Jade Goody: The Pros and the Cons

I am by no means a biographer, a critic, nor a fan of the recently deceased Jade Goody. Nor do I care too much, in all honesty. However, I am writing this blog not as a means of celebrating her very controversial life, but as a means of bringing to light what is ultimately the end of a massively overcooked, if not roasted, media frenzy that has surrounded the woman since she found out that she had terminal cervical cancer. Make no mistake about it, her efforts in battling the disease were commendable, but this is finally one topic that will soon be laid to rest for good.

It's no secret that Goody was constantly seen in the public eye since she first participated in the popular Big Brother series back in 2002. She was loathed by the general public for her apparent lack of general knowledge, to the extent that she even called East Anglia, a region in Eastern England, East Angular; and also questioned whether the place was in England or not. Since then, she never looked back and went from strength to strength, despite being a controversial figure due to the fact that she would also come up with the occasional petulant or insulting remark. In 2007, for instance, on Celebrity Big Brother, she racially insulted a famous Indian personality, something that she was much criticised for.

Therefore, what was all the hype about this woman? One didn't have to be a genius to figure that she had a poor upbringing and was grossly uneducated in many a sense. Perhaps the only reason why this person became a sensation in the United Kingdom was because it gave other people hope that they too could achieve fame and fortune and make it to the top, and become a 'success story' like Jade. Uneducated she might have been though, but stupid she sure wasn't - riding on the waves of her ever-growing popularity, Jade essentially sold the rights to her life to Living TV, who had permission to film her and her daily doings at all times. From nothing, the woman became a reality TV star. A decent way of making a living, but the whole thing stank of intellectual prostitution. From a woman who wasn't really affecting anyone's lives, we now had a woman who was forced on the TV at Prime Time hours, hence making people see what she's really about. And that was a massive turn off.

That's probably the reason why not everyone was entirely sympathetic when the world found out that she had cervical cancer. The fact that she continued filming her reality TV series despite the illness reeked of trying to get the most money possible before she passed away, and she didn't deny this, stating that it was all for her children, and so that they would have a better upbringing than she did. Fair enough, but was she actually considering her children before this ordeal actually occurred, or did they only come into mind when she found out that her cancer was at an advanced stage? I'm of the latter school of thought, to be quite honest. At a tangent, as well, while she wanted to marry the love of her life, Jack Tweed, before she passed away, was his criminal record a consideration when one considers the children's upbringing - because although they were fathered by a different man, Tweed would invariably still form part of their formation years, one would think. If this case happened in Malta, under Article 67 of the Civil Code, he would certainly have to - for the husband is presumed to be the father of his wife's children.

The fact that she continued to pose for photographs and film while she was dying was a definite moral wrong. Exploiting such pain and suffering to the public was only done to make people express sympathy at, and empathise with, Jade's grave situation. And while although I never did watch an episode from Jade's elaborate life, and never too do I intend to do so for that matter, I can only imagine that it did not make suitable watching for all ages - adults included. Indeed, it was only towards the very end, when she knew that her death was near, that she finally decided to call it a day and stop all the filming. I, and many others too, I feel, would have done so much earlier provided we were in such a situation - God forbid it ever happened.

There were a couple of positives that came out of Goody's life, however, before she passed away yesterday. First and foremost, cancer awareness in the UK was raised, bucking the trend of it being on the decline. In fact, 20% more women than prior to Jade finding out she had cervical cancer are now doing smear tests, and the Government is considering revising its laws banning smear tests on women aged 25 and under. Indeed, prevention is better than cure and undoubtedly, Goody was a massive ambassador in raising awareness on the matter. The second commendable thing that she did, a few days before she died, was that she and her sons became Christians. It was a refreshing thing to see a reality TV star welcome the Lord our God into her life with open arms and to help her overcome her struggles and carry her cross. There is no doubt that now, despite her controversial nature, she is being welcomed into the hands of the Lord as you read this.

To conclude, while her death was welcome in the sense that her pain and suffering were finally finished, it also helped close a chapter that started to rule people's lives in Britain and worldwide. There is no doubt that this woman had some kind of an impact on society in general, which subsequently led to a media frenzy covering all aspects of her life from A to Z. It was something that might have given people hope to aspire for great things, but it was also something that was totally immoral and was over-publicised, especially in the days leading up to her death, where she should have received the most privacy. Ultimately, Jade Goody was a media magnet, and now, undoubtedly, there will be a lull in the press until they find another one.

God Bless You all!
Matti