I don’t know what it is about Amy Winehouse. The hostility toward her from many punditty types seems out of proportion. There was some guy who was trying to tie her into the riots in England—look, this is the symbol of the culture that produced all this!

Yes, the poor girl was a drugged-out mess, and died as a result of her addictions. But she was a gifted musician, and as far as I can tell, not a cruel or dishonest person, so basically, the point is, they hate her for being an addict. Which is insane. What is this, they can’t really beat up on Billie Holiday any more?