Whitney Houston and moving beyond tragic narratives for women

[stockholmer]

1. if Charlie Sheen died tomorrow, somehow I think 'drugs' would also be listed in the first paragraph

How exactly do you, (and I reference a quote from the story here):

"this is the exact narrative that has to disappear if we want women in leadership positions, in popular culture or in the public eye"

make the chief cause for a person's downfall and death 'disappear'?

Addiction knows no gender, it is an illness, to suggest otherwise (ie that the pressures unique to a woman drove her to drugs) refutes all scientific knowledge of the tragedy that is substance abuse.

As for Don Cornelius, the Times obit DID mention his domestic abuse, and I would also point to the coverage about abuse that Ike Turner received when he died.

I do agree that Houston had many other problems, many did indeed stem from sexism and racism, but her illness is what brought her down at the end of the day. IMHO