Things were not looking good for troubled actress Lindsay Lohan at her hearing on Friday morning after the judge sent her to jail and denied her bail. But her jailing didn't last very long. Later that same evening, another judge revoked the earlier bail denial and allowed her bondsman to post $300,000 in exchange for her release. The terms of her liberation also require her to wear a SCRAM alcohol monitoring bracelet. CNN also reported Lohan stated she would check herself into a rehab facility in the next few days. A probation revocation hearing is scheduled for October 22nd.
After posing the question below regarding Lindsay Lohan's recent re-arrest on my Facebook Fan page, opinions varied about her release from jail after having been incarcerated for a third time — twice in 2007 — for failing a random drug test only two weeks after her court-ordered stint in rehab at the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center.
I love all the suggestions readers posted on FB. They don't sound terribly onerous. Some blame the parents for this young actress' demise and I concur. I believe Dina and Michael Lohan have done too little too late. This topic has been discussed quite a bit in the media so I'm not going rehash their parenting style here.
Hollywood and parenting is the correlation I'd like to entertain today. I equate the Lohan's Hollywood style of parenting to another alarming parenting trend becoming more pervasive in our society. I call it Complicit Parenting. There's a disturbing trend on the rise where parents are directly responsible for their kids going down the wrong path.
As a parent, I understand the overpowering need we sometimes have to protect our kids from any negative situations; be it helping them avoid social rejection or ensuring they are incoporated into the popular groups at school. Some parents go further in managing their kids' social life by allowing them to take part in underage drinking or other illegal activities so they'll be accepted. If the kids get caught, these same permissive parents will come to the rescue to try to spare their kids the pain, suffering or embarrassment of the consequences which accompany bad choices, especially when it's a kid who is considered a prodigal child
In Hollywood, the prodigal child is a star. In our more commonplace society, the prodigal child is the kid who is outwardly perfect: Perfect grades, ASB member, does sports, and perhaps even engages in community service seemingly behaving like a role model for other students and peers…and drinks at the tender age of 14 or 15 with parents' quasi-consent. When it comes to popularity, parents are engaging more and more in turning a blind eye to the parties and underage drinking, sometimes in their own homes, to ensure their kids are considered popular.
“I want my kid to drink before he gets to college so he doesn't go crazy over there, and can handle it,” I've heard parents say over and over. Or how about this one, “My kid can drink at home where it's safe.” And then there's this gem: “If kids don't drink then they don't get invited to parties because they'll be considered losers.”
If you have teens, you've likely heard something along these lines, right? This isn't that much different than the proverbial, “Susie's parents let her do it.”
I'll have a post dealing with underage drinking and my thoughts on Complicit Parenting soon. In the meantime, let me ask you again: Considering Lilo is technically an adult, if you were her parent what would you do, if anything?
She needs to stay in jail this time. She hasn't learned any lessons and she's still a danger to herself and everyone else. If she kills someone, people will say, “why did the system fail her?!”
If she could get new parents who are responsible then I would like the have the parents move in with her till she cleans up option. Since her parents seem to care more about drama and money instead of her well being I think keeping her in rehab for as long as possible is the way to go. Maybe have Dr. Drew or a therapist who works with celebs to help her.
The law is the law. I remind my kids of that often. If you don't agree with a law, work to change it, but as long as the law stands–you have to follow it.
Lindsay Lohan has an addiction, or maybe several addictions, and I am sure that makes not engaging in certain behaviors very difficult. She has, however, been given numerous chances to get professional help, all of which seem to have failed. I think now she needs to spend time in jail. Away from drugs and maybe just as importantly, away from those who have enabled her destructive behaviors.
That's right! This sounds almost as bad as a criminal (read child predator) who was released too soon and struck again. The system fails us, the innocent, too.
No doubt she needs serious medical intervention! Funny you mentioned Dr. Drew. He and Lohan had a media spat over Drew's commnets when asked what he would do if he were Michael Lohan. Check the link below for his answer. Though it caused some commotion in the media earlier this year, I tend to agree with his tough love approach.
Thanks so much for sharing your toughts!!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36644264
You are right to mention the law to your kids! But, unfortunately, some have found a loophole in the law that leaves kids wide open to their own parents being able to offer them alcohol. I'll explain this a bit more on my post about my theory of Complicit Parenting.
Jail or rehab, I agree Lohan needs to be removed from society ASAP to spare herself…and any others who may be watching her and feel just as entitled to behave the same way.