> One can feel compassion for the individual while feeling disgust for an artistic culture that 
> feeds off the mystique of drug use.  I suspect that fatigue with the media glorification of 
> unhealthy behavior feeds some of the less charitable comment on the board.  I share that,
>  but maybe we should keep that separate from the personal human tragedy, which is real 
> and quite sad.

Absolutely. Stew posted something about this on the Negro Problem list. I won't post the whole email, but a few 
lines:

"What makes me really angry is how, just as in the case of cobain, record
companies, managers, promoters and anyone else primed to make cash off the
artist are happy to keep mum on the subject of whatever hell the artist is going
thru instead of publicly calling attention to what may have started as a
lifestyle choice but has clearly turned into a disease. And the record
companies always win cuz for them the only thing better than young and cute is
dead and mythic."

"And a word to all those "fans" who love to trade stories about how fucked up
their favorite problematic rock star was at this or that show -- you lot are
part of the problem as well. People with drug problems are to be pitied and
helped, not glorified."

"I dont know which clique disgusts me more - the sick vulture fans who love to
see their stars stumble and fall or the suits who stand to make a bundle while
giving a really sensitive quote about Smith's artistry to rolling stone.com."

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