Jade Goody

I do have to disagree that she has touted her story. The media would have reported on it with or without her permission and at least this way she has had control of what has and hasn't been reported. She may not be there to see her boys grow up which must be any parents worst nightmare but at least when they are old enough to understand they will have a lot of possitive press to see of their mum. She is now only interested in her boys future and raising awareness which I think is incredibly brave and sensible of her. I feel for her whole family, they are a close family and this must be such an awful time for them all. Her 'fame' has been a turbulent one but she has matured a lot in the last couple of years and I think now she deserves to be in control of the media rather than the other way round
 
I have only just found this thread and so have never commented on it before. I have never been a fan of BB or Jade Goody but I do understand someone from an ordinary background, maybe not the brightest button in the box who has a dream and follows it.
  • I agree Jade has courted publicity and all the problems that brings
  • I agree that many of Jade's decisions are flawed - but then so are mine, they're just not so public
  • I agree that Jade has set out for fame and fortune with more luck than talent but you have to hand it to her - she managed to live the dream for a while even though the media first exploited then demonized her nievity
  • While Jade's rise to "fame and fortune" has been controversial, she HAS raised many debates that may have not been raised. Are we not, every one of us, thinking about when our next smear is due?
Someone in an earlier post mentioned about ordinary people in ordinary jobs - well all I have to say is that the goldfish grows to fit his bowl and are we suggesting that Jade should drop from view now, because her circumstances are uncomfortable for us to see or should we maybe aplaud the courage of a woman who is seeing her bitter sweet dream to it's untimely end.

On another note, I am 57 now and I sometimes think of the legacy I will leave my kids. Mine are grown up now and making their own way so I am not talking money (unfortunately I have none). No, the legacy I want to leave is for them to know ME - the person I am, my interests, my feelings.

There is a REAL danger for Jade's boys to only know the superficial Jade when they are old enough to look back through footage and there is VERY LITTLE TIME for Jade to draw a balance.

This media diary will be a legacy to her boys and an inspiration to others - give her that at least because to lay yourself bare when you're at your most vulnerable takes COURAGE and should not be underestimated.

What mum would not want to leave her very young children financially provided for when faced with the prospect of having to leave them prematurely. Money isn't everything but if it means they get the best start in life and that family members can look after them without concern for money then she's done all she can as a mother hasn't she. THESE BOYS WILL KNOW THEY WERE LOVED.

I started this post by saying I have never been a fan of Jade Goody but I have at times laughed with her (and, if I'm honest, at her) and now I am ready to shed tears with her for a life full of promise so cruelly torn apart and a woman just doing what she thinks is best and leaving behind a legacy of laughter, tears, controversy and courage.
 
Have only just seen this post, so a little late in posting. Never been a fan of Jade or the programmes she has made for TV. I am very sorry that she has been diagnosed with this nasty illness, as I would be to hear about anyone. But to be honest it may sound harsh but I am not really interested in all the details. I dont think that it is "entertaining" for TV, magazinesor anyone elses business. I find it strange that anyone wants to read the articles or watch programmes about people who present themselves as a "celebrity".I have to ask what motivation does she have for showing all this stuff. Please dont say she is doing it for the benefit of other women and to raise awareness. That sounds like beauty contestants who want "world peace" to me. Maybe I sound cynical but I think some things should be private. It is not going to benefit her children; if something happens to her would those boys benefit from seeing their mum in those reality programmes. Of course you want the best for your kids and for them to be financially secure but at what price. They have so far grown up being photographed and followed by the press and surrounded by media hungry adults. I am sure they are loved but children dont need that lifestyle.
Sorry about the long post! I hope things work out for her but also all the other families and women who are or have been affected by such an illness but who are not putting themselves forward as entertainment for others.

x
 
Daisybank said:
Have only just seen this post, so a little late in posting. Never been a fan of Jade or the programmes she has made for TV. I am very sorry that she has been diagnosed with this nasty illness, as I would be to hear about anyone. But to be honest it may sound harsh but I am not really interested in all the details. I dont think that it is "entertaining" for TV, magazinesor anyone elses business. I find it strange that anyone wants to read the articles or watch programmes about people who present themselves as a "celebrity".I have to ask what motivation does she have for showing all this stuff. Please dont say she is doing it for the benefit of other women and to raise awareness. That sounds like beauty contestants who want "world peace" to me. Maybe I sound cynical but I think some things should be private. It is not going to benefit her children; if something happens to her would those boys benefit from seeing their mum in those reality programmes. Of course you want the best for your kids and for them to be financially secure but at what price. They have so far grown up being photographed and followed by the press and surrounded by media hungry adults. I am sure they are loved but children dont need that lifestyle.
Sorry about the long post! I hope things work out for her but also all the other families and women who are or have been affected by such an illness but who are not putting themselves forward as entertainment for others.

x
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Hi Daisy

I fully take on board your views but like it or not Jade has for a long time courted fame and fortune, fuelled by the media "professionals" who are only too quick to exploit the hopes and dreams of the vulnerable (just look at the queues for X factor).

