She’s Dead – OK!
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
The latest issue of tabloid magazine OK! has hit the stands featuring a Jade Goody tribute edition. While the terminally ill reality TV star continues her battle with cancer, the front cover of the celebrity magazine expressed “In Loving Memory” and “Jade Goody 1981-2009″.
The 27-year-olds rapidly worsening condition left medics suggesting she may have just a few hours to live before cervical cancer takes her life, and presumably OK! thought it would make financial sense to hedge their bets and have a magazine that won’t be out of date in a few days time.
Now, I’m no fan of Jade Goody and whatever opinions we may have about her selling her story and herself, whatever your thoughts on how she has or has not raised cancer awareness, surely you have to agree that this is a disgracefully tasteless move by OK!
Thoughts?
tagged under: Jade Goody.OK Magazine
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/me is slightly rattled by the issue number
The media are over-reacting to the situation. They should just leave a poor suffering woman to die in peace. I mean, I wouldn’t like it if I were all over the front page of magazines and newspapers as I lay dying…
@TheChrisD – She has invited the media into her life for years. She didn’t have to do the OK deal for her weddings, or the Living deal to follow her cancer treatment. She chose too.
Er that was a little previous of them. I mean I can understand having all the work done and having the issue pretty much ready to go for when she actually does die, but In Loving Memory while she’s still living and breathing is completely in bad taste. Then again it is OK magazine and you can bet your arse they didn’t do that without the go ahead of Max Clifford and whoever else they have to go through for approval these days.
@Gav Yeah, I saw that. Ominous.
@Chris Ah look, as Voodoo says, she is far more responsible for the media coverage of her life than the media itself. She’s openly admitted to selling her last days in order to provide for her kids future.
But I was hoping to focus more on the awful thing that OK have done here. I wonder did they get clearance from Jade and her promoters before going to print.
Darren, it seems like her family are behind it anyway
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7950616.stm
@Niamh Argh! It’s still in very bad taste as far as I’m concerned.
Her final words???
It’ll sell in shed loads.
What gets me is that they’ll probably be after the exclusive funeral shots, which will fill out an entire new edition.
They’re releasing this now knowing it’ll sell out and when she does die, they’ll have it as a cover story same as the rest and still make a fortune.
I can’t believe they went to press on this. Didn’t they make an apology for it before it hit the shelves?
Isn’t that what savings are supposed to be for? Did she not make a bundle from all her Living shows, her perfume range, and numerous other skits?
Surprised no-one has mentioned that this is pretty much a photoshop disaster too.
Also, what’s this about her coming back as a ghost to haunt her children?
Creepy.
From the day she stepped onto our screens it was all down hill. And all this bollox is in such incredibly bad taste. Are people really buying this? Death, and death by cancer at that should not be a media circus.
Yes. it has done wonders for the cause with the rate of smear tests in the UK having risen exponentially in the last few months.
And yes, I get that she’s doing it “for her kids” and that the money is going into trust for them – but i think there has to be a bit of her that’s doing it for the fame. It’s all she has ever been about.
It’s very sad and I’m just washing my hands of the whole sham.
Hmmm can i put this without seeming heartless and uncaring? Yes it is sad that she is dieing but the monopolising the media just seems over the top. It seems hard to take that a little over a year ago the same media was crucifying her as a racist.
Yes it is a shame that anyone is dieing from cancer, fair enough she is trying to put some money by for her kids for the future. But when she finally dies about all we are short of is Elton John releasing a new version of Candle in the Wind and the media will spin her funeral to be bigger than Princess Diana (who actually did something to earn her fame).
Am i the ONLY person who wishes that she actually lives ???
Wouldn’t that be a great board meeting to be sat in on…
31st of November 2009
Venue – OK magazine
Chief Editor – “Is there some sort of way legally that we can pull the plug on this?”
Idiot OK Mag Writer – “It’s what the readers want to see, her last moments, er months…”
Chief Editor – “no no i mean can we ACTUALLY pull the plug on Jade? I mean contractually she was supposed to die 4 months ago?”
Just wait, she’ll shuffle the mortal coil and it will be all this ‘she was the poor people’s Diana’ shite …
Bring back Katy French….
too far?
@ Cathal
As annoying as she has been over the years, there’s a huge plus side to her exposure in that younger women are realising that nobodys invincible and are actively going for checkups.
That’s more than you can say for Kerry Katona’s mug before everywhere.
Also, anyone notice it’s issue 666? That’s bad juju right there son.
I feel ill. Humanity scrapes to a new low.
Did anyone see that episode of Shameless where they pretend the younger son has cancer and they shave his head and it all spirals out of control. It would be gas if this was al fake like that.
I totally agree with what she’s doing, i.e raising money for her boys so they can have the education and the life that she never had.
Its probably gone too far now, especially when she is weeks or even days from dying, did she not say after her children were christened that was enough?
I think she’s inspiration in the way she has dealt with the illness, and how bravely she’s fought it.
I for one will miss her, I’ve always had a soft spot for her because lets be fair she isn’t the brightest and thats led to incidents that could have been avoided, but thats life, we all make mistakes.
Did you know that OK Mag have a twitter account? Let them know how you feel directly, plenty of other people already have…
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=OK_magazine
On twitter @OK_magazine
I just think all the public outcry about it is a load of crap.
SHE APPROVED all of this.
Honestly, people have nothing better to do.
@Cathal I don’t think you’re being heartless at all. The ‘Jade saturation point’ came a long time before she was diagnosed with cancer. Yes, I have sympathy for her and her family – it’s an awful thing to have to go through – but the girl has made a career out of plastering her face (and other bits) anywhere and everywhere. It’s hard to feel anything but ire for that type of person.
@Ben No no, keep going…
@Pedro Agreed. Something good has come from Jade’s illness. The exposure has undoubtedly saved lives. But let it be a one off. Other celebs hogging the ‘diseased’ pages of the tabloids would get old very quickly.
@Ian I didn’t think there was anyone more positive than me. Describing Jade as an inspiration – wow!!
@Elly I just read some of their updates. I feel a little dirty now.
@Voodoo Did she approve of the magazine’s release? Seriously? I think that’s even worse. She’s complicit in the exploitation of death to sell rags.
And yes, I have got better things to do, but I wanted to do a small piece on how revolting I think it is for OK! to use a celebrity’s impending death to increase their profits in this way.
Darren, I must agree with you here.
If Jade has agreed to all this, I couldn’t care less. In the end, it is someone’s dying wish and we all should respect that.
BUT , It is without question appalling, OK! would do this to increase their profits.
Definitely in distaste to write such headers as “In loving memory” and “final words”.