I am an addict to "pop culture". Especially the televised one (here I include movies as well, because nowadays all cinema movies are often seen on TV not in cinema per se).
The accent in this addiction falls on British and American pop(ular) culture, with everything that is involved.
In other words, I know a LOT about who does what where on TV and in the movies and, by extension, in real life, because I believe there is a close connection between the character played in a movie and the actor.
Following closely the entertainment news, I am up to date with all the trash peddled by the tabloids. And here I must take a moment to vent about this issue.
Tabloids are the scum of the scum from the bottom of the human pond. They lie, cheat, lie and lie some more, making and more oft than not destroy lives of public figures and more importantly, they destroy the very fabric that makes journalism great. Have I mentioned just how much I abhor the lies mongered by the tabloids?! I particularly "enjoy" the pieces that start from the "truth" said by someone, i.e. the "journalist" harasses someone that is famous in order to get an "exclusive" statement - "Mr. X, Mr. X, tell us something!!" - 'Something!' says the poor depleted man; what do we read next, naturally labeled exclusive? Well, the entire story how the celebrity's marriage or relationship with a close relative hangs on a thread due to alcohol and drug abuse caused by... SOMETHING. Twisting words beyond recognition is a must for tabloids' survival. Vent over. For now.
I have so largely explained my liking for 'pop culture' and the extent to which I try to keep up with it in order to come to the point of this post.
Very few people outside UK knows who Jade Goody is and how she came to be known/famous. She was an ignorant (she thought Pistachio painted Mona Lisa), racist (she was thrown out of a Big Brother, can't and refuse to be bothered which one, for bullying an Indian contestant), strident, chav loud mouth. Last August, while taking part in yet another Big Brother, she was announced that she had got cervical cancer and needed treatment. Naturally, everything happened on the telly, how else?! She died this March. Everything was closely followed by TV and tabloids, from her hospital apointments, to her one-month-before-her-death wedding to her boyfriend who, you must know, had just been released from prison for having swung a golf club at someone else, injuring that someone pretty badly, and finally to her death and very public funerals.
What is very annoying is that the same tabloids who slanted her on each occasion, now turned her into no less than a saint ! Her funeral was compaired to that of Lady Di's !! The cheek of compairing such very oposite women !!! Even "serious" newspaper felt compelled to cover this story, not in extenso, but way too much and with too many details for their higly raised noses.
Another reason why this entire story should be not much publicised and Jane Goody should not be held in the public eye as the woman who raised the awareness on the cervical cancer issue is the fact that she died because she was such an ignorant twat! She had problems early on, which were discovered and treated thanks to a smear pap. Than, as if this experience came with a two-month shelf life, she ignored no more than TWO reminders following her cervical screening, which should have alarmed her, not lulled her into oblivion. How's fault is it then? Of course, it is a pitty that such a young person should die, it is a pity her two young boys are left without a mother, but frankly, she was no saint and she should not be treated as one!
Now, fianlly, after so many puke-inducing articles about how Goody inspired so many women to go get their overdue controls, I am very pleased to read this and this. FINALLY!!!
I will give The Book of Dave and its very fine print another try after all.
Will Self, Sir Parky, chapeau !
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