Although we can’t always shake the nasty habit of writing in the royal we, occasionally one of our editors decides to shake off the cloak of anonymity to write a short, pithy statement long, rambling diatribe about a topic of their choice. Today, Debbie Newman is that editor.

Approximately two months into my tenure at Jossip, Anna Nicole Smith died. And the media reaction was immediate. The cruel jokes and sarcastic headlines started even before the official coroner's report was released, conceivably before the family had been contacted and before funeral arrangements had been made. Supposedly reputable press outlets salivated over the chance to publicly decry this woman – a gold digger but also a mother – only moments after learning that her death was either the result of an accidental drug overdose or suicide attempt.

Appalled by the immediate onslaught of insensitive headlines and the speed with which she was desecrated by the press, I found myself in the unlikely position of defending Smith.

That she was a bimbo, an opportunist, a person for whom I had little respect or strong regard was suddenly inconsequential or at least fundamentally unimportant. Because, for all her many shortcomings, she was, nonetheless, a human being, a fact that seemed to be lost on the throngs of detractors of lining up to spit on her memory and find cruel humor in her demise.

All of which was brought to mind this morning, when I read that rock and roll legend (and yes, spousal abuser) Ike Turner's passing was commemorated by this tasteless New York Post headline: "IKE 'BEATS' TINA TO DEATH."

Get it? It's a "clever" double-entendre, meant to simultaneously inform you of Ike's passing, and remind you of his infamous pattern of domestic abuse while signifying that Tina outlived him in the end. And while this may have been the most offensive headline I encountered, it certainly wasn't the exception:

"Rock's villain Ike Turner departs in shadow of infamy," barks the Melbourne Herald Sun. "Turner leaves bad reputation and historic rock'n'roll" proclaims the Sydney Morning Herald. "Ego and drugs led to self ruin," spits the [UK] Times Online.

And this less than evenhanded representation wasn't relegated to foreign titles.

Although the New York Times patiently waits until the fourth paragraph to mention the word "abusive" with regard to Ike, they are careful to note that Tina's autobiography-turned-biopic What's Love Got To Do With It? "made Mr. Turner's name synonymous with domestic abuse." Meanwhile, the opening line of the Washington Post's obituary is almost sure to offend, specifically the characterization of Ike Turner as "one of rock's critical architects [whose music] was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife Tina Turner."*

*Emphasis mine.