What does this say to you?

tunaman

I am crying, writing this. How can you cry for someone you've only once said hello to? Katy was the daughter of our dreams, in the sense that it was the dreams of her people that gave birth to what is tritely called her celebrity. We have these words to box off the lucky/unlucky ones who act out our fantasies, while we stick safely to the grandstand. We refer to them as celebs, implying a different species. But they are human beings, filled like the rest of us with desire, distinguished only by willingness/ opportunity to rush in where others fear to tread.

The old saw has it wrong: those who volunteer to act out our fantasies in public are both fools and angels. Driven by longing beyond knowing, their folly arises from a failure of awareness, experience, wisdom.

Driven by angelic recall, they plod on clay feet into the mire of three-dimensional reality. They do not know, are not conscious, that their appetites are infinitely greater than the world's capacity to satisfy them.

Katy French was a personification of our fantasies, of our sense of what we were becoming, of how we might unfold ourselves. She was not the only one, but in the immediate past was perhaps the most spectacular light on the skyline, a meteorite of desire plummeting through the Irish zeitgeist. You may dismiss it as frivolity but only, with respect, if you think in cliches and fixate on the superficial. For most of us, it is not wisdom that keeps us from danger, but lack of opportunity, or fear, or a deadly piety posing as virtue. Katy had found a way of being that promised her it could slake all her human cravings. She had manoeuvred herself into a position where everything humanly desirable seemed to be within reach, and was careering forward on the path opening up in front of her.

She did not, other than literally, die of whatever it will say on her death certificate. She died of desire, of being utterly human.

What can I say? The dream is over.

As for lessons, I don't know. In the past decade, we have, most of us, conducted searches for meaning in places previously inaccessible to us. We acquired means and freedom beyond our wildest.

We knew that money couldn't buy us love, but still gave it a shot. We sensed that freedom is a complicated word, but tried to keep it simple. Be, for tomorrow we die.

As Pope Benedict reminds us in his new encyclical, we have no idea what we would really like. "We do not know this reality at all; even in those moments when we think we can reach out and touch it, it eludes us." All we know is that it is not what we have.

God is a concept by which we measure our longings.

I'll say it again.

God is a concept by which we measure our longings.

As Katy did not comprehend the limits of her human capacity to pursue her angelic yearnings, neither, anymore, do the rest of us. If we did, she might be alive. Our culture left her struggling for life, because we have neglected to keep it alive with the knowledge of what it means to be human.

Katy's death was the result not just of her foolishness, but of our collective helplessness. We do not know what to say to our children as we kiss their brows before allowing them into a world utterly, terribly changed, because that is what we desired. We do not understand the meaning of freedom.

And so, dear friends, we'll just have to think it up all over again. The dream is over. Our daughter Katy is dead. And so too, and not by the way, are our sons Kevin Doyle and John Grey. The dream is over.

© 2007 The Irish Times


Life is just a dream...

Karoma

Would you care to elaborate?

Kintarō Hattori

Right then.............. ???

Guy:Incognito

I'm Ron Burgundy?

AlmightyCushion

tunaman wrote: »

Life is just a dream...

When you say things like "Katy was the daughter of our dreams", it makes it seem like a nightmare.

tman

Wasn't this just locked?

I think the Irish Times, and people in general, need to start copping on and realising that it's just as much of a shame if a normal person dies under these kind of circumstances, than if a "celeb" pops their clogs.

Karoma

It was. I was probably too quick with the lock so I'll let the OP explain himself and see where the hell we're going with this.

(Hint: Every other post from the OP is in Conspiracy Theories. I swear... if this is leading to a "Katie French took an overdose of red pills that Morpheus gave her..." *TwItcH*)

Jesus Wept

Verbal diarrhea.

That is all.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

was that actually in a newspaper?

whoever wrote that should be fired, and whoever let them put it in a newspaper should be shot.

Karoma

A quick google attributes the piece to John Waters, a columnist with The Irish Times, former editor of Magill, and all-round <ed: differently-minded individual>.

Possibly here: (needs a sub) http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/opinion/2007/1210/1196839244822.html

monkeyfudge

Row, row, row your boat?

monkeyfudge

Karoma wrote: »

A quick google attributes the piece to John Waters, a columnist with The Irish Times, former editor of Magill, and all-round bandwagon berk.

Oh that f*ckwit!

It all makes sense now...

im_invisible

to sum up
consumerist society = bad,
we dont know what we want, just thats its not what we have,
(so we keep shoving drugs up our noses, thinking it will bring us some kind of eternal happiness, then we die)

Blowfish

To me it says the writer is either completely deluded or else just deliberately spouting crap to try and sound meaningful in an attempt to gain a larger readership. Neither of those things is in anyway new to journalism, so why exactly did you post this?

randylonghorn

Karoma wrote: »

A quick google attributes the piece to John Waters, a columnist with The Irish Times, former editor of Magill, and all-round <ed: differently-minded individual>.

