an inability to abide by the speed limit, yet it’s Winehouse who has kept our eyes peeled for news of her in the headlines, and Winehouse for whom many teenagers like myself sit with crossed fingers, hoping she’ll pull herself together and bounce back.

Later on she says:

Honestly, I don’t think any of us would want to swap our lives for Winehouse’s. But maybe at times teenagers feel they can relate to some aspect of Winehouse’s plight – whether they be going out with a guy Dad can’t stand, or desperate to persuade Mum that a tattoo doesn’t screw up your chances of getting a decent job. However big a mess Winehouse makes of things, hundreds of messages of support from her fans reinforce that there are still people rooting for her. For teens, it’s a comforting message in a world that can often seem unforgiving – no matter how much you screw up, there will still be people who want you to shine.

Whether she likes it or not, eyeliner sales have proved that Winehouse certainly has quite a bit of influence over her teenage fans. It might be easy for parents to view that influence as potentially dangerous or unhealthy, but perhaps the Back to Black album in their daughter’s iTunes library doesn’t reflect a desire to snort cocaine à la Winehouse, but to be recognised not only for the homework they didn’t do and the pile of dirty plates and forks under their beds, but their talents and achievements as well.

Further reading:

• The Effects of Drug use by Celebrities upon Young People’s Drug Use and Perceptions of Use.
• Celebrity Drug Use

Filed under: celebrity , celebrity drug use