Carrie Fisher Was An Advocate For Women With Mental Illness And Addiction

In the day since Carrie Fisher’s passing was announced on Tuesday morning, the actress, author, comedienne, script doctor, and advocate has been receiving much of the media praise she was denied in life. While the press was always happy to reference Fisher’s talents as a performer, her unwillingness to self-censor was often seen as—at best—a quirk, and—at worst—a cause for irritation. It’s a well-worn platitude that culture doesn’t always know what to do with celebrities who don’t abide by the normal decorum of fame, and this goes doubly (both in and out of the limelight) for women. While a man in Fisher’s position might have been framed as an artistic live wire, a creative presence whose vitality and volatility were necessary and exciting comrades, Fisher herself was often viewed as a PR liability, if not a crackpot. Of course, now that she’s tragically passed, the same outlets that looked down on her unwillingness to hold her tongue for their benefit have decided to spin her acidic gifts as an essential quality that the world around her constantly upheld. “Mouthiness” is only worthy of commendation in a woman once that mouth stops moving.