Mysterytrain |
07-02-2013 08:25 AM |
Interesting way of looking at this, and I agree that the perception, at least, is of a different Richie than the one we thought we knew, and I'm sure that's disconcerting (and disappointing) for a lot of fans.
Here's something else I thought of, though: With the broken shoulder thing, it was a situational thing; an accident. With rehab, it was again, a situational occurrence that needed treatment, and like you said, fans could get behind it.
The fact that Richie's behavior seems so out of character to us this time suggests to me that it is indeed personal, rather than situational, or an accident, or 'something outside himself' this time around. Whatever it is that has caused him to leave does (I suspect) affect him more gravely than a broken shoulder did or even, possibly--alcoholism did. After all, this absence has dragged on for three months, and in that time, apparently Jon and Richie haven't spoken to each other. There are the swipes at each other in the press. This is all very uncharacteristic of the band we thought we knew.
I'm not saying that Richie's way of handling this is the best way (to leave mid-tour) and his reputation is obviously taking a hit because the perception is that he is unprofessional and doesn't care about his fans. Perception isn't always reality, though. Maybe he didn't handle it the way we would have, but maybe to separate himself from the internal workings of the band is the only way he feels he can deal with something that apparently hits too close for him to continue in their orbit.
When he broke his shoulder, he continued to play. When he went to rehab, he came back after a month ready to play. This time, he shows no overt signs of being ready to come back and play. Again, this seems uncharacteristic, given his passion for music. In fact, the fashion stuff with Nikki (to me) almost seems like a cover for Richie, where he can get enthusiastic about it, as if to say, 'See? I have a life and things going on outside of my identity with the band. I don't need you." I feel that Jon is, essentially, saying the same thing from his end. Right now, it's basically a standoff, which is why, in my opinion, any talk of a definitive comeback is so vague.
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