Brittany Murphy, born on November 10th 1977, died December 20th 2009. She was an American actress staring in Clueless, Just Married, Don't Say a Word Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in cars with Boys. Brittany was also a singer, dancer, and model. Her personal love life and acting updates were constantly over entertainment news. Her top news story was her death. To go along with my research paper theme of celebrity overdose. Brittany Murphy falls into this category. She was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she was dead on arrival from cardiac arrest. This was due to pneumonia, and iron-deficiency anemia, and multiple drug intoxication. This intoxication came from a range of over the counter prescription medications in a purpose to treat a cold or respiratory infection. These drugs were hydrocodone, acetaminophen, L-methamphetamine, and chlorpheniramine.
Brittany's family, after her death also established the Brittany Murphy Foundation in honor of her constant charitable focuses; children's arts education, the USO, and cancer research.
Why so many drugs for a "cold" or "respiratory infection?" Was that what they doctors were really trying to treat? Did Brittany really die on accident of drug intake? They say she died from "legal" drugs, but is this intense array of drugs a "legal" or ethical level to prescribe to someone? Was Brittany as forceful in being cured with drugs as other celebrity prescription overdoses have been in the past? These are the questions I constantly think of when I read articles such as this which make the celebrity seem protected from the media after their death.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/12/20/brittany.murphy/index.html
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Outline for Research Paper
Outline for Pop Culture Research Paper
Title:
Thesis: On June 25th, 2009 at 5:20pm Michael Jackson, our beloved king of pop, was rushed to the hospital after found collapsed in his Holmby Hills mansion, due to an abusive intake of the anesthetic drug, Propofol. Eight year old Michael Jackson and his extraordinary talent was introduced to the world in the nineteen sixties from the Jackson 5’s chart toppers “I want you back” and “I’ll be there.” Michael revolved around his fans constantly living in the spot light and fame from a little boy until his death. In 2009, before the drug overdose, Michael was rehearsing for a fifty concert tour to be performed in many countries. His death caused the entire world to mourn for the Jackson family’s grief and the loss of a pop legend. Michael, and many other celebrities of the past such as Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Elvis Presley, Brittany Murphy, Patrick Swayze, Farrah Faucett, and Tony Snow, has fallen victim to the prescription drug overdose. To further investigate the impact on society these celebrity deaths have from seeking prescription relief, we must acknowledge the life of the celebrity, their psychological and medical state and why they have such an impact on the public.
Topic 1: How much control celebrities have over their medical treatment leads to lack of good healthcare. Explain a few “impossible patients” such as Adolf Hitler, Howard Hughes, and Elvis Presley. Different from society because of their fame, money, and power. The celebrities’ ideas of drugs (how drugs fix you.)
Topic 2: Why do celebrities take drugs? “Better than illegal drugs” Psychological aspect of prescription drug taking by celebrities. Their loneliness and suffering associated with the life of celebrities. Why this causes them to resort to drugs.
Topic 3: Celebrities trusting their doctors? Do they think prescriptions are safer? More effective for the outcome they want? Do they even listen to their doctor’s advice or just pay them off to give them the drugs they want. Why don’t the doctors, who are trained with medical safety knowledge, stop this celebrity epidemic.
Topic 4: Death leads to acknowledgement of their prescription addiction. Usually “heart failure” until autopsy proves it.
Topic 5: What the public learn from these celebrities. Scary reality of prescription drug overdose. Why the public sympathizes with these celebrities.
Conclusion: Deficit of quality of care, access to care, and affordable care in this country. Yet those on the other end of the spectrum, those with money, wealth, and power to get whatever they want does not mean they will receive what they need medically. They have unique situations to receive prescription drugs yet have an empathetic impact on the average person who cannot receive prescriptions as easy
Bibliography: (I still have some searching to do on certain celebrities stories with their prescription drug addictions to tie into main concepts in each topic.)
American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists. (2009). Survey Reveals Public's Concerns About Prescription Medication Overdose Risks Following Death of Michael Jackson. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from http://www.ashp.org/import/news/pressreleases/pressrelease.aspx?id=534
Friedman, Jeffrey C. “Michael Jackson’s Death Highlights the Alarming State of Celebrity Medicine”Couselor, The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, Mag. December 2009, v.10, n.6, pp.28-29. Web. November 10, 2010, from http://www.counselormagazine.com/columns-mainmenu-55/50-opinion/1003-michael-jacksons-death-highlights-the-alarming-state-of-celebrity-medicine
Addiction & the Hummanities. July 22, 2009. Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough: How Media Coverage of Michael Jackson’s Death Might Rais Awareness About the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://www.basisonline.org/2009/07/addiction-the-humanities-vol-56-dont-stop-till-you-get-enough-how-media-coverage-of-michael-jacksons.html
Hewitt, Bill, Tresniowski, Alex, Aradillas, Eline, Benet, Lorenzo, Breuer, Howard, Clark, Champ Hammel, Sara, Messer, Lesley, Lang, Anne, Gray, Mark. “MICHAEL JACKSON'S DEATH DRUGS, DOCTORS & DECEPTION” People. Mag.August 10, 2009. Vol. 72, Issue 6. Web. November 9, 2010 from
Von Drehle, David. “A Little Boy Takes Charge of His Family’s Band, Then Leaves It Far Behind.” Time Magazine. Mag. June 26, 2009. Web. November 12, 2010, from http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,190709_1907486_1907481,00.html
Breo, Dennis L. Extraordinary Care. Franklin Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1986. Print.
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