There's special providence in the fall of a sparrow

The tragic life of Edie Sedgwick has been done ad nauseum in film & other media - but the question remains as to why we are so fascinated by the confluence of beauty, wealth & tragedy. Often it seems as if we are particularly drawn to larger than life characters because we enjoy watching the brinksmanship required to achieve success. As Bill Buckley famously said, 'great men sail with too much canvas up.' Successful mediocrity is easy, it requires nothing more than following the rules, paying your taxes, eating reasonably and exercising regularly. At its worst the public would seem to take secret delight in the downfall of the interesting & the great because they would prefer everyone to live a humble & timid existence. Equality in achievement is relative. Don't make the mistake of watching the trainwrecks that happen to others to the extent that you miss punching your own ticket.