Jade dies

Nice to see that even with all their cheating, Gremlins still have not made it to the top of the tree.



The UK ex-patriate community today is talking mainly about the death of Jade Goody. There are mixed opinions about whether she was a 'good' or 'bad' thing. Some people are reviling her because she allegedly sold photos of her wedding, when she was clearly already dying, for a huge amount of money.

Jade originally acquired 'notoriety' after being a contestant on the Big Brother television show in the UK. She was known for being gobby and outspoken, arguing incessantly and not knowing very much about anything. Although she did not win the Big Brother contest, she gained instant fame and was invited on many tv programmes and had her own tv show for a while. She made good use of the fame that came with being on Big Brother, and is probably the one 'celebrity' I can name from that show (which I have never watched).

For other people Jade was a role model. She came from a working class family, admitted herself that she was rude and argumentative, but she 'did good'. She got her fame, made loads of money, spent some of it wisely, and was never out of the limelight after she appeared on Big Brother. She was accused of being a racist when she had a set-to with an Indian actress in another 'reality tv show' but ended up being friends with this actress,spent time in India, got involved in charity projects there and later said she was not racist, she would argue aggressively with anyone regardless of skin colour.

Whatever the 'truth' about Jade may be, she was endlessly fascinating and irritating (sometimes both, sometimes just one or the other) for a huge number of people. She received the diagnosis of cervical cancer whilst she was in India. After that time she was never out of the news. She said she was not scared of dying, and was again criticised for allowing the press to watch her every move. She married her boyfriend in a lavish ceremony, and sold the right for the photos for a huge sum of money. Again,she was criticised for that. She herself said she sold the rights so that her two sons (from a previous relationship) would not have to have the same poverty stricken miserable childhood that she had.

The good Jade did, she may have done unwittingly. As a consequence of her diagnosis of cervical cancer, the number of young women attending for cervical smears has increased dramatically in the UK. The other good thing is that donations to cancer charities have increased.

Jade became famous because of 'us'. We bought the magazines that contained her pictures, we watched her tv appearances, and we talked about her. Anything about Jade Goody would sell. She did not hate that, she used it, and that is clever. She may not have been academically bright, in fact, her general knowledge was appalling, but she was shrewd, and she has provided for her children. In the end Jade's fame says more about us than about her.

It seems a shame to have to die on this day though, since this is Mothering Sunday in UK, and she had said she hoped to be able to spend one last Mothering Sunday with her children. It was not to be.

So goodbye Jade, gobby, argumentative, aggressive, shrewd, mother, funny at times, irritating as hell at other times, maybe we should just say that you were an ordinary person who got thrown into the limelight by accident, and made good use of all the consequences of that.