I don't know where to begin here: is it that more celebrities are turning to alcohol; is it that they are simply in the limelight, and that's why we hear about it; is it that the justicars are using them to make a point to we non-celebrities; where do I even begin?

I know this much:

1. Hollow-wood is a known party-town; that's half of its allure
   
2. Neither Paris HIlton nor anyone she knows can drive for shit

That being said, this has truly been the summer for celebrity drunkenness. From Haley Joel Osment to Robin Williams to Boy George, hardly a day has gone by that someone hasn't been arrested, arraigned, or entered rehab. And while none of these stories have really made a "splash," (with the exception of Mel Gibson, though his was less for the DUI than for his supposed comments) their frequency is only a part of the issue; the breadth of the stars concerned is what really got me.

Robin Williams is an Oscar-winner; Paris Hilton is an heiress cum porn-queen cum fashion designer cum cellphone gamer; Haley Joel Osment hasn't seen anything but a dead career in quite some time; Boy George hasn't been famous since about the time Paris Hilton was born. And a lot of this does nothing but help these peoples' careers. What kind of message is really being sent here?

I understand the police and law enforcement officials don't want to be thought of as going "soft" on celebrities, but doesn't all this partying go hand-in-hand with being a celebrity? I mean, anyone can get pulled over for having a few too many, and any drunk might spew some epithets at the arresting officer, but not just anyone is going to make headlines for doing so.

It reminds me of the sex-tape craze of the 1990s: something that, on the one hand should have been no big deal but also shouldn't have catapulted the players to stardom -- literally made careers for people who would otherwise not have had one in the entertainment industry. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of pornography, it's hard to argue that Paris' infamous videos did not make her a star or that Pam Anderson's career suffered even slightly.

So what do you think the endless stream of DUI headlines tells young celebrities and wannabes? I mean, it's free press and it certainly won't hurt their invite status.

How is constantly putting them in the headlines for their drug abuse "treating celebrities just like everyone else"?