I don’t know if that’s too harsh or just right (though I’m guessing Lindsay’s supposed “secret” message to the judge probably does not build sympathy for her.

But I do know that the Lohan’s, as a family, represent some of the worst kind of celebrity bottom-feeding this country has ever seen. Lay it all at the feet of the parents, Dina and Michael, who by most accounts have not raised children, but rather have cultivated little showbiz moneymakers.

I feel badly for the kids in the family because most likely, they never had  chance. Once the “adults” got a whiff inside the bubble of celebrity, they became hooked–as addicted as their daughter is today on whatever chemicals she happens to be hooked on.

Incredibly, just two weeks ago, Lindsay’s mom Dina was boasting to the NY Post that a reality show based on her family was in the works. Just what the Lohan’s need – more cameras, and more attention.

Lindsay Lohan has become a pop culture icon for all the wrong reasons–she represents a tragic fall; someone who manages to find a new bottom almost every month to the morbid delight of everyone who scans the tabloids at supermarket check outs throughout the country. 

If only parents could be put in rehab early in the game, before they have a chance to corrupt their offspring. 

There are no winners here, but many lessons and cautionary tales. Very few young people who become celebrities survive the process unscathed. Teenage years are tough enough without having to deal with the glare and temptation of stardom.

In the next few days I’ll have a discussion here with a former child star who did come through it all just fine–and her solid family background may just have been the difference.