Pubdate: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 Source: Village Voice (NY) Copyright: 2000 VV Publishing Corporation Contact: 36 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003 Feedback: http://www.villagevoice.com/aboutus/contact.shtml Website: http://www.villagevoice.com/ Author: Coco McPherson LAW-BREAKING CELEBRITIES LIKE ROBERT DOWNEY JR. ARE IN THE NEWS AGAIN Interested? Stars and Bars Michael Anthony Age 37 Resides Bronx Occupation Artist How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? I know about Robert Downey and Darryl Strawberry, because we all live vicariously through celebrities. On a broader level, drugs are being used to scapegoat people and to create a class of bogeymen. Instead of being focused on treatment, we put certain people in jail. It serves some kind of purpose. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? Cigarettes. I kicked them, but obviously I'm smoking again. What's your favorite scandal of all time? Teddy Pendergrass and the drag queen. Eddie Murphy and the drag queen who mysteriously "jumped out the window" and died after saying she was going to write a book about her experiences with Eddie. David Jackson Age over 18 Resides Pine Plains New York Occupation Substance abuse counselor How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? I'm aware of celebrities because of the news and because 20 years ago, I made some of the best meth on the West Coast. You did that and a little grass, and it would really take the edge off. This was before I became a drug counselor and an ordained minister. We're currently trying to overturn the bill passed in 1995 that stressed prison terms over rehabilitation. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? China White heroin. I was in the army, and the U.S. government supplied me with all the heroin I needed. What's your favorite scandal of all time? Nixon's famous declaration that there were no American prisoners of war left in Cambodia and Laos. Amanda Yonker Age 21 Resides Manhattan Occupation Student How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? I buy People magazine sometimes, and relish the misfortunes of others, just like everyone else. It's sad, because we criticize the press, and yet we buy right into what they're selling. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? Smoking. I started when I lived with someone who smoked. I've never been able to kick it. What's your favorite scandal of all time? The Clinton marriage. All those pictures of Bill and Hillary at the beach. This was when the Monica scandal was starting to brew. Then his bombing of the Sudan and his search for "terrorists" to cover it up. Harun Jordan Age 20 Resides Manhattan Occupation Dancer How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? I buy People and watch Entertainment Tonight once in a while. If people pretend they don't care, it's because it conflicts with their image of the celebrity involved. Eddie Murphy's arrest, for instance, challenged the black community's beliefs about heterosexuality and African American masculinity. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? Smoking. I can't quit because I'm too mean when I don't smoke. What's your favorite scandal of all time? The election. Whose brother is the governor of Florida? Lesia Pupshaw Age 18 Resides Manhattan Occupation Interior designer How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? I get the news whether I want it or not, because I constantly listen to the radio. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? Heroin. I've been clean for nine months. What's your favorite scandal of all time? Pee-wee Herman's arrest. Alphonso McGriff Age 40 Resides Connecticut Occupation Hair stylist How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? I know about them because I don't have a choice. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? I never smoked or drank or got high, but I am trying to work out why I can't be with just one woman. What's your favorite scandal of all time? This election. Christian Czyz Age 44 Resides Manhattan Occupation Medical consultant How fascinated are you by celebrity screwups? Like everyone else, I read the paper and watch TV. The news is based on one of five or six things: tragedy, obesity, marital disharmony, some guy frozen in ice in Times Square, and a couple of other conditions. What was the hardest habit you ever tried to kick? I tried everything once, but I never became addicted. What's your favorite scandal of all time? It would be a tie between what's going on right now in the presidential election, which represents all kinds of millennium shit, and Clinton's lying to the grand jury about Monica Lewinsky. Tell us what you think. --- MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer