Friday, May 25, 2007

What Price Fame?



This attractive girl is Emma Cornell. She is a 24 year-old fitness instructor currently appearing in Big Brother. Last week her father died of cancer. Channel Ten still hasn't told her. Emma's boyfriend, Tim Stanton, told the media that

"Her dad didn't want her to be upset or to feel like she had to leave the house to come to his funeral."

Feel like she should leave the house? What just to bury her father?

"She might be upset when she comes out and finds out what has happened, but I think she'll understand,"

She might be upset? What just because her dad died? Honestly, girls these days.

Emma's brother has just issued a statement saying,

"Emma was aware of the possibility that our Dad's impending death may occur whilst she was in the Big Brother production. Our Dad had been ill for a considerable amount of time and wasn’t taken from us suddenly; the family did have time to prepare themselves. We reassured Emma that, in the event that this did happen, grieving our dad’s death when she was released from Big Brother would be no less meaningful or significant than when he actually passed away.

I personally spent the last week of dad's life by his side and one thing he was absolutely certain about was the fact that he didn't want his death to impose either negatively or positively on Emma's Big Brother experience.

He made us promise him that no-one would notify Emma of his death. He was adamant and clear in expressing this request."

It's difficult to know which aspect of this sad story is the saddest

- the fact that a girl is prepared to leave her dying father's side just to appear on reality TV.
- the fact that the family would choose not to interrupt her 15 mins of fame for her father's funeral
- the fact that Channel Ten have not overruled the family
- the fact that Channel Ten think it makes great telly

The price of our 15 minutes of fame has just gone up. Is ordinary life so dull?