Weighing in on even MORE Minutia......Oprah Interviews Whitney Houston

When I first decided to approach this topic, I had intended to go into this long rant about the real Whitney Houston. Now make no mistake, I would never confuse her former paramour/spouse, Bobby Brown with being some sort of sepia-hued cherub, but are we to believe that she is an absolute innocent with no complicity in her failures? I don't think so. Keeping it simple, many of our most famous and honored celebrities possess representatives, publicists and dare I say, strategists that foster an image that usually is very far removed from the real person.

Remember what the public originally thought of Britney Spears and now think about her present day image. During Ms. Houston's 1984 debut, under the tutelage of record mogul, Clive Davis, we were all sold a bag of goods that the songstress not only came from an excellent musical and familial lineage (Cissy Houston, Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin) but was also essentially "the girl next door." As much as I admire Oprah Winfrey, her program at times allows women to mire in the pool of victimization, obfuscating any notions of being self-analytical or self-effacing. Perhaps this inability to promulgate an internal awareness is endemic to most groups that maintain a minority positioning in society. I'm not sure, but keeping it succinct, when has anyone trusted a crackhead? I hope for Ms. Houston's redemption and a successful reemergence, but her being honest about who she is and her personal responsibility (minus blaming anyone) is paramount if she is to move forward. Any thoughts, folks?