How is a person supposed to react after a horrible, horrible family tragedy?  There is no right way, and however a person goes about living their lives in the face of abject tragedy, it's impossible not to sympathize.  Former American Idol finalist and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson endured the deaths of family members recently, and even worse, did so in the public eye.  There can't be a worse situation for someone famous, and Hudson has, by all accounts, reacted in a sober and reasonable manner.  In a bizarre twist of fate, Hudson had filmed a happy Holiday Gap ad last summer, before the tragic events in Chicago.  There were questions about whether Gap should or would run these ads in the wake of the tragedy, but Hudson, apparently, has given them the OK to go through with it. 

Gap and Hudson had extensive talks about whether or not to follow through with the campaign.  The photo campaign for the ad features a smiling Hudson wearing a red sweater.  Some have called into question the appropriateness of the campaign, but Gap spokespeople have made it clear that Hudson wanted to go through with it, and that she was given the opportunity to back out, if that's what she desired.

It's admirable that American Idol alumnus Hudson has allowed this to happen.  It has to be incredibly weird for her to see giant posters featuring a smiling version of herself in what has to be an incredibly depressing time in her life.  Maybe it's therapeutic, though, in a life-goes-on kind of way.  However, there's the consumerism component that could rub some people the wrong way.  It may be a turn off to shoppers unaware that Hudson has given the campaign a thumbs-up.  They may find the ad exploitative to the American Idol star and unnecessary given the tragedy.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: E! Online
(Image Courtesy of Gap)