WHAT IS IT ABOUT STARDOM THAT makes it such a mystifying combination of a hint of heaven -- and the hiss of hell? Win some, lose a lot -- that seems to be the trade-off for some show biz denizens, whose looks, money and fame attract both angels and imps -- of the divine and the sub-human sort, respectively.
Thus, quite a number of otherwise dazzling luminaries turn out to have feet of all too common clay. More perversely, violence frequently seems to be not far behind, sundering the illusion of perfection with which the biz cloaks its most brilliant stellar lights.
Most recently, this heaven-and-hell conundrum flared up anew and tainted the ?perfect? young couple, Rihanna and Chris Brown. Separately, they had skyrocketing careers that appeared to be headed for even greater heights -- and, together, they were even more amazing, vivifying youth, beauty, talent, popularity and love so pluperfect, that they seemed to come straight from Central Casting.
Vicious night
One vicious night, however, Rihanna flared up when she read another woman?s ?meaningful? message on Chris? cell phone. Instead of apologizing, however, the otherwise buttoned-down young man lost his cool and hit his lady love, choking her, making scary threats and sending the bruised and battered Rihanna to the hospital.
Chris was promptly booked for assault and battery, a charge that quickly cooled his heated brain and replaced his anger with belated contrition.
At first, the couple?s fans didn?t know how to ?take? initial reports about their violent interlude. Then, photos of Rihanna?s battered face were released and shocked fans felt like they had been hit in the gut. The heaven of young love had instantly, cruelly been replaced by the hell of hateful violence.
The popular couple?s youth made the violence all the more shocking. But, there were more unnerving and confounding revelations to come: After Chris had been arraigned, Rihanna decided not to press charges, and opted to forgive him and resume their ?loving? relationship.
That was her ?prerogative,? of course. But Rihanna didn?t realize that her decision to forgive and forget would transform her in the public?s view, from victim to ?enabler.?
Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey weighed in on the issue, cautioning Rihanna that she was setting a bad example for other battered women, especially teenagers. Worse, she was placing herself in harm?s way again, since statistics show that many male partner-beaters are recidivists.
The scandal hasn?t stopped sending out shock wires yet, but it?s already found its place way up there among the other incidents of stellar violence that have intermittently shaken up the ?perfect? world of entertainment.
Among other infamous stellar scandals:
?The tragic and controversial deaths of Natalie Wood, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Heath Ledger.
?Comedy star Fatty Arbuckle being accused of rape and murder.
?Michael Jackson narrowly avoiding pedophile charges.
?Robert Downey, Jr. and a host of other stars in rehab.
?In the ?60s, Elizabeth Taylor stole Eddie Fisher away from Debbie Reynolds. In the New Millennium, Angelina Jolie snatched Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston. Tit for tat, round and round, and so it goes...
Exorcising with Gary Oldman
Not so long ago, Gary Oldman may well have wanted to play some evil supernatural character in the ?The Unborn.? But, for a change of pace, he chose to play a rabbi. Why did the master player of vicious screen characters opt to play a religious figure?
He shares, ?It?s good to play someone who is the moral center of the film, for a change, versus some of the wackier, weirder people I?ve portrayed in the past. Not that filming the ?Unborn? was a runny romp in the park. I had to go to some very dark places as my character exorcises the girl, Casey, who?s plagued by the spirit of her twin brother who died at birth, but now wants to live -- even if it may require death of his teenager sister! Like I said, very dark ....?
