A very public death

Do not despair/rejoice dear reader, I am alive and well and have every intention of carrying on being so. The purpose of this blogette is to share my thoughts on the on-going demise of Jade Goody. Sort of.

Now my thoughts turned to Jade when I was doing some "thinking" in my self-appointed role of role of researcher / overseas correspondent for Dunderbrain, who has a forthcoming event entitled something like "white trash week" (this should be marvelous, and we all know how important it is to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion). Anyway, my thoughts turned to Jade, partly because I was reading an article in the Times whilst sipping a two shot latte. Yes I know, I'm keeping it real.....

So for our overseas readers, Jade came to fame in 2002 as a contestant in Big Brother. Now I sort of quite liked Jade, she was loud and always ready to join in the conversation with her fellow contestants. I didn't mind that she was intellectually challenged / a sandwich short of a picnic / not the sharpest knife in the drawer. After all, it would be a dull place if we were all intellectual giants. Although it must be said that Jade was exceptionally thick. Or "fick" as she would say. But I quite liked her.

Going back nearly seven years, my issue was with the tabloid press. Jade had hardly got through the front door of the Big Brother House when the tabloids went for the jugular. They were really viciously unpleasant, going for her lack of intellect (easy target), her looks and her weight. This went on for weeks.
Then Jade got out, and the press turned again, this time putting her on a pedestal. From there Jade had it made, she's never been out of the limelight for long. Even her cancer diagnosis went out on TV (apparently). Now I've got issues. Plenty of them, but they're not with Jade. She has made more money from her ignorance, every event in her life since 2002 and now even her death. Well done her!

I'm no fan of the tabloids - the way they write about people, with particular reference to their looks, can only be damaging. With no obvious sense of irony, they will merrily write about how supermodels influence the kiddies to turn to anorexia as a way of maintaining their looks, then have headlines screaming about how fat Jade/Vanessa/whoever is. Hmmmm

Issue number two is really a question. What does it say about our society when we obsess about celebrity for celebrity’s sake, as opposed celebrity on account of a great talent? Are the tabloid press shaping our society this way, or are we demanding celebrity news from our tabloid press?

So there we have it. No answers, just questions. Anyway, I've got to go my loves, I've just heard an almighty crash outside, sounds like a bus has hit something, my help might be needed. Now where's my camera........