I am so sick of all the rubber-necking that has been going on with regard to a recent and tragic news topic.

[Bubble99]

And all under the guise of 'concerned fellow-parent/s'

I met a mother at school today (never spoken to her before) who approached me and said ..'Have you heard about? What do you think about?' and the freak was almost smiling. It's as if this nightmare has become entertainment for some people.

There is a voyeuristic, collective sickness going on , safe under the umbrella of 'concerned parents.'

Yuk.

I agree

I don't think anyone honestly thinks this is entertaining.

I absolutely agree with you bubble. not for the first time

Entertaining? surly people do no find this entertaining? this will just be another thread where people can row....

I agree Paula.

Nobody in their right minds thinks of a missing child as entertainment value.

Then you have more faith in human nature than I do, paula.

i''ve said it before and i'll say it again.

this story affects us all as parents because we relate to the horror of something as awful and unknown and therefore as abhorrent as our imagination allows happening to our children.

but 'little maddie' is a total stranger to us. she is a symbol. we do not 'care' about HER. we care about ourselves and our children.

there is a HUGELY voyeuristic element to what is going on.

I absolutely HATE the public ownership of private terrror and greif.

I think people want to talk about it is all. I imagine if everyone else is like me, which I'm sure they are, whats happened is on our minds almost all the time. I do agree that some people have overstepped boundarys but most people are not enjoying this at all.

Thats not true. She is a stranger thats true, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about what has happened to her. I care very much

bubble i agree

oh crikey - i thought i was the only one not even looking at the news about this - it just feels so... dirty.... to be pawing over every detail of someone elses horror. uninvited.
yuk.

fgs - what is wrong with you people here?

how can you call someone a 'freak'?

and was she smiling? are you sure about that?

'entertainment' I don't think so, some how.

I hate the 'Maddie' stuff too, soph.

Ms Wade at The Sun is probably ordering T-shirts as we speak.

I do agree.

But it's not just parents. The bbc news last night gave over a good 5 mins to how there have been no developments.

It's not entertainment as such, but it is mawkish voyerism imo.

I think "enjoying" is probably the wrong word. But something in people's psyches is being touched by the story.

sophable - you put it so well.

Completely and utterly agree, and great post sophable.

Second Sophable.

Well put.

I agree, I am sick of all the "oh I am so affected by this, I can hardly sleep at night." I feel like saying, no, you are not affected by this, no-one who is not personally involved can claim to share the pain of the family. Stop trying to make this about you and your kids and butt out.

I am also hugely irritated by the attitude of the press towards the police in this case. "Look at US! Talk to US! What do you mean by spending time solving the case rather than giving press conferences? How dare you ignore US?"

It seems to me all this "police incompetence" is basically irritation on the part of the journalists because they are not getting their regular renta-quote.

I totally agree with you Bubble.

there is, i think a competitive element as to who is more tortuously affected....

Someone linked to a paedophile site earlier here on mnet.

Purely as a 'concerned parent,' of course.....

soph - are you posting from NY?

whilst I have a sympathy with your sentiments this is just one MORE thread to go over and over and over and over and over the story, what people should or should not be posting, thinking, saying.

leave it alone fgs

EVERYONE

agree sophable.