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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to hear an update on Jade Goody in every single news bulletin?

102 replies

AmIOdetteOrOdile · 19/02/2009 15:41

It is sad when young women are diagnosed with terminal cancer. It is sad when these women are mothers.

HOWEVER, I do not want Sky News to flash to the hospital to show her wedding dress arriving. I do not want to hear that she wants Girls Aloud to play at her wedding. I do not want to hear every single bloody thing that she is doing.

I understand that she wants to make money for her boys, and I appreciate that. But surely there are more important things going on in the world?

OP posts:
Oovavu · 19/02/2009 16:06

and, to Dandylioness, no I don't think enough woman do think much about their smears if figures are anything to go by. The fact that the poor woman is so young has been a wake-up call to many young women who mistakenly think smear tests are for older women or women who have had lots of sexual partners, etc.

TheyCallMePeachy · 19/02/2009 16:08

I had a very idea of jack but he broke my heart on the news today .

No money isn't everything but it mans they can keep their schools, lifestyle and not have to deal with the loss of all that as well as the loss of their Mummy.

grumblinalong · 19/02/2009 16:12

I don't think she is asking the press for this amount of coverage. I know she has sold her story to a newspaper but do you really think she's encouraging camera crews to stand outside her hospital? I don't. I agree OP, the coverage of this story is over the top.

I can not comprehend anyone being preoccupied about how much exposure they are receiving when they are having to contemplate their death and come to terms with the fact that their children will not have a mother by this time next year. The media are covering this story because it's got an inevitable, tragic ending. It's like rubbernecking of the highest order.

Original poster
AmIOdetteOrOdile · 19/02/2009 16:13

Grumblin - that last sentence of your post sums up my feelings exactly.

OP posts:
DandyLioness · 19/02/2009 16:14

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TheyCallMePeachy · 19/02/2009 16:14

Rubber necking is purely for a moments ooh look at her isn't it though?

I think Jade has done an enormous amount, not just for smear tets and her boys (as if taht weren't enough!) but for cancer patients in general.

I worked in the fundraising of a big Ccancer charity for a while and formany patients the worst thing was the fear. Maybe if this stops one eprson feeling alone and helps another to understand their future then hurrah.

DandyLioness · 19/02/2009 16:15

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TheDevilWearsPrimark · 19/02/2009 16:15

" and btw - the BBC NEWS website has a story on their home page"

In the 'entertainment' section yes.

On the main news front page is a video 'has jades life on camera gone too far'

littlelyn · 19/02/2009 16:19

The big issue that this whole sad business has raised though is that smear tests are not offered or readily available to young women - I think I heard that for England you have to be over 25.

Oovavu · 19/02/2009 16:21

I teach sex ed to 14 & 15 year olds for a section of the school year and I was truly at their lack of general knowledge about sex and sexual health. And these are kids from 'nice' middle class homes overall, whose parents obviously don't think it is their place to do this sort of educating, or are far too embarrassed to open up discussions about it. The majority of a class of 20 did not know what a smear test was for and who should be having one.

When I do these same lessons later on this year, I shall definitely be using Jade Goody's story to help illustrate the importance of smear testing. I think it will help them understand it better

grumblinalong · 19/02/2009 16:22

In the 'entertainment' section. My point exactly. It's a terminal, agressive, painful disease and they've classed that story as entertainment.

DandyLioness · 19/02/2009 16:26

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littlelyn · 19/02/2009 16:29

DandyLioness - NHS Guidelines apparently. Another post code lottery issue. For Scotland and Wales the age is set at 20.

ThePellyandMe · 19/02/2009 16:31

I think if it means more women are going for smears and awareness of cervical cancer has increased then thats good but the coverage is getting really hard to avoid.

I know what she's going through is really really awful but I had cervical cancer myself treated with surgery and all this coverage is just dragging up memories of a time I really try not to think about.

I don't read the tabloids or magazines, don't watch daytime TV, I turned off the Jeremy Vine Show the other day when they were discussing it only to hear a quote from the show later on one of the news bulletins and there was also a piece about her on News 24.