I read a couple of pieces by him a few years back which I thought were quite good, but haven't seen much of his stuff recently ... on the basis of the above piece, I would tend to agree with your original comment.

tunaman

Karoma wrote: »

It was. I was probably too quick with the lock so I'll let the OP explain himself and see where the hell we're going with this.

(Hint: Every other post from the OP is in Conspiracy Theories. I swear... if this is leading to a "Katie French took an overdose of red pills that Morpheus gave her..." *TwItcH*)

I thought it was a very interesting article about the way society has gone.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

tunaman wrote: »

I thought it was a very interesting article about the way society has gone.

lol, that's good

tunaman

tman wrote: »

Wasn't this just locked?

I think the Irish Times, and people in general, need to start copping on and realising that it's just as much of a shame if a normal person dies under these kind of circumstances, than if a "celeb" pops their clogs.

He deliberately states that celebs are human beings, if you read it carefully there are many other true statements there.

monkeyfudge

Yes... crass, hollow, empty human beings...

tman

tunaman wrote: »

He deliberately states that celebs are human beings, if you read it carefully there are many other true statements there.

I couldn't be bollixed reading past the first "Katy"...

tunaman

tman wrote: »

I couldn't be bollixed reading past the first "Katy"...

Try reading it, as it isn't really about Katy.

Check out the large number of times "we" is used in the article, as in reality it is more than one person speaking.

Blowfish

tunaman wrote: »

Check out the large number of times "we" is used in the article, as in reality it is more than one person speaking.

Yes, it's one person claiming to speak for everyone, and to know how 'we' all act and think. It's delusional.

randylonghorn

tunaman wrote: »

He deliberately states that celebs are human beings

Very few of us actually believed they were lizards, despite all the talk.

tunaman wrote: »

if you read it carefully there are many other true statements there.

Excellent.

There are 27 books on the shelf in front of me as I sit here.

That is a true statement.

It's hardly an especially interesting one, though.

It hardly screams out to be posted on Boards.

Oops!

HammerHeadGym

What gets me is the whole country gets in a flap about some attention whore who should fucking know better, taking too much Bolivian wensleydale, and starts treating it like the irish 9/11 but some young heroin addict, who was roughly the same age dies in an alley and she gets about 3 inches in the papers.
Instead of attempting to address the socio-economic issues of how this was let happen, everyone sits around remembering 'the good times', and 'how much joy' some mouthy bint brought us.

For shame.

Pherekydes

tunaman wrote: »

© 2007 The Irish Times

This is the most important piece of this article.

Mossy Monk

I couldn't make it past the first paragraph. It is a load of bollocks. I cannot believe that got printed in the national press.

cyrusdvirus

HammerHeadGym wrote: »

What gets me is the whole country gets in a flap about some attention whore who should fucking know better, taking too much Bolivian wensleydale, and starts treating it like the irish 9/11 but some young heroin addict, who was roughly the same age dies in an alley and she gets about 3 inches in the papers.
Instead of attempting to address the socio-economic issues of how this was let happen, everyone sits around remembering 'the good times', and 'how much joy' some mouthy bint brought us.

For shame.

D'ya not think you could've said the same without an attack on someone's daughter/sister/cousin? Maybe used less insulting adjectives? I can understand why people are getting a bit jaded with the whole thing and this mourning for someone who most of us never met and only saw pictures of her, but I still think you've been a little bit over the top here.

leninbenjamin

a cokehead died. boohoohoo. the world will never be the same again.

Hagar

Is she still dead?

SimpleSam06

Hagar wrote: »

Is she still dead?

She can't respawn until the end of the level.

Kazu

meh :rolleyes::rolleyes:

DublinWriter

I think this is John Water's way of telling Madam that he needs a couple of weeks off.

Either that, or he's lost the plot completely. He met the girl once and is now trying to beatify her with the most horrid, sick-making, lumpen and bilge-laden prose.

Yes Katy, you were our queen of hearts. We shall never forget you until some other bikini-clad bint comes along and chases a guy dressed as a peanut around St.Stephen's green in an exercise to promote a new chocolate bar.

Setun

Slow coach wrote: »

This is the most important piece of this article.

tbh I thought it was supposed to be ironic til I read that.

