Royal Wedding post...(putting on my flame-proof bloomers!)

[FirstLight]

I seem to have noticed some vitriol toward the Royals this week, seems that every post concerning the wedding is very hate-filled and anti-monarchy. I am curious as to why.

Now, a wedding, for all intensive purposes, is a joyful and hopeful event. Two Young people full of promise and a future to make...
so why you be hatin?

Prince William is not your grandaddy's royal. he has slept on the street with homeless people, traveled to south america and lived off his wits and taken it to heart to work with children and continue his mother's work of compassion. He has used his visibility to help others, and used the mistake of his mother's pursuit by the media to create boundaries around his life and that of his fiancee...
I admire the kid, and his fiancee, for being true to life examples for their peers and showing that they are more REAL.

okay, so they went to froo-froo schools and have privilidged lives, but at least the Royals are out in the open about it. AND it is a tradition thing too... OUR millionaires keep their wealth in their own circles and go to excess for no other reason than their own egos

The royal wedding is the first GOOD news event we have had in a while as a global community. It is full of promise and hope for a future leader who could very well make some kind of positive difference. And I persoanlly think it's worth a little fanfare.

alright...flame away....

[REP]

1. We fought a war to get away from these people

Remember?

[FirstLight]

2. that was over 200 years ago....

hold a grudge much?

[REP]

15. Interesting way to twist my words. Monarchy is irrelevant to the US.

[Odin2005]

6. The British monarchy was mostly ceremonial by 1776.

It was Parliament and the Prime Minister who was passing laws and raising armies, not King George, who was insane half the time.

The references to the king in the DoI were clever propaganda, personalizing the oppression.

[JI7]

36. yeah, that's why it's the Prime Minister and Parliament which has power now

[XemaSab]

44. That's a big part of why I'm watching

I'm expecting it to be an honest-to-god spectacle in a world where we get very few reminders of what monarchy is really about and why, exactly, our forefathers ditched these people.

[Raine]

3. No flames from me, I'm interested and I'm watching it. nt

[NYC Liberal]

4. Two people are getting married...why do we care, again?

The problem isn't that they're getting married. Good for them. It's the sensational, breathless media coverage over it that is disturbing, especially in light of the fact that only 6% of Americans give a damn. How is their wedding more important than anyone else's?

[FirstLight]

5. well, as i said above

it is a promise of the future generations and something good to think about in these trying times... a little fairy tale doesn't hurt from time to time. (and I bet there's *some* jobs being created from all this ...)

[NYC Liberal]

7. I'm definitely not one of the, "STOP HAVING FUN!

THERE'S WAR AND POVERTY AND HUNGER..." etc people. I just think the media coverage has been a bit over the top, especially relative to how many people are actually following it. Some coverage on the day of for people who are interested? Sure, no problem with that.

And hey, if the British people want to keep the monarchy and pay for it, that's their choice.

[FirstLight]

8. agreed...

but there's that damn 24hour cycle to fill and the birthers have to take a break sometime, right? (that's so sad, isn;t it?)

the media sucks, that's the issue...

[NYC Liberal]

11. There's good things about 24 hour news, but...

there just isn't enough news to fill 24 hours a day. I think that's why we see so many of these faux non-controversies...the media has to find things to blather about.

[quinnox]

9. Personally not into the royalty thing

I think its a bunch of B.S. Royal bloodlines do nothing for me. So what you think of as "good news" is baffling to me.

But hey, I'm sure there are tons of folks who think like you do. A lot more than those who think my way, in fact. I'm kinda surprised there aren't more threads like this one to be honest. Maybe tomorrow I'm thinking.

[MadHound]

10. Frankly I really don't give a rat's ass about such society happenings.

I don't know the couple, I have no reason to care about the couple. I find the fact that they're spending millions of dollars on a wedding to be rather obscene, but really, I've got more important, meaningful things to occupy my thoughts than a royal wedding.

[Generic Other]

12. Royal pagentry is a throwback and fun to watch

Doesn't mean anything in this day and age. A chance to wear your old tiaras or burger king crowns, talk like monty python and drink tea laced with scotch or whiskey. Or nibble on bisquits and marmelade. A spot of haggis for supper. A trifle to finish it off.

It is silly aristocratic drama. Everyone plays along. You can be an anarchist if you like. Chant "Off with their heads." It's like mardi gras, Halloween and your birthday all rolled into one.

Claim the holiday for yourself by mocking it. But work slower, play more and use it as the justification for fucking off on the job! It's all good. They won't be able to stop you.

