December 2008 Archives

This morning I was making one of my increasingly frequent early trips to a supermarket that shall remain nameless, when I came across a screaming tabloid newspaper headline.

The exact wording isn't important but the upshot of it is that social campaigner and mother to pop star Robbie, Jan Williams had just undergone heart surgery.

Oh no! I'd seen her just a few weeks ago for a photo shoot and she seemed fine.

I had come across Jan on several occassions as she leant her thoughful brand of celebrity and community concern to a number of Christmas appeals run by The Salvation Army in Staffordshire.

I remember making my way to the first meeting with Jan, expecting her to be all stage-motherish (is there such a word?!). Perhaps I'd seen too many 'oh look at me, aren't I wonderful' celebrity types. From my first encounter with her in 2004 to the most recent, I've found her to be nothing but generous, supportive and accomodating.

I was glad to read (in a reputable newspaper!) and hear from her daughter Sally, that she is recovering steadily.

Wonderful!

Get well soon, Jan!

When is the last time someone, particularly if they are famous or of high status, really surprised you?

Strange as it might seem now, I used to think that OJ Simpson was not guilty of those infamous murders in 1994.

After watching a compelling US documentary several years ago, I was convinced that the killings were committed by one of the disgraced former American footballer's sons.

The in-depth psychological analysis of the killer's motive, down to the trajectory of the stab wounds, and the physical whereabouts of Simpson and his son at the time of the killings seemed to suggest that OJ was not the killer.

I began to think differently when Simpson planned to release the book, 'If I Did It,' a couple of years ago, a first-person fictional account of the murder, supposing had he actually committed them.

I must admit seeing him on TV the other day begging unsuccessfully for the judge's mercy after being convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping seemed like poetic justice. This is especially so when the US channel Fox News unearthed video footage of OJ bragging about hiding his valuables from the court to avoid paying compensation to families of the murder victims as ruled by the 1995 civil conviction.

What? Can you believe it?

I can't understand why someone who has so much going for them can throw it all away through extreme arrogance. OJ rose from humble roots to become the darling of the American media, with his good looks, impressive list of TV/ film credits and product endorsements to complement his record-breaking sporting career. Some even thought he could have run succcessfully for political office ... and we are talking about the 1970s here.

What is it about people like him who feel they can do what they like? Is it being a sportsman? Rising to such heights in a relatively quick time? Surely if someone rises from great hardship to great success, they would place greater value on making their accomplishments work for them?

I don't know but it's worrying in this day and age when so many want to find an ultra-quick route to fame and fortune.

It's sad to say but there has always been a consistent band of OJ-haters over the years, whether for his success or his apparent obsession with white women.

Whatever the rhyme or reason, OJ's fall from grace should stand as a lesson to all those wannabes as well as a whole host of arrogant celebrities who can't seem to stay on the straight and narrow.

What thoughts has the OJ saga stimulated in your mind?