Endoh’s Dungeon

We know the game all too well, that some rich and famous individuals get away with the crimes they commited too easily. Even members of the high society whom have learnt to stay out of the limelight while enjoying their special privileges, cannot shield their own identities once law enforcement agencies catch up on them.

Following the infamous jailing of Paris Hilton for drink driving (DUI), and also Britney Spear’s drug rehabilitation failure, we thought that’s about it. But the evils of the entertainment business doesn’t stops at just the two of them. Now, actress Mischa Barton is also due to be charged for driving without license under the influence of alcohol. That’s not all. She is also under suspicion of marijuana possession.

In another case, actress Rebecca De Mornay was officially charged on Thursday for misdemeanor drunken driving. The star of our favourite television series “24″ - Kiefer Sutherland who plays Jack Bauer - was also arrested in September 2007 for his second count of DUI in five years. In September too, actress Kristen Storms was arrested for similar charges. The list goes on & on… “Lost” star Daniel Dae Kim, “Sin City” star Mickey Rourke etc.

Yes, you must be having the same question in my head right now. Why can’t these celebrities keep themselves out of trouble?

Someone once coined a term for the female celebrities who were caught up with the law as the “Girls Gone Bad”. As more and more celebrities are caught for DUI and drugs, many are beginning to focus on the lifestyles and psychological influences behind all of them. For some, Paris Hilton was merely drawing attention upon herself but personally, I doubt so. I would attribute it more to the kind of people they are networking with and their surrounding environments.

The thing about these celebrities is, they are constantly surrounded by these party animals. Many of which are influential in their own rights and hence, it does make sense to be hanging around with them for one reason or another. But yet, comes the question… what if this someone or this group of people has nothing but evil influence? I believe this is the loop that is going on now, especially with young and promising stars. When they finally succumb to the evils because of weak willpower, that’s when they get busted for such offences. They don’t really have anyone to blame, but themselves.

Hopefully with tougher crackdowns, we will see more celebrities behind bars. That’s “Prison Break” in real life, perhaps. Not that I am gloating over jailed celebrities, each and everyone of them deserves it afterall.

Public figures like celebrities (unlike the low profile high society members) are constantly being looked upon as idols by their fans. If more celebrities getting on the opposite side of the law and getting away with it, I’m afraid that will pass down a wrong social message to their fans and everyone else. Need we say more about young fans who can’t differentiate right from wrong? I guess the worst situation we can get as close to, is to start holding on to the belief that this is a norm. By no means, should this evil be seen and allowed to be the norm.

Of course, we have seen the same for Singapore in the drink driving cases of Christopher Lee & Benedict Goh. Both, are not new to Singapore TV viewers. I can’t help but wonder how many more Singapore celebrities have got away with drink driving. At a bar I used to hang around in Telok Ayer, it was also a regular haunt of another ex-actor whom I shall not name. So, we know Christopher and Benedict are not the only ones afterall.

Jail them? Hell yeah!