Jade vs Wendy

Here’s a funny one. I was having some dinner with some friends who I know from the UK the other night and we were talking about the impending passing of reality TV star Jade Goody from cancer. I commented honestly that I kept checking the internet to see if she’d died yet. ‘What, in a ghoulish way?’ my friend enquired. And I said yes.

I went on to explain that I didn’t much care for Jade Goody. She’d made no impact on my life and had only elicited my curiosity on occasion because of her fame’s inexplicable longevity. Her insistent media presence was something that both puzzled and interested me. And it was the same with her sudden terminal illness. As much as I sympathised, it also just felt like yet another unexpected twist in her ‘you couldn’t make it up’ life drama. Her life is so much a TV show that I find myself caring about her as much as I would any TV character that died on screen.

But I wasn’t as articulate as that. I probably said, ‘I’ve never seen the point of her. Why should I care if she died?’ or something equally as blunt.

Then Wendy Richard came up. She, also, had cancer, also got it suddenly, and also before her time. With her I was fawning; conveyed sympathy and sadness. My friend picked me up on it. ‘What’s the difference between her and Jade Goody?’ My instant reaction was: ‘Ah, I grew up with her.’ And I had, in a way. She’d been a constant presence in my television viewing via Are You Being Served? and her long tenure in EastEnders.

But my friend had a point. What is the difference to me between these two women? Both were only present in my life because of TV; one longer than the other for sure, but that’s not a good enough reason.

It might be to do with the perception that Richard being an actress has worked for her recognition, whereas Goody has achieved her fame with no discernable talent. But really I’m not sure how much respect I have for actors in that regard. Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredible actors out there who do work that floors you. But I think there also many who just read lines convincingly. Arguably Richard was one of these; she certainly can’t be lauded for her diversity.

No, I think it’s more to do with to do with how they are presented to us by the media. Wendy Richard is a national treasure, Jade Goody a figure of fun; the nation’s whipping girl. I wonder: if Jade Goody had managed to prolong her career as long as Wendy Richard, would she have become a national treasure? If she'd got cancer in her 60s after that lengthy career, instead of in her 20s, would she be more lauded in the way Wendy Richard was?

The other friend who was present at this most inconsequential of discussions thought so. “I think I have more empathy for characters like Jade Goody as I get older,” he said. “When she first came on the scene, she reminded me of all those really annoying 'townie' girls at school, who revel in their own ignorance, and ridicule difference and diversity. And these "C" list celebs used to get on my tits anyway.

“But then I thought, sod it, if I had 15 minutes of fame would I not make the most of it and live the dream for as long as I could? The answer is yes. And I think fair play to her for making it last as long as she has.

“And I guess she has been an inspiration for all the 'underdogs', those people with under-privileged backgrounds, who haven't had the best education. Didn't she help look after her disabled mother from quite a young age? In any case, she makes no pretence to be anything she's not. She's very genuine and doesn't seem to have let her so-called 'fame' go to her head.

“In short I wouldn't invite her to a dinner party, but I might buy her exercise video.”

It seems this is where Jade Goody stands with a lot of people – with a grudging respect. You wouldn’t want to be her friend (can you imagine the noise?), but good on her, eh? And eventually, though sheer persistence (and continued very clever PR) she might have reached that point where a nation paid its respects from a genuine and heartfelt place. Instead a nation will pay its respects with the uncomfortable knowledge that they’ve not cared much up until this point, and really they don’t care much now.