Amy Winehouse - literally

Here's an interesting challenge for all prospective popstars. You want the cool image so need the right mix of drink, sex, bad behaviour so people think you're credible. But not too much. You still need to attract the teens (their parents would never approve). So what happens when you slide down that slippery slope into becoming incapable of carrying out your day job (i.e. singing).

I read recently of Amy Winehouse's sad struggle to contain her addiction to alcohol. This acts as a stark reminder that striving for that "perfect" reputation sometimes comes at a price. Clearly, we all hope that she manages to overcome this addiction and continue to record such superb music.

Portentously, however, I fear that we now live in an age where constructing your reputation based on the illicit and the illegal actually has no impact on your ability to sell records (perhaps with the exception of the vice of sex, vis-a-vis Gary Glitter). Pete Docherty is certainly testament to that. Perhaps we should be injecting a moral backdrop to the whole cult of fame and reputation that permeates todays pop world.