MOLI VIEW™

When it was announced recently that English pop singer Amy Winehouse was canceling her upcoming U.S. and Canadian tour dates due to "exhaustion," the rumor mill pounced like a pack of ravenous wolverines. According to Yahoo, Internet searches on Winehouse rose by 167 percent last week, with searches for images of the beleaguered chanteuse leaping to 2,214 percent their normal volume.

Yes it's true, exhaustion is classic showbiz shorthand for partying your ass off. And indeed, in her hit song "Rehab," Winehouse brazenly declares that she has no interest in sobriety. But since the tour cancellations, the court of public opinion has charged the singer with ingesting everything from heroin to horse tranquilizers without a shred of evidence. And, in a desperate attempt to keep up with the blogosphere, even the most reputable media outlets have been treating the hearsay as fact.

As is their way, I suspect that professional celeb watchers are already plotting to bathe smugly in Winehouse's tears of regret. I, for one, hope that doesn't happen.

If the beehived provocateur, who turns 24 September 14, needs help (which, from what she's revealed to the press about her proclivities, seems quite possible), I hope she gets it. And if it should come to pass that rehab is in any way involved, I hope she has the nerve to maintain her brassy, unapologetic tone. It'd be great to leave the gnashing jaws of the celebrity gossipmongers with nothing to chew on.

The whole biz brings to mind a monologue performed by the host of CBS's Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson, a recovering alcoholic himself, earlier this year. In the wake of the Britney Spears rehab/head-shaving brouhaha, Ferguson made an on-air commitment to eschew material that pokes fun at celebrities who may be experiencing substance-abuse issues. The 12-minute-long rant is moving, informative, and gut-bustingly funny. What a gent. Check it out.
Wendy Case is The MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.

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