Unconfirmed Reports

I’ve noticed a new trend the world of celebrity, which I think might be somehow significant, or at least interesting. Celebrities, when they are publicly revealed to hold bigoted opinions (based on religion, sexuality or race), now seem to be developing a standard damage-limitation method, as a way of assuaging media outrage…

They get counselling. Their twisted, hateful, small-minded and idiotic (but often rather common) opinions are effectively declared to be a medical condition, which the celebrity will then dutifully have seen to by a qualified doctor.

First, it was Mel Gibson, in his drunken anti-Semitic outburst last year.

Then Michael Richards (aka Kramer), accidentally started yelling racist insults at black members of his audience while doing his stand-up “comedy” act.

Next came American TV star Isaiah Washington, publicly calling his gay co-star a “faggot”.

And finally, pointless English celebrity person Jade Goody has now gone into “rehab” after the massive furore over her racist insults against the Indian contestant on this year’s Celebrity Big Brother. It’s not entirely clear from today’s news what exactly she is being rehabilitated from - but the medical treatment theme holds true.

… All these celebs have converted their publicly unacceptable opinions into “medical problems”; or, better yet, their skilled PR advisers have probably suggested this as the best way to present their foul behaviour as something that they are not altogether responsible for - something that can be remediated with the right drugs or treatment.

The modern era has seen the concept of crime move gradually from a moral perspective to a medical perspective. Perhaps not just wrong deeds, but “incorrect ideas”, are now going the same way?