Madmutt’s Blog

I hope I am not the only one who is disturbed by the media coverage of Goody’s terminal illness. I found the picture of Goody crying splashed all over the front of The Sun today profoundly upsetting and not just because she is clearly in pain and suffering. This media circus cannot be helping her in her last days wind up her affairs with dignity and grace, not that she was ever dignified and graceful! It seems to me that this should be a time that she and her family are left alone in peace.

I do have to concede that it appears that Goody wants it this way. But just because someone wants something it does not automatically follow that she should have it. She has stated that she wants to raise loads of money for her sons. I think that she already has plenty enough to pass on to them so that cannot be the real reason. I do despair that someone who makes no real contribution to the good of society, has no talent and makes a virtue out of crassness and ignorance can make so much money. But let us set that aside for this discussion. It does appear to me that the media in general and Max Clifford in particular are using Goody as a cash cow which they are milking to death; literally!

However, it has to be said that if the public did not buy these magazines and newspapers in order to gorge on every salacious little detail of her suffering and, we are told, impending death, then there would be no cash cow for these grubby little men to milk. In what other context would it be perfectly acceptable for everyone to watch someone slowly dying in this way? It is not dignified nor repectful. I do have to say that the coverage of Goody’s terminal illness is ultimately a very sad indictment on modern British society. The age of the Victorian freak show is well and truly alive and well.