Jade Goody: Life, Death, and EVERTHING in between (proudly brought to you by OK! magazine)

I’ve been thinking about my stance on the Jade Goody tragedy for the last few days and I have done a couple of 180’s on the issue. I think I have gotten my head around the sociological ethics of it all but you may just have to bear with me if this post is disjointed – I keep swinging.

For those who are lucky enough to reside outside the celebrity-obsessed UK and largely unfamiliar with this girl let me bring you up to speed.

• 2002- Goody is plucked from nowhere as a contestant on the UK version of Big Brother (a quick look at a couple of YouTube vids leads me to believe she was the vulgar loud-mouth universally hated housemate who somehow dodges eviction week after week – think Sarah-Marie from the Aussie version)
• 2002-2006 - Goody capitalises on BB fame, gets an agent, goes on 59653 C-grade celebrity trivia programs, dates footy players and fellow reality TV stars, engages in Lohan/Hilton-esk trashy club antics, pops out a couple of kids, writes autobiography, releases fragrance, punches out elderly citizen
• 2007- Goody participates in celebrity BB where she is accused of being a racist after calling fellow contestant Shilpa Shetty names including Shilpa Fuckawalla and Shilpa Poppadom (call me what you will but aren’t we being slightly oversensitive).
• 2008- For some stupid reason Goody decides to appear on the Indian version of BB – Bigg Boss.  For some moronic reason BB decides to televise a call from Goodys doctor telling her she has cancer.
• 2009- Cancer is pronounced terminal, a second autobiography is released, a couple of one-off television specials air, goody allows her every move (including her wedding to prisoner) to be filmed, OK! magazine release a tribute to Goody, Goody passes away in her sleep.

Not being from the UK I had never heard of Goody until about a month ago. Over the last four weeks her name is popping up everywhere -  web, television, and even some of the major dailies.

Before I go on my rant let me just say that the untimely death of any creature is tragic and my thoughts are with those who knew and loved Goody.

Goody’s life (and death) became a reality paparazzi show based in reality – i’m still trying to figure out just how Goody was able to generate such interest. She doesn’t appear to have any special talents, she isn’t at all well spoken, no sub-human accomplishments to speak of, and she isn’t particularly attractive. There is nothing new to learn about her – we know it all. There is nothing to speculate on – so why the pre-cancer fascination?? I have no idea. If anyone (especially anyone in the UK) can enlighten me please do…

As for the post-cancer facinaiton – a couple of observations over the past year  or so (Ledger, Richardson, Goody) have lead to a few conclusions about death:

1. The opium effect – It makes us positively bias. The bitch who made your high school life hell, the twat that you hated on that reality show, that tool who nailed then bailed… suddenly these people aren’t the root of all evil rather they taught you important lessons and your life is richer for having endured them.
2. A heightened interest - Ask me a week ago: Who is Natasha Richardson? ”ummmmm”, Name for me one movie she has been in? “well there was that one about….nah i got nothing” 
3. The train wreck effect – Dammed if you do, forever curious if you don’t. “What !?Jade Goody passed away yesterday morning” – suddenly im desperately searching YouTube for footage of her final breath.

The only positive I have been able to take out of this whole media circus is the massive amount of awareness that has been generated around cervical cancer - more girls are getting pap smears and even PM Gorden Brown has praised her for her strength and promotion of the issue. Watching her reaction (via YouTube) to receiving the news made me sick to my stomach. Genuine fear. – Horrific and unethical as it was its something all females should see.

Goody learns of cancer on TV

Okay, Negatives…

Yes she died..its tragic, but she had no choice in the matter. She didn’t take a bullet for anyone. She wasn’t a saint – charity workers, CFA volunteers, african children, innocent victims of war. Lets publicise and profile some of these people. Lets increase philanthropic ventures, bushfire prevention awareness, and apartheid aid.

OK! magazine - Gambeling that Goody would die before the release of their next issue: ‘Jade Goody – Official Tribute Issue’. Gamble didn’t pay off. Disgusting - no wonder this magazine has such an appalling reputation.  Clearly they are motivated purely by profit and sales. It is acts like this that make me wish I could be excused from humanity. Ugh

I am a hypocrite (with an awesome tan)

A discussion I overheard today got me thinking about role models and their ability to spark debate in society. In my opinion there are two categories of role models. The first are the people who put their hands up to take on positions of esteem. This group includes politicians, teachers, parents, and the captain of the North Melbourne Football Club. The second, more interesting, type are those who are involuntarily branded advocates for a particular cause. This group includes B-grade celebrities who get breast enhancements at the age of 19 and then appear on popular reality TV shows.  

To set the scene – earlier today I was traveling home from the solarium (“woah stop, she has just lost all credibility on this issue”) when I heard two women sitting oppoite me on the train (“oh ok she takes public transport instead of adding to the carbon footprint by driving, she can’t be all bad, We’ll listen a bit longer”) discussing Krystal Forscutt (pictured) from the 2006 series of Big Brother.

