Lily Allen searches for meaning…and the doubters hate on her

Lily’s just come out saying she can’t see the point of life and that she worries about her life not having substance.

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And she’s decamped to the Brazilian rainforest to speak out on deforestation.

“A lot of my life is very vacuous. It doesn’t have a lot of substance and I guess I feel it’s a bit pointless. And, yes, coming here makes me feel I can put my fame to good use. I’m not pretending to know everything and I don’t understand this as well as I should, but I’m here to get my head around it.”

She also admits she hates how “glossy” celebrities look, and thinks of it as a personal challenge to rebel from that stereotype, telling UK You mag.

“I see it as my responsibility to be like that. There are always pictures of me looking like s**t in the papers, but you can’t wear make-up all the time, and if you do, just because you are famous… well, I don’t think it’s a very good message to send.”

All of which is quite interesting. And bravo to her for making changes to her life. But more interesting are the comments from readers this news has prompted. Why are some people so affronted by people asking these kind of questions of themselves? Sure, she’s in a privileged position where she can pull out from work and head to Brazil to champion a cause. And, yep, she’s  reaped many rewards from the “vacuous” industry she’s in. Somehow, the haters feel this disqualifies her from wondering if she’s being real.

Which is dumb. It’s precisely when you’ve been ensconced in bullshit that you find yourself asking these kind of authenticity questions. The contrast necessitates the questions. You need to see the darkness to seek the light. People like Lily, for all kinds of reasons (fear? ego? circumstances? destiny?), have been ensconced in the bullshit. Their power comes from having seen the extreme and choosing the “light”.

I think the haters get fired up because it reminds them of their own need to ask the questions. This is confronting. They’re not affronted by Lily’s privilege or any perceived hypocricy. They’re affronted by the questions.

I’m seeing this at the moment on this blog. And elsewhere. Are you asking these kind of questions? Are people around you confronted/affronted by them?

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