I am not suggesting for one minute that Jade is doing this to "benefit other women" although that is certainly a by product owing to the publicity and the debate it opens.

Please remember that Jade and her boys will be followed by the media however she handles this and by taking some control she may be doing the best thing for both her family and herself.

As for being a private thing, I don't know. It is certainly uncomfortable and certainly NOT entertainment but I can remember a time when you weren't even allowed to say cancer out loud. Now it is on everyone's lips and everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by it, my family included - AND IS'NT THAT THE POINT - once we have de-mystified these processes and treatments, we can get on with the business of saving lives instead of leaving children without parents. It may well be too late for Jade but she may unwittingly leave a legacy for other women who follow on.

So far I have not seen the whole program, just clips. As I said I am not a Jade fan and I know the program will be uncomfortable viewing but sometime when I'm feeling strong I will play it and no doubt shed a few tears for the journey this fellow woman has chosen to share with those who care to join her.

I wish her love and luck on her journey and hope that her boys will be proud of their mum for giving life her best shot
 
Gemstone said:
I have only just found this thread and so have never commented on it before. I have never been a fan of BB or Jade Goody but I do understand someone from an ordinary background, maybe not the brightest button in the box who has a dream and follows it.
  • I agree Jade has courted publicity and all the problems that brings
  • I agree that many of Jade's decisions are flawed - but then so are mine, they're just not so public
  • I agree that Jade has set out for fame and fortune with more luck than talent but you have to hand it to her - she managed to live the dream for a while even though the media first exploited then demonized her nievity
  • While Jade's rise to "fame and fortune" has been controversial, she HAS raised many debates that may have not been raised. Are we not, every one of us, thinking about when our next smear is due?
Someone in an earlier post mentioned about ordinary people in ordinary jobs - well all I have to say is that the goldfish grows to fit his bowl and are we suggesting that Jade should drop from view now, because her circumstances are uncomfortable for us to see or should we maybe aplaud the courage of a woman who is seeing her bitter sweet dream to it's untimely end.

On another note, I am 57 now and I sometimes think of the legacy I will leave my kids. Mine are grown up now and making their own way so I am not talking money (unfortunately I have none). No, the legacy I want to leave is for them to know ME - the person I am, my interests, my feelings.

There is a REAL danger for Jade's boys to only know the superficial Jade when they are old enough to look back through footage and there is VERY LITTLE TIME for Jade to draw a balance.

This media diary will be a legacy to her boys and an inspiration to others - give her that at least because to lay yourself bare when you're at your most vulnerable takes COURAGE and should not be underestimated.

What mum would not want to leave her very young children financially provided for when faced with the prospect of having to leave them prematurely. Money isn't everything but if it means they get the best start in life and that family members can look after them without concern for money then she's done all she can as a mother hasn't she. THESE BOYS WILL KNOW THEY WERE LOVED.

I started this post by saying I have never been a fan of Jade Goody but I have at times laughed with her (and, if I'm honest, at her) and now I am ready to shed tears with her for a life full of promise so cruelly torn apart and a woman just doing what she thinks is best and leaving behind a legacy of laughter, tears, controversy and courage.
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Wow. What a brilliant post!!
 
Daisybank said:
if something happens to her would those boys benefit from seeing their mum in those reality programmes. Of course you want the best for your kids and for them to be financially secure but at what price.
x
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I was thinking about this when I watched a couple of the Jade:the next chapter programmes.

If I was her daughter, and I looked back on the programme after she was gone, would I be proud she was my Mum?

Yes I would! She showed herself to be very loving and warm, finding time for her kids yet working hard when she must have felt dreadful. Someone who could take a joke at her own expense and who wasn't scared to show the 'warts and all'.

She could have taken to her bed and swapped herself 100% in self pity, leaving her 'servants' to care for the kids. Making sure the TV cameras only showed her looking fab with her head on the pillow being brought breakfast in bed with an occasional staged visit from the children.

Instead, she was up making their Christmas special with Santa footprints on the floor, going that extra mile for them. Spending time with them instead of getting out of her pyjamas and dolling up for the cameras.

I would look back on the programme when I was older, and cry and laugh with her, then come away holding my head in pride.
 
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Yes KD - She is such an easy target and to be fair to her critics, she has often made it so but I think we can now see where her true metal lies - Her boys can be WELL proud when they look back.

Most kids don't get the chance to see their parents as the people they are and to be honest it's far too hard to live up to a "saint" of a parent. I still smile when I walk along the cliff path from Cadgewith to Lizard and come across the seat dedicated to "Popeye - he misbehaved all his life" what a fabulous thing to have shared that life and have the memories to look back on.

