Jade Goody

[woofmarkthedog]

My heart breaks at this story...

As much as I despise the "Celeb culture" this takes the human condition involved to another level, this is a woman like her or not & what she stands for to the edge of the abyss , i am the father of 2 young boys, I cant think no matter how hard I try what she is going through now, we are mortal ....but sh*t this is hard, hard stuff..

I am lost for words

X

woof...and yes I am sheddin tears right now

[TillieTrotter]

I hope you're being sincere....I think you probably are. I think it's terribly sad.

[woofmarkthedog]

It is horribly sad.........

Woof

[Cassius]

I feel very sorry for Jade - she is a mother of two young boys and no matter what I think of her (lack of) talent, this is very sad.

Although I feel that her continued desire to live (and possibly die) in the public eye * is incredibly crass (although probably a reflection of celebrity in the 21st Century), hopefully she can use it for good if she can show young women that cancer is not something that 'old' people get.

It also serves as a timely reminder that all the celebrity and money in the world cannot always guarantee happiness and that we should be thankful for what we have.

* although I fully appreciate that Jade wishes to make as much money for her children whilst she can do so, I do hope she is going to be able to finally take the step back to be a private person when it really matters.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Yes it is sad, as a father of 2 boys myself I can understand the pain. BUT, there are people in the world who deserve our help and support more. The people of Gaza come to mind and the people who are left homeless and starving as a result of senseless civil wars and internal political turmoil. Goody seems to make the pages of the tabloids regularly while the people in Gaza, and other war torn areas of the world seem to have been relegated to yesterdays news. Now THAT is sad.

[PeckhamRose]

So is all war and suffering and hardship and sickness and rape and child soldiers and hate crimes and so on.

But this is about Jade Goody and her cancer.

[Bellenden Belle]

What Peckhamrose said.

"There are people who deserve our help or support more"....personally that's a judgement call too far for me. Comparing two situations is unhelpful ...I would like to think there is not a finite amount of compassion in each of us.

[Huggers]

I think its very sad about Jade. She had a miserable and ignorant childhood and when Big Brother changed her life she seized the chance and converted it into something like a happy family life for herself and her kids. However irritating she is, however shallow Big Brother, and however stupid/repulsive her later behaviour in the celeb house, there was something triumphant and uplifting about the fact that she, the 'ugly' picked -on one in that original house ,was able to turn the experience into business and personal success. And what's more she got me into a bikini. I thought, if she can....

[Pickle]

I agree it's so sad, and as crass as her life in the public eye is/has been in the past, I do feel she's doing a good job of raising awareness of cancer amongst a group who maybe would have felt themselves to be immune. All that aside, I can't imagine how heart breaking it must be for her, and her family. Her sons are so young, and shouldn't be faced with such a horrible thing at their age.

I do hope she takes a step back from the cameras over the coming weeks/months.

[annaj]

It is very sad for such a young woman, and a mother of young children, to be facing a terminal illness.

And as Bellenden Belle so eloquently said, compassion is not finite, I can feel extremely sad for Jade whilst also caring about war, famine and injustice accross the wolrd.

I can also understand her desire to play out her illness and possibly, ultimately, her death in the public eye. She has bills to pay and children that she wants to leave financially secure, but apart from that I can see that it might make sense for her. Ever since she first appeared on Big Brother her life has been public, and much of that has been a happy and sucessful experience for her. It may well be that in the public eye is where she feels comfortable now and if that's the case I don't judge her for wanting to stay where she is comfortable in her most difficult time. Perhaps this is her coping mechanism. Who are we to take it away from her or criticise?

[Atila Reincarnate]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So is all war and suffering and hardship and

> sickness and rape and child soldiers and hate

> crimes and so on.

> But this is about Jade Goody and her cancer.

Yes the title of the thread is a bit of a give away isn't it?, anyway I have simply stated my view about this situation which is what I understand this forum is about.

[PeckhamRose]

And another thing. Whilst no-one should feel pressurised ever to do so, I think it is a good thing for some people (like Terry Pratchett for example with alzheimers) to live out their illness and ultimate dying in public. It's controversial I know and maybe for another thread, but if we see how it affects some people and they are more open about it, then this can be a good thing as we will all learn from it. But as I said, that's probably for another thread. I can't imagine what she and her kids are going through. But by seeing dramas like the Julie Waters one and another one a few years written by and starring Emma Thompson, we can all learn just that little bit more about how illnesses take their toll and how NHS can or can't deal with them. And if we don't like them we can always not watch or read about it.