[shanti]

31. i can dig it

:thumbsup: :)

[anneboleyn]

13. I am actually planning to watch. I am a total anglophile, and remember when Wills was born

and always rooted for Wills and Kate. I think this is a very happy event, and these two have done a lot as far as charity work is concerned, and they plan to do a great deal more in the future. Kate will not be sitting back and eating chocolates as HRH.

[wickerwoman]

14. +1. I'll take Wills and Harry over the Bush twins any day.

They both served in the military and made an effort to put themselves on the line (even though they ultimately weren't really allowed to). At least there's still some sense that their position implies duty and responsibility and not just partying on mummy and daddy's dime.

I'm not pro-Royal by any stretch, but noblesse oblige beats the hell out of the kind of corporate oligarchy we have in the US.

[BOG PERSON]

16. the monarchy is a feudal institution

marriage is a patriarchal institution

anglophilia is a disgusting perversion.

in conclusion, there is absolutely nothing to like about this event.

[LisaL]

17. Why does US media pay so much attention to this?

I am fed up.

[bdamomma]

19. our media over the top as always but

I'd rather hear about the wedding instead of that stupid donald trump

[LisaL]

30. I don't want to hear any more about this wedding.

I have no clue as to why there should be so much coverage of something that is going on in another country and has no impact whatsoever on our daily lives.

[leftynyc]

I'd rather be watching this

than watching donald trump run his mouth again. For those who don't want to watch, pick up a book and enjoy.

[leftynyc]

43. I'd rather be watching this

than watching donald trump run his mouth again. For those who don't want to watch, pick up a book and enjoy.

[bdamomma]

18. oh well, I know this subject

doesn't sit well with some people here but I will watch the wedding.

[Gin]

20. I am sick of reality, so I will be watching the fantasy for a welcome

change of pace....I wish them well!

[scarletwoman]

21. The correct phrase is, "for all intents and purposes", btw. (nt)

[jp11]

22. Royalty is based off who your parents are, if they were born to so and so

which descends from who was the ruler, who was the person or family who were rich, landbarons, warmongers, who taxed and stole from their people, who made them 'worship' and fight their wars, etc.

Royalty is nothing more than the old 'rich' uber elite, that the current royals aren't full of themselves is great but don't expect me to worship them anymore than I do rich people who do the right thing and give back. Good for them to use what they have to do the right thing, same on rich people or famous people etc I don't gush over them and I'm not doing it to make someone happy because they dream of princess and princesses either. I'm supposed to kiss someone's rear because they do the humane compassionate thing? Sorry I'm not doing it, I'm also not trashing them, I'm sure that is more whom you are after but I'm putting down royalty not the people the 'title/class/office/mentality' that says they are somehow 'better' than the rest of us, also known as 'commoners'.

Tradition? There are thousands if not millions of stupid traditions that need to go the way of the dinosaur that isn't a compelling argument, it is an argument just not a compelling one to keep something that says one group is better than another for something as silly as who your parents were. You can even add that simply being born into a family shouldn't give you a position which is really an outdated idea.

Yes many of our millionaires keep their wealth and some do nice things like this royal trying to use it for good, would you like to have some fanfare for them too? Maybe we should bring royalty back so we can honor those rich people who are human and try to use their wealth to help people? Then we can let them have positions based on being born into the right family, sounds great!

JMO but a royal wedding isn't a 'good news even for the global community' it is great for them to have each other and I wish them the happiness and joy I 'wish' anyone getting married who aren't jerks or do good things, but nothing more. The wedding doesn't have to happen for there to be 'promise for a future leader to have some kind of positive effect' nor does the future leader need to be a 'royal'.

As I said I'm not your target audience I'm sure there are those who have been trashing them as people unless you are just overreacting to attacks on royalty, but I fall under the 'attacking royalty' if that was your target then I am your audience.

If people enjoy the wedding good for them but I don't celebrate an outdated mentality that grants position based on your family or that says you are somehow better than other people because of who your mommy or daddy is no matter how wonderful the person is.

[UTUSN]

23. Uh, because democracy and royalism are opposites?!1

As for weddings being "joyful/hopeful," above all they are PERSONAL events for the contractees and their nearest and dearest, not for every single one of the Great Unwashed.

Oh, but I forgot that it is Britain's Great Unwashed who are paying for this wedding, along with with every stitch of clothing and crumb of food the whole horde of their royals have ever consumed, so in a sense the British sector of Unwashed are in the role of Father of the Bride.

