Corey Haim
1971-2010

It hurts every time. Deaths within our family of former kid stars are particularly painful because the Press only reports the beginning and end of our stories, never the in-between. A cultural marker is gone. Isn’t that sad?

Corey Haim got plenty of press coverage in his life, but very little help. The persistent theme, the “through-line” if you will, was his charming decline, much of it captured on film and videotape. Remember, all our lives end in death, yet watching a slow suicide seems to be the true basis for today’s entertainment. The medium itself no longer makes a distinction between celebrity based on accomplishment or notoriety earned through bad behavior.

How can we fix that?

Accidental overdose? Don’t you believe it. No one gets well when they continue to do the very thing that caused their illness in the first place. It’s hard to overcome the consequences of early fame.

Corey Haim was a nice kid and a pretty fair actor who had no place to go. The lesson he leaves is one that will go unreported. Performers who naturally aim to please too often say Yes to the wrong things…and there are plenty of people around who are making a pile of money doing the wrong thing.