[annaj]

And if a parent decides to let their child have the HPV vaccine, or a woman who's been putting it off books her overdue smear test, because they read about Jade Goody, that's a good thing isn't it?

[PeckhamRose]

Yup.

[Keef]

Hang on a cotton picking second!

Where did Atila mention compassion? He said from the off, that as a father of 2, he could understand the pain. He then went on in a completely different angle, and I think people have taken it in the wrong was.

  Quote

There are people who deserve our help or support more

Perhaps replace the word "deserve" with "need" might be more apt, but he is talking about "help & support", not compassion.

I am with Atila, sad as Jade's plight may be.

[PeckhamRose]

But I am with Bellenden Belle. There is not a finite amount of compassion we can give people.

Jade will be getting support from her family and friends and the Royal Marsden where I believe she is being treated.

I feel compassion for her, for her kids, as well as all the other people in the world who need compassion.

It's not about more or less. Where do you draw that line?

[annaj]

You make a good point Keef, but that difference between "deserve" and "need" is a big one.

If he had said need I might have agreed with him, because deserve implies judgement, that one persons life is worth more or less than anothers and need doesn't.

[Jah Lush]

I don't want to sound harsh but quite frankly I couldn't give a flying fcuk about Jade Goody and her cancer stories in the media. I know for sure that her cancer spread because she ignored all the signs and left it too late before finally being diagonosed but if all her publicity seeking helps girls check themselves out with smear tests and whatnot then that's not a bad thing at all.

From a personal angle I also have a young friend dying of cancer at the moment and she far more deserves my attention and support than this thick borderline racist old slapper from a crappy reality TV show.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hang on a cotton picking second!

>

> Where did Atila mention compassion? He said from

> the off, that as a father of 2, he could

> understand the pain. He then went on in a

> completely different angle, and I think people

> have taken it in the wrong was.

>

> There are people who deserve our help or support

> more

>

> Perhaps replace the word "deserve" with "need"

> might be more apt, but he is talking about "help &

> support", not compassion.

>

> I am with Atila, sad as Jade's plight may be.

Extremely well put Keef.

[Keef]

  Quote

You make a good point Keef, but that difference between "deserve" and "need" is a big one.

If he had said need I might have agreed with him, because deserve implies judgement, that one persons life is worth more or less than anothers and need doesn't.

Couldn't agree more!

Just thought I'd stick up for Atila, as suddenly this word "compassion" popped up, and took a completely different direction from anything he said. Compassion is abstract, and not something that can be measured in the same way as the amount we help and support someone.

[giggirl]

Whatever is happening in Jade's life I think celebrity culture is an abomination. Why should I think that today?s Jade headlines are less of an abomination than the pre-cancer Jade? Is having cancer an excuse to milk the celebrity culture-cow? There are so many people struggling with cancer in a dignified manner, without the need for Max Clifford to send out constant press releases.

It wasn?t that long ago that the headlines were of Jade in a bikini on some holiday, or breaking up with someone, or making racist remarks. The headlines are different now but I still want her not to be in my face at the supermarket checkout.

I?ll just pop my tin hat on.

[Atila Reincarnate]

giggirl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Whatever is happening in Jade's life I think

> celebrity culture is an abomination. Why should I

> think that today?s Jade headlines are less of an

> abomination than the pre-cancer Jade? Is having

> cancer an excuse to milk the celebrity

> culture-cow? There are so many people struggling

> with cancer in a dignified manner, without the

> need for Max Clifford to send out constant press

> releases.

>

> It wasn?t that long ago that the headlines were of

> Jade in a bikini on some holiday, or breaking up

> with someone, or making racist remarks. The

> headlines are different now but I still want her

> not to be in my face at the supermarket checkout.

>

> I?ll just pop my tin hat on.

It would be interesting to see the reaction to the above if I had said this!!! By the way I agree with you.

[Jah Lush]

I couldn't agree more. Perhaps you missed what I'd written Atila. I'm sick to death of her ugly piggy face in the tabs every day milking her illness to the highest bidders.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

I didn't expect the wailing, weeping and lamenting would rattle the windows of East Dulwich.

Alas, she is merely a dying mother,and it doesn't detract from the fact that sooner or later those kids will ask for mummy, and mummy won't be there.

If thats not sad, then I don't know what is as no-one is entirely worthless.

She has followed a dream made by you and me and yet we despise her for it. So much so, that people feel safe to denounce her as she dies.

It's a terrible measure of just how far we've been reduced in this country.

[Keef]

Good point Tony, she's only famous because the public can't get enough of the whole fame thing.