Rev. Run's Baby's Death - Should MTV Show It?

Crestfallen. Heartbroken. That’s how I felt when I read the news about the recent death of the new daughter of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons and his wife, Justine, stars of the hit MTV reality show 'Run’s House.'

Rev. Run, 41, a former Run-DMC rap group member, recently issued a statement that read:

"On September 26, 2006, Victoria Anne Simmons for some unknown reason chose to come early and unfortunately did not survive. We must accept whatever is there and once you accept unconditionally, then everything is beautiful. Every pain has a purifying effect. So whatever comes your way, just be thankful. We see life in death and believe in the celebration of life in death."

According to MTV spokesman Graham James, Rev. Run and Justine’s newborn daughter was delivered last week at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J, but it is still unclear whether or not MTV cameras filmed the sad event as the tragedy unfolded.

"I just spoke to Joey and Justine, and they're very strong  - the whole family is very strong," All Headline News quotes Run's older brother, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, as saying, adding, "I'm sure MTV was there."

If in fact MTV cameras were rolling in hopes of capturing the highly-anticipated event, but instead filmed the as-it-happened heartrending experience of the newborn’s death instead, the next logical question is: Should MTV broadcast the death?

Which further begs us all to ask ourselves: Have we gone too far in our caught-on-tape culture? Are we too greedy for in-your-face journalism that only whets our insatiable need to peek further and further into the private lives of others?

Maybe yes. Maybe no.

After the tragic death of Steve Irwin, Yahoo’s buzz log reported that "macabre searches on 'Steve Irwin death video' and 'Steve Irwin death pictures'...began to crop up."