Thoughts on Amy, documentary of Amy Winehouse
On a recent flight, I watched—er, listened to—Amy, the Academy winning documentary about Amy Winehouse.For those who may not recall, Amy Winehouse was the contemporary jazz singer with that unique voice and signature cateye and beehive ‘do. She reigned the music scene in the 2000s but quickly succumbed to substance abuse.All I remember about Amy Winehouse was exactly that.And then I watched this documentary, and it opened up my eyes and heart, so to speak.You see, even though I was nowhere near the fame of Amy Winehouse,I could still empathize and sympathize with her. Admittedly, I had a rough time adjusting to the sudden celebrity fame, however D-list it was, as you may recall from my blog post about winning “MasterChef” season 3. It was weird to have virtual strangers suddenly come out of the woodworks saying they were family or long lost schoolmates, requesting this, asking for that. All I wanted was for my personal life to return to the status quo, a time when I had a strong sense of self and my close circle of friends and family.I can understand how fame and recognition can take a toll on a person, especially someone who was as young as Amy. Your entire paradigm is pulled out from underneath you.The film made me think a lot about her situation, my life, and humanity in general. Notoriety is a funny thing—you think you want it, and then you get it, and then you have trouble handling it.I’m often asked what life has been like after MasterChef. I’m always honest when I get this question: “It was amazing, but it was also weird.” I admit it took a while for me to get used to it. “If anything,” I say, “it’s taught me to have compassion for the Lindsay Lohans of the world.”I’m thankful for every experience life has given me, good or bad. I’m grateful I’ve been able to learn from all of them, and I plan to continue doing so. Now, my quiet hope for all the future Amy Winehouses and the real Amy Winehouse herself, is that wherever they are, they find peace and stability.