Pompey Magnus

I seriously thought piece was a joke after the first sentence:

"I am crying, writing this. How can you cry for someone you've only once said hello to? Katy was the daughter of our dreams,"

I mean it is like she was Princess Di or something. Don't get me wrong, the outporing of grief over Diana was beyond ridiculous but relative to this it was almost appropriate.

MoominPapa

What can I say? The dream is over.

FFS its hardly in the same league as the Beatles splitting up

LadyJ

I refuse to read it all. One paper called her "Ireland's Princess Diana". Just like with Madeline McCann, the world only cares when it's someone pretty, white and blonde.

Don't get me wrong, both are tragedies but why should it be considered any more of a tragedy than when other people die or go missing? Tbh, I'd never even heard of the woman!

I dunno, it's just crazy.

FlutterinBantam

Going through these posts,what comes home to me is the fact that 'The Media' seem to be mourning Katie's death much more than the general public.

What they have lost here is a good selling angle, and ready pics and quotes,and endless column inches about her private life which ,it appears she was most willing to contribute to.They have tried to elevate her to iconic status,and attribute an aura of perfection to her which in truth is a bit unbelievable.

She used the media ,they used her, in spades. It would appear that at the end of the day she believed all the hoo ha about her and thought she was invincable.

If indeed Waters wrote that piece,I have lost all respect I had for him,which in truth wasn't very high anyway.

Setun

LadyJ wrote: »

I refuse to read it all. One paper called her "Ireland's Princess Diana". Just like with Madeline McCann, the world only cares when it's someone pretty, white and blonde.

Don't get me wrong, both are tragedies but why should it be considered any more of a tragedy than when other people die or go missing? Tbh, I'd never even heard of the woman!

I dunno, it's just crazy.

Someone pretty, white, blonde, and dead as it would seem. The newspapers are now reporting about her great qualities and the charitable deeds she's done etc, whereas a few months ago they were either bitching about her or wouldn't know who she is.

Well whatever sells newspapers I suppose...

kmick

In the immortal words of Cutty Ranks

"Six million ways to die. Choose one"

Cutty Ranks, "A Who Seh Me Dun (Wake De Man)"

RIP all those who died young this year.

daveharnett

tunaman wrote: »

What does this say to you?

This says that John Waters wants to make himself more popular with credulous, naieve people. (with the OP basically). I don't like to offend, and i'm not without sympathy for the girl, but if you are going to cry about something, there are much bigger problems in the world right now. Get some perspective. Pretty girl from the papers, not an angel FFS.

Mossy Monk

LadyJ wrote: »

both are tragedies

I wouldn't call someone dying after taking drugs tragic. Tragic is when an innocent person is killed by a moron who cannot drive a car.

daveharnett

LadyJ wrote: »

One paper called her "Ireland's Princess Diana".

Brilliant! The similarity in the treatment is obvious, but i didn't know anyone was stupid enough to come out and say it.

I'm seeing the newsroom right now...
ED: "Well, Princess Di sold a lot of papers, let's try that again! Angel gone back to heaven, too good for this world yadda yadda yadda. Gimme twenty pages by three o clock."

dregin

RIP all those who died young this year.

Yeah, you forgot to add the "not through their own ****in stupidity" bit.

dRNk SAnTA

dregin wrote: »

Yeah, you forgot to add the "not through their own ****in stupidity" bit.

Saying things like this just makes you look like a knob. Yeh yeh we all know it was her own fault but could people please stop gloating about it? Its really getting a bit old.

On the other hand, that john waters article is almost the biggest load of tripe i've ever read. should stick to the eurovision.

azezil

Before this big 'drama' surrounding her death, I'd never even heard of her, so why would I give a ****?

She was a model, big woop?

LadyJ

Mossy Monk wrote: »

I wouldn't call someone dying after taking drugs tragic. Tragic is when an innocent person is killed by a moron who cannot drive a car.

Well I think it's tragic when someone gets drawn into a world of drugs, alcohol etc. and winds up dead. It may be stupidity but there are other factors too imo. And it is nontheless tragic as far as I'm concerned.

kaimera

azezil wrote: »

Before this big 'drama' surrounding her death, I'd never even heard of her, so why would I give a ****?

cos yore ghey

Mr. Incognito

What a fitting tribute.

He was obviously coked off his tits when he wrote that. Brilliant investigative journalism.

humbert

I think it's not just certain celebs popping happy pills.

azezil

kaimera wrote: »

cos yore ghey

yore ma is ghey!

ScumLord

At first I thought it was a letter from the parents. Now it just reads, blaa blaa blaa.

Did anybody actually know her before she died? It was a terrible thing to happen but it really annoys me how the newspapers have jumped on this bandwagon and everyone falls for they're rubbish, God I hate newspapers.