So yes for purely selfish reasons I wish the coverage was a bit more low key.

daftpunk · 19/02/2009 16:31

i think she's incredibly brave...and her publicity has done so much for awareness re; smear testing.

i feel so sad for her and her family.

littlelyn · 19/02/2009 16:32

www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/#invited - Here you go.

buktus · 19/02/2009 16:33

I think if you were in here position and had 8 weeks at the most to live, given the opportunity to make money to give to your 4 and 5 year old to last them for the rest of their lives without you - whether it be thousands of pounds or near the million mark i dont think any mum should be negative about what she is doing, if it were any other celebrity they would be on the tv about this the same as when it was Kylie.

Original poster
AmIOdetteOrOdile · 19/02/2009 16:35

Buktus - my issue is not with her making money out of it, which I think is very shrewd of her, it is the 24x7 'entertainment' coverage.

OP posts:
ThePellyandMe · 19/02/2009 16:38

I certainly don't object to her making money out of her plight. But I do question if it is right to be on the 'News' so regularly.

smurfgirl · 19/02/2009 16:41

Fattiemumma - your friends are very open on facebook I don't think I would post about a smear on there?!

I understand why she is big news and I will def be buying OK with her wedding in it next week but in some ways it feels like the media is almost pushing her towards her death. She has been given months to live and I hope she lives for longer than that but it feels like the media is preparing for her to die next week. I find that rather grusome really - its a bit like those websites predicting the date of her death. All very sad.

shirleyfgirley · 19/02/2009 16:46

i think that Jade Goody is doing for cervical cancer what Anne Diamond did for cot death. Speaking as a mum who was pregnant and clueless when AD published a leaflet for health centres about how to put your baby to sleep (after her son had died), i read my copy avidly and felt moved that she had done such a public service. When my baby was born and it was a healthy boy, i was even more grateful to her.

MarmadukeScarlet · 19/02/2009 16:46

To be fair, you won't have to put up with it much longer will you?
FGS

Sassybeast · 19/02/2009 16:49

I think there is a very real danger though that as an oppisite effect to the uptake of smears (which can only be a good thing) Jade is at danger of scaring a LOT of people about living/dying with cancer. She's already said that she wants to die in hospital so doctors can control her pain - not everyone who has cancer has uncontrolled pain and I think that anyone going through the same thing at the minute (and their families) does not want to hear or see someone elses suffering. Sowhilst its ok for Jade to be selfish, surely others are allowed to be selfish by saying that they don't want to see/hear it ? It's not just Sky news - it's been on ITN lunchtime news today. Jeremy Vine was talking about it a few days ago. It's on every newspaper cover and it's there because Jade WANTS it to be - all the carefully orchestrated pictures are there because she for whatever reason wants them to be. When I die,I don't expect everyone to say how wonderful I was but sadly I think that Jade is so desperate to be liked that she is exposing herelf and her family to this horrible media spectacle. I find it almost macarbe that a young woman is being 'forced' by circumstances, her experiences, 'us' (the ones who built her up and then knocked her down' to live out her last days in the media spotlight. And before anyone accuses me of being heartless, or a Jade hater - I am not. I feel desperately sad that the British public continue to demand she plays her life out in public - and sad that she feels forced to do so - conciously or sub conciously Let her go home to her boys - don't buy the bloody papers, don't buy OK and don't watch the TV show. What can people possibly achieve by doing so ?

takingabreakhels · 19/02/2009 16:52

Yeah I agree with smurfgirl, their interest is in selling more papers, not in the best interests of Jade and her family. However, I do think life in the media is all that Jade has known for her adult life and is as such, her normality. So maybe having her death story published is her way of keeping normality aound her. I don't begrudge that, and, as a bereavement counsellor I'm relieved to have the subject of terminal diagnosis out of the closet.

pingping · 19/02/2009 16:55

YABU and Yes I am sure plenty of people can do with 800k but at the end of the day she wants to make sure her boys are set up for life and good on her I would be the same.