As I Lay Dying

I have a comment and a confession. I am disgusted by all of the attention being given to Anna Nicole Smith's death. I find it to be a sad end to what must have been a heartbreaking year for this apparently lost soul but her death has received way too much attention and it's a shame. She's not Marilyn Monroe, she's not even close. With that said, my confession is that like many people I find myself intriqued by this gripping tragedy which at the moment is a lot more interesting than my soap operas.
Even though the woman died two weeks ago a court battle is still raging between her estranged mother and "boyfriend" over what should be done with her body. The coroner warned that if a decision was not reached soon Anna's body would not be suitable for viewing. In other words her body is literally decomposing inside her coffin.
This disturbing development reminded me of the book "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner. A story about a inept family trying to fulfill the last wish, to be buried in her hometown, of their mother and wife who has just died. The family can't seem to get themselves together and end up traveling back to her place of birth while she is decomposing in her coffin all the while being followed by vultures and turned away by anyone with a sense of smell.
The sad thing is that the people in her life don't seem to care about Anna Nicole Smith enough to give her a decent burial. While they argue over what she would have really wanted, she is literally rotting away in her coffin. And I think that's just rotten.