Shouldn't you be dead before you can recieve an obituary? It seems not.

This week has marked a further sign of how low the tabloid news and glossy magazine industry will sink. I am of course talking about the release of the OK! ‘Jade Goody Tribute edition’, which comes complete with a photo-history of the stupid tart, a massive heading of “in Loving Memory” and Jade’s ‘final’ final interview. I’m almost certain she did her final interview a couple of weeks ago, but then memory seems to be short in the world of the tabloid media.

Now some of you may think that an entire tribute dedicated to the dubious character that is Goody is debatable in itself, or that she is an important figure-head for Cancer (All I can say is I think I know what Cancer is thank you very much, don’t bloody patronise me) and should have one, although I’m going to steer well clear of that discussion.

The issue was launched on Tuesday and was publicised on the TV and in the press. Naturally a tribute edition, launched when the person being tributed is still alive, albeit only just (allegedly), is in bad taste and has been complained about as a result. Jade is (at time of writing) still alive at this very moment, and has been hanging on for about a week since it was reported “she had hours to live”. Now to me hours implies less than a day, although it now looks like that this was just PR spin, probably by everyone’s favourite slimy PR cunt (and Goody’s agent) Max Clifford to sell even more stories about the ailing celeb.

The fact that the media are actively dragging the story, and even adding tragedy which is often reserved only for a soap opera to this tale of a morally bankrupt media is even more chilling. Indeed it seems that soap scripts have been adapted for the real world and for the average glossy reader, although, what we are witnessing is real life, and as will probably happen, real death.

I’m sure Richard ‘Dirty’ Desmond (owner of OK! And other lamentable British rags like the Daily Express) is quite happy with the whole thing though. He has probably made a fortune on the controversy alone and only has to tangle with the PCC, which is about as fearsome as a toothless panda cub. In other words he’s going to get off scot free.

At the moment all we are seeing is a process, which I know from my own personal loss is a painful and tragic experience for any family, being contrived into a rather dark media blitz. Even sadder is that it almost managed to overshadow the more tragic and actual death of a real celebrity; that is the untimely death of Natasha Richardson; wife of Liam Neeson. This was a heartbreaking tale, and Richardson probably is a more fitting candidate for a tribute edition, well, of anything. Considering of course that she is actually dead, which is when people traditionally honour the memory of a person.

So what we have seen instead is an attempt by the tacky end of the media to milk Goody dry, while they still can. After all, as I’ve written before Goody is still alive and could be for another week or two. That’s just enough time for OK! to release another and this time real ‘Tribute’ edition and naturally cash in on the proceeds of that too.

I feel it is sad but apt that Goody has only proven her critics right, that she is a media whore of the highest category and has literally sold herself to fame. Not to mention this also shows the lengths that members of the Press and PR media will sink to for a few pounds more. After this last week I have absolutely no doubts about either of these things.

Also for your Perusal is this little issue that Father Ted writer Graham Linehan has been looking at which also involves tabloid skulduggery from Desmond.