Jades boys can look back and see the "misbehaviour" of a young vibrant vulnerable woman, her mistakes and her heartfelt apologies. They can see the way she laughed and the way she cried. They can see how she dealt with the biggest challenge of her young life but most of all, they can see how much she loved her two little boys x
 
I'm not a big fan of Jade but have said before as a mum i cant imagine what she's going thru. No one desrves that.
But i also agree that she doesnt need to be going thru this in public, i dont know who is instigating this, wether it herself or the press but i dont agree with it.
Kylie minogue had breast cancer and whilst it was reported i dont recall it being treated like some sort of freak show.

so i really do feel for jade and her family, my heart goes out to them, but leave them alone
 
mommyB said:
I'm not a big fan of Jade but have said before as a mum i cant imagine what she's going thru. No one desrves that.
But i also agree that she doesnt need to be going thru this in public, i dont know who is instigating this, wether it herself or the press but i dont agree with it.
Kylie minogue had breast cancer and whilst it was reported i dont recall it being treated like some sort of freak show.

so i really do feel for jade and her family, my heart goes out to them, but leave them alone
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Hi there

I take that point too but given that SO many people go through the "cancer thing" and have huge issues about hair loss and body changes (my mum used to refer to herself when she was down as Kwasimodo because of her breast surgery), I am comforted by the fact that she is not "hiding her body in shame" as my mum did. I see her as a warrior with battle scars, proud to be fighting the battle - if it is a "freak show" what does it say about our perception of someone who is battling with this awful disease. The time I would say "This is private" is when Jade herself says it is. Until then I have an on/off switch if it becomes too real for me x
 
The bottom line is, you can choose whether to watch it or not. I really disagree that it is a freak show, that is suggesting that anyone with cancer is freaky and that is so not true. My friend died of cancer aged just 15 and she was in the national newspapers pretty much every week while she was ill and the only time she stopped them taking photo's was when she turned yellow. She never wore a wig and all her pictures are of her fully bald and smiling! And she wasn't even a celebrity! But I would not like to think that anyone would accuse the reports of being a freak show!
 
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I am saddened to hear of the latest developments. I can totally understand (as a mum) why she would want to do everything she can to make sure her children are secure financially when she's gone and as she has the opportunity of selling her story I don't see the difference between this and going to a magazine with a wedding or whatever.

I don't read papers / magazines etc, but would probably do the same in her shoes and position.

Her being public will only increase peoples awareness that young women DO die.. very sad, but there is a real myth about cancer not hitting young women. My mum was in her early 30's when she had agressive breast cancer.. she was 'lucky' to have a great surgeon and team and survived after a further 2 diagnosis of cancer to the age of 59. My sister and I both have screening for breast cancer annually and there is no way I'd miss this.

So many women forget to have smear tests etc.. and there is a postcode lottery on what age they start from. Facts are if you don't take the tests when they are available you are putting yourself at risk of things becoming very serious if you are unlucky enough to have cancer.

If Jade manages to make more women aware of this fact, then she will leave a legacy longer lasting than her fame.
 
I agree Taz.. didn't know there was a thread running already in the chit-chat section and have just posted there.

Perhaps a moderator should close this so we don't all have to repeat ourselves, though I do of course appreciate the viewpoints posted. :)
 
yes i do agree with you all. i dont have to watch or read it-and to be honest i dont. i admire jade for not hiding herself away, no one should have to. i was refering to how the press often report these things as a freak show, not jade herself. sorry if i cause anyone any offense that was certainly not my intention
 
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No offence taken hun, I see what you mean now. Yes the press can make people out to be freak shows but I do think that by her being in control of her media space she is preventing that freak show from happening
 
I think its time she took a step back now and thought about her sons. Shes done a lot to raise awareness but nows a time for her family.

Having just lost my dad, I can think of nothing worse than having TV cameras following our every move as we went through such a horrible experience. That was a time for us as a family, to be together and to help each other, and to spend time with my dad. Its not something that needs to be shared with a TV audience.

She should be happy that shes done a lot to make people aware of this cancer and to go for tests but if the cancer is as advanced as we're led to believe then Im sure her family would benefit far more for having some private time with her
 
The news of the cancer spreading has only just come out, the TV cameras were with her some months ago when she still had a good cance of survival. I'm sure now this horrific twist has occurred she will be spending more time with her family
 
That aside Sandy and Taz, none of us can really say what it best for Jade or anyone else. People deal with their own issues in their own way. What is a comfort for someone may be hell for someone else and vice versa. I would never be able to play out my life in public as Jade has done full stop!!! That is her way and my way is mine. It may be that she will become more private or she may get some sense of comfort or purpose from carrying on doing what she is doing. If it makes her journey more bareable then I have no problem with it. I for one wouldn't like to judge her any more than I would like to be judged for dealing with things in my way x
 
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