May 21, 2010

Munsch Ado About Nothing

Ok...This has been in the news a bit lately so I feel (as Always) that I have to comment.   I know...you're shocked, right?  It seems beloved child author of such classics as "Mortimer"  and "I Love You Forever" has announced to the world that he had an addiction to alcohol and cocaine.  Also, he has bipolar disorder and has suffered with this from the time he was a child.

My Opinion...get ready for this...it'll knock your socks off.  WHO GIVES A CRAP!.  I mean seriously.  Yes he may be a child's author and storyteller, but he's also a human being.  This day and age many many many people suffer with addictions.  Whether its alcohol, tobacco, pot, cocaine, internet porn or video games, literally hundreds of thousands of people suffer with various addictions.  Some may say that this may deminish his credibility, to me it doesn't do a thing.

Bottom Line, he is a brilliant author and wonderfully engaging storyteller.  So he has some personal issues..that's what they are ...PERSONAL.  In no way should this effect his professional life or how people view his public self. With any celebrity they have a "public" persona which is what we all see and their "Private" Persona which they reserve for people who they associate with, friends, family etc.  To me the fact that he's come out and told the world about this makes him even more special to me.  He could have easily kept it to himself and secrectly received treatment, but he chose to share his plight with the world and say "Yes, I'm an addict, and yes, I am getting help for that addiction".  This is what a real stand up person does...not sneak off to some secret celebrity rehab facility...this guy has got the right idea.


GO PUBLIC, GET BETTER, MOVE ON

As an aside...alcohol addiction has literally plagued dozens of famous authors....as Brad Paisley wrote in his song "Alcohol".... "I've influenced Kings and world leaders, I helped Hemingway write like he did, and I'll bet you a drink or two that I can make you, Put that lampshade on your head"

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