Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Going Royally Mad

HRH Prince William is marrying his girlfriend of almost 10 years, commoner Kate Middleton on Friday and I can't wait. I can't wait for it to be over, that is. The local news media has been camped out in front of Westminister Abbey, the royal palace and even poor Kate's (not so poor looking) house for months now. And now that the date is inching even closer, there have even been counters at the bottom of the TV screen, letting us know how many weeks, days and hours are left before the Prince makes his girl a future queen. Breaking news: I. Don't. Care. I really don't. And I keep trying to figure out if I am somehow being internationally ignorant. I've racked my brain wondering if I'm supposed to care and if it makes me less of an intellectual or more of a brut that I don't. I cared about Princess Diana as I came to see and recognize her in the media and grew to learn of her charitable efforts and admirable charm. I was very young when she married Prince Charles but I remember the night that she was killed in that horrific car chase with the paparazzi. I'll never forget the images of her car, mangled and still, even then, lit up to the sound of flashing lights and camera clicks. Seeing those images replayed again today to somehow tie in the wedding with the death of perhaps William's most important influence is sickening and not an hommage to me at all. I'm offended seeing my favorite morning news show amchors sitting high in makeshift news studios in front of a church where no one will even be until Friday, interviewing anyone and everyone and scrambling to find the kitschiest keychains, fighting to be the first to announce the designer of a wedding dress we just might forget. And I keep asking myself, why do we care? I understand that it is a big deal for the prince to get married. His choice for a bride will be the future Queen of England. But it just doesn't feel like a big deal to me. Maybe because I live in America, and we have our political nonsense to deal with. It's like, holla at me when they actually become king and queen. I shall practice my curtsey...

1 comment:

  1. You are right on the money.
    It doesn't feel like a big deal because it is not.
    People get married every day.
    People with jobs, and responsibilities, and burdens, and real lives.
    Not people who are living off the spoils - many ill-gotten - from previous generations; the leftovers of one of the oldest western empires.
    What is shameful about this (yes, I said shameful) is our media - the fourth estate - are determined to shove the union of two people we do not know or care to know and have NO INFLUENCE on our country the entire way down our throats. Hell, they barely have influence over their own country. Why are we being forced to know who these people are? This smells of Kardashian and Hiltons - two groups of people who NO ONE should know. People famous for simply winning the gene pool and taking the pipe from one athlete or another. Simply because 2 wealthy people with old money mated. Our media will do anything to make a buck. Don't be surprised if they have some secret deal with the royal family: we will give you an exclusive interview if you cover this thing from 3 months out.
    Our media stinks I wish these 2 well in their quest to to wed, but our media sucks.
    It's like the world cup: every 4 years I am supposed to care about a game that score maybe 2 points in a match and is never televised in this country. I don't know any of the players and barely know any of the rules. The fans have had historic riots and I am to tune in because it makes me feel like a more complete citizen of the world? No thanks. I have grass growing that I need to view. Just don't preempt any of my crappy American shows to make me watch it. Keep it on some cable channel that I never knew I was paying for.

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