The general gist of their conversaion was around how “abhorrent” and “hypocritical” it was for her to appear on A Current Affair saying she doesn’t condone plastic surgery. Krystal infamously had her chest surgically enhanced before appearing on Big Brother at the age of 19. It took every ounce of common decency I could muster not to rudely interrupt their conversation. I wanted so badly to inform them that it is neither “abhorrent” or “hypocritical” of her because she never set out to become a role model.

I could be wrong but I thought people went on Big Brother to:

A) win money

B) win fame

C) have the whole of Australia watch them get drunk, get naked, pash the other housemates (possibly while drunk and naked), and generally make a tool of themselves.

D) all of the above

I didn’t think anyone seriously went on there to become a role model. On The Biggest Loser (strong views on this - check out previous post) the purpose is to lose weight. On Australian Idol the purpose is to find Australias next chart topper. On Big Brother the purpose is to uhhhh hmmmmm entertain?? I don’t even know what the purpose is. Contestants on Loser are ’supposedly’ role models for healthy weight loss – Contestants on Big Brother don’t set themselves up as role models.  

Krystal came under fire after a plastic surgeon, Kourosh Tavakoli accused her of proliferating the practice of teenage plastic surgery, “I do get about 5 to 10 percent of girls aged 18-23 who do want to look like Krystal from Big Brother”.

 While I have no desire to go under the knife and certainly don’t condone plastic surgery for teenagers (unless for reconstructive purposes), I do believe it is an individual choice. Krystal made a choice to alter her body. The only person she put in physical harms way by making that choice was herself. I assume she went into the surgery fully aware of the possible consequences and made the decision that was right for her – not for anyone else. She didn’t set out to be a role model. It is unfair for the media to point it’s judgemental finger at her as the cause of an increase in teenage surgeries. Where are the parents? Where are the doctors? Where are the real role models?

It must have been obvious to Channel Ten that by selecting her for their reality tv show they would cause controversy. Surely if they are going to publicise the fact that they have a 19 year old with surgically enhanced breasts they should publicise the risks of undergoing such a procedure. Maybe I blinked and missed it but all I saw in the 2006 series was a variety of camera angles showing Krystal parading around the house in her bikini.

Krystal should be praised for appearing on A Current Affair to warn other young people about the riskes involved with such a surgery. She was under no obligation to go public and risk looking hypocritical. She defiantly seems more genuinely concerned with the effect media can have on impressionable young people then Channel Ten.

In high school I had a teacher who could be seen at any given lunch hour in a cafe across the street from the school (in full view of students) smoking a cigarette. This person elected to become a role model to teenagers. In my opinion this teacher failed in their duties as a role model. A couple of years ago the captain of the North Melbourne AFL team slept with the wife of his vice captain and more recently admitted to drinking excessive amounts every weekend during his AFL career. This person accepted the position of captain and as a result accepted the position of role model. This person failed in their duties as a role model. A former cricketer/sms extrodinaresigned a deal with an anti-smoking campaign and in doing so declared himself a role model. Shortly after signing with the nicotine substitute maker this person was photographed smoking. This person failed in their duties as a role model.

On a personal note, occasionally I go to the solarium. I know it’s bad for me, I know it damages my skin, I know, I know, I know…but I feel healthier and more confident when I have a tan. I know there are consequences but I have weighed them up against the benefits based on what is important to me. Have I failed as a role model? Am I a horrible person?

No I don’t think so. I never set out to be a role model. I am not doing anything illegal, the closest I ever come to walking the fine line of the law is the odd jay-walk across the road. 

My decision is not physically hurting anyone but myself. I was listening to a talkback radio program a few months ago. The issue was smoking. An 80 year old man called up and claimed that doctors were making too big a deal about the link between smoking and lung cancer. He smugly informed the host that he had been smoking for 60 years and had never suffered lung cancer. His wife of 60 years never smoked a cigarette in her life and recently died of lung cancer. I wanted to call up and scream at him, ”You killed your wife through passive smoking you moron”. I could be wrong but I don’t think they have proven that passive tanning kills.  

I am over 18. I know full well the risks involved. I go to the doctors and get any moles that I am concerned about checked regularly. If any of my friends or family wanted to go to the solarium I would talk them out of it. At the very least I would make sure they knew the potential risks they faced. Hypocritical? Maybe, but I accept that.

I am not an ambassador for The Cancer Council, although I fully support them and the valuable work they do. I don’t judge anyone who gets plastic surgery and I don’t recommend anyone go to the solarium. However, if you are thinking about it please view the following links so that you are making an informed decision:

The Cancer Council

NSW Government Department of Health Solarium Safety Guidelines

Clare Oliver Melanoma Fund