#just in the public eye
I know that people are starting to calm down with the whole situation surrounding John Mulaney, which is good, but I just wanted to get this off my chest.
The way that people reacted to the news about John Mulaney going to rehab, getting divorced from his wife, and dating someone new really speaks volumes to the taboo that surrounds recovering addicts and the unhealthy way we view celebrities.
John Mulaney has been pretty open about the fact that he is a recovering addict. He has joked about it plenty of times in the past, and nobody seemed to find anything wrong with that. But after he relapsed, I’ve heard tons of people saying things like “I can never look at John Mulaney the same again!” or “How can someone who seems so smart and funny actually be so fucked up??” and many other things in that vein, and it’s just really upsetting. Addiction is a disease, its not something that can be easily overcome. Relapsing doesn’t mean the person is weak or no longer deserves respect.
The fact that people have reacted so negatively to the news that John is going through a divorce and that he has started to date someone new really shows why parasocial relationships are bad for everyone. There is nothing wrong with divorce, and there is nothing wrong with seeing new people, but so many fans are acting like John has done something horrible, when in reality all he did was make a decision that his fans didn’t want him to make. We need to remember that no matter how big of a fan you are of someone, you still don’t know them personally, and they are going to do things that you personally don’t want, understand, or agree with, and you just need to accept that.
Overall, I just wish people would understand two things about this situation:
- Addicts are human beings, they deserve respect, and there is nothing about being an addict that makes them any lesser then others.
- Celebrities are normal people just like the rest of us, their personal lives are really none of our business, and you can be a fan of someone without feeling like you are entitled to knowing everything about them.
