by Marc Shapiro

Created on: February 25, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

One thing is obvious from the media feeding frenzy and the public's fascination with the ins and outs of Anna Nicole's death and the ensuing drama. Clearly, there is enough demand for information out there to warrant virtually around-the-clock coverage from CNN and other news outlets, tabloids, and celebrity-focused websites and blogs.

The media and news reporting structure did not create this story, although they might just be guilty of prolonging it past its expiration date. Anna Nicole had fans, detractors, and an entire population of people following her life and story just out of fascination for the dysfunctionality of it all.

People didn't follow her life because she was beautiful, or smart, or rich; while at times in her life all of those things may have been true, people stayed tuned because she was on a downward spiral, and watching that happen from a voyeur's perspective helps others - us - feel good about ourselves.

This latest sideshow is no different - we tsk-tsk over the callous treatment of Dannielynn, we snicker at the thought of all the potential fathers (of varying age ranges and economic statuses) who claim to have had relationships with Anna Nicole Smith during the time Dannielynn was conceived, we marvel at the courtroom drama that is being played out in our living rooms to determine where she is to be buried, but most of all, we just feel good that this isn't happening to us.

In time, the furor will die down and the amount of coverage will be closer to what a story like this would normally warrant. It will eventually become just another cautionary tale of a life under the microscope ... but for now, we can expect to see more coverage - driven by an interested audience's demand.

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