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After theÌýnews that Iris Robinson isÌýsuffering fromÌýacute depression,Ìý I was struck by reading the words of one of my favourite writers about the hell she has been going through these past few weeks because of her own depression.Ìý

Writer Marian Keyes. HerÌýbooks have helped me through some rubbishy times in my life, made meÌýhowl with laughter, cry big fat tears and generally feel better for reading them.

But while Keyes' writing was making meÌýfeel better,Ìýit seems cruel thatÌýshe can't do the same for herself.ÌýWriting on her this month she says thatÌýshe has beenÌý"laid low with crippling depression". It's a very candid piece of writing. "I can'tÌýeat, I can't sleep, I can'tÌýwrite, I can'tÌýread, I can'tÌýtalk to people".

This wasn't theÌýwoman I met a few years ago in her house in Dun Laoghaire. I was there to record a major interview with her for the radio arts show. And she was in flying form. Full of anecdotes,Ìýthe sofa she and I were sitting on was bought from the sales of the first book, she kept saying "thanks a million" every time I said I loved her work, which was, on reflection, a bit too often,Ìýand she wasn't fazed when our sound engineer asked could she sign a copy of one of her books for his daughter and proceeded to bring out a rucksack full of her back catalogue!ÌýÌý

The response to Marian Keyes' posting has been as expected, a mail box full ofÌýhundreds of wellwishers sending her speedy recovery good wishes and the bizarre one saying they wish they could rub her back (!)

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Iris Robinson is now getting acute psychiatric treatmentÌýfrom the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust,Ìýthe revelations about herÌýprivate life have opened the floodgates toÌýjokes, songs andÌýdoctored images ofÌýThe Graduate.

But theÌýstrangest cultural shift has come in the form of anÌýinternet campaign to get Simon & Garfunkel's Mrs Robinson into the download top 40,ÌýApparently it only takes 1500 sales.

As of writing this it looks like it's working.

While the winners and losers of the Rage against the Machine versus X factor for the Christmas number 1 were obvious,Ìýthis latestÌýone isn'tÌýso clear.ÌýÌý

IsÌýit a step too far?ÌýA use ofÌýcultural democracy thatÌýisn't thatÌýfunny? And will it just be Simon & GarfunkelÌýthe only ones really laughing?..... all the way to the bank.Ìý