Why does it seem so difficult for wealthy young women to handle the pressures of public life?

Because the public treats them different.

We live in a male-minded, fratboy, immature society. We’re more interested in seeing the hot women slip a nipple by accident, show up half naked on the internet somewhere, in a sex tape, etc.

Pressure of the public spotlight pushes harder on women than men.

Give me several million dollars and I’ll let you know how I handle it. :)

I don’t really understand the fascination, but people must love to watch the antics of these heiresses. The media keeps focusing on them, the stories get wilder, and people eat it up. It all sort of feeds on itself, and I can imagine that the combination of wealth, young wildness, and constant scrutiny would lead to one problem after another. It only makes sense that some of those young women would be in over their heads.

As for men, no one seems to mind their party escapades as much. They probably go through a lot of the same problems, but it isn’t as interesting to see a man having some kind of scandalous affair as a young woman. A double standard, of course, and not one that’s likely to change.

Perhaps they feel guilty at having where others have-not.

It’s a question of upbringing. It’s more visible with the high profile people, but any child who is given everything it wants becomes spoiled and unable to cope with the real world. Children really do learn what they live. Teach a child that it can get away with anyting no matter what, it will keep pushing the bounds. Do everything for a child, it will never be self reliant. We all saw Willy Wonka. The was a scathing reprimand to our society that most people didn’t get. Watch it again and listen to the oompa loompa songs. They pretty much sum it all up in a nutshell.

I thin k there is no doubt that it is the same for wealthy young men. Men who die young of drug overdoses.

Casey Johnson seemed very sad in general, never mind the media attention. But that’s just a snap judgement I made from seeing her red carpet pictures on Jezebel. Something looked off. I didn’t know who she was until her death was announced.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t know why such people can’t seem to get it together and fall apart in public. I don’t pay much attention to socialites or other celebrities unless they do work I’m interested in, like a film or music or passing a bill or something.

Because some get disorientated, lacking a sense of balance that comes with having everything, and having your ass kissed just makes it worse.

It is not just absolute power that corrupts, but, absolute absolutism.

Possibly because of poor role models. Think about the “strong, independent women” of sex and the city. Would you designate a man fawning after one girl he can’t have, running around shopping for shoes and having sex with plastic vaginas a strong independent man?

@Trillian you hit the nail on the head, again!