Monday 23 March 2009

Jade Goody… her legacy

I'm slightly saddened by the death of Jade Goody - as saddened as I was by Diana's death: someone I didn't know, don't respect and don't otherwise care about dying young. I'm angry because I switched on the news yesterday to hear the words 'The Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury led the tributes to Jade Goody…'.

This is a political, moral and journalistic failure. We're all going to die - it's not a special achievement. Such figures should be too busy to express and opinion about a citizen they don't know, and WHAT TRIBUTE COULD POSSIBLY BE PAID? Goody was emblematic of a failed social and educational system, and as such should spur us on to make this country a kinder, gentler place - but she achieved nothing other than to highlight these failings.

It's a journalistic failure because the press shouldn't be wasting the prime minister's time with this rubbish - it's an attempt to catch him looking out of touch. Meanwhile his advisers will have prepared a response to make him look in touch. Neither side cares about this unfortunate woman.

2 comments:

dot said...

it was difficult to miss that news, especially when you go to newsagents and see all newspaper covers full of j. goody images together with exalted and catchy headlines (such as 'mommy's in heaven now'...) even 'the big' titles had to put this story on the first page (as it seems obvious for the sun, it is not so much for the guardian, i thought...)
thanks god i don't have a telly...

Benjamin Judge said...

I suppose it is mainly Blair's fault (though perhaps one could go back further to Major's waxings on Little Chef? or OBEs for the Beatles?) but Brown does seem to be obsessed with being part of 'the moment' whether it be leading tributes to Jade Goody or welcoming back Chris Moyles and Girls Aloud from their holidays in Africa. How long before he emerges from a stretch limo behind Paris Hilton clumsily lifting her micro-skirt so he can literally get his grubby paws on the inevitable crotch shot that will be splashed on the front cover of the Star? You can see the look of forced, sweaty, sincerity on his surprisingly robotic face.