And all of those apparently admirable qualities the O.P. ascribes to the bridegroom and other members of the horde are PERSONAL qualities of individuals, irrelevant to why every single body should be going ga-ga over this event.

We could also step barefoot onto the sharded ground of religion and morality and whether this couple has been living... uh, no, I don't want to go there.

As for this being the best we can do for news, it goes back to definitions of democracy vs. royalty, like, accomplishments of totally unknown individuals who have achieved something through their own efforts?!1

[etherealtruth]

24. I'm not into it ....but,

.... for those that are its great and I hope it lives up to their expectations

[cally]

25. For me, it's like a historical recreation

I've had the fortune of going to London and seeing the jewels, church, carriages, and uniforms in museums. Getting to see them used is fascinating. I'm watching because I enjoy it and I find it rather humorous that so many some how look down on watching this but think it's just fine to focus on other celebrities. :shrug: I figure I don't have to worry about how their country still have royalty. We have enough problems in our own. At least, GB provides health care to it's citizens.

[RainDog]

26. not my thing - but enjoy yourself!

because it's not hurting anyone for you to watch this wedding.

(btw, it should read "intents and purposes" afaik, not "intensive purposes" tho that works too, in context. :)

[calimary]

27. No flames from here! I'm gonna be up all night (or as long as I can hold my eyes open)

having myself a Royal Wedding ORGY! I'm putting on a lot of cheesy jewelry, probably get out one of my books about the grand tiaras of history, pour another cup of tea, heat up a bagel, and have a wonderful time! I've been warning my husband for days so he can't say he didn't know enough in advance! He'll probably be enjoying several cigars outside with his science fiction books while I'm inside, drooling and sighing and trying hard to stay awake so I don't miss much.

I'm a sucker for this stuff. I've always been a sucker for this stuff. I ate up the Chuck-and-Di show with whipped cream and a cherry on top. I remember dressing WAY up to go to work that morning. I've been looking forward to this one since they announced last fall. I love that ring. I love all the trappings and rituals (I'm a Catholic - hell, we speak FLUENT ritual!) and the horses with their own well-documented lineage and fancy carriages that have their own pedigrees, and princes and princesses, kings and queens, lords and ladies, and how the bride is a commoner (AND a brunette), all the utterly astonishing hats, the wall-to-wall celebrities, the wall-to-wall fashion orgasms, the trumpeters and the children's choir and the crowds and all the bunting and flying Union Jacks, the goofy gushy commentators, and of course all those terribly delicious British accents. AND the hilarious and utterly ridiculous in-a-class-by-his-foolish-self Richard Quest. And Richard Quest's teeth. OMG. I could DIE! I am SO looking forward to this!

And I need this, if you really wanna know. Selfishly, I need it for the absolute useless fluff of a break. Sometimes, managing my kid's band can be a pretty hard and frustrating slog. And that's just for me. All around me it's so much worse, and for so many! The news has been SO shitty. Just so much more negative than positive. Either it's Acts of God or acts of racists, idiots, pirates, would-be dictators, corporate cheapskates, and domestic terrorists. And that's just in this country! I am MORE than ready to take a breather that's overly decorated with the kind of jewelry I can only dream about, and in ivory silk that will probably mean the world to some little British design house that could use a break. Some commentator once wrote, about Princess Diana, that "princesses are to look at." Yeah, pretty much. That's a good assessment of what they're there for - that, besides helping to carry on the line and showcasing their nation's fashion and culture, and raising awareness about some deserving charity or cause. They're there to add some pretty into an increasingly ugly world. Even if only for a moment. And even if it's only a fancy fantasy. I think every now and then we all need it.

[FirstLight]

29. heehee!

I am not that over the top, though I thought of making something like crumpets for brekky...biscuits and strawberries?

It's just sad to me that there are so many who would rather bash and be negative than enjoy a little pomp...sheesh, I agree, we all need a nice dose of fluff from time to time! ;)

see you at the wedding! :hi: :party: :toast:

[calimary]

33. I'll be the one with all the junky jewelry and eating the stuffed grape leaves we picked up

at the all-night market just now. Let's go have fun! We need the break. We ALL do. Or, as it says on the Royal Wedding special-issue commemorative condom ads - "lie back and think of England!"

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/31/commemorative-condoms-rolled-out-for-prince-william-and-kate-mid/

:hi: :party: :toast: :yourock: :fistbump: :patriot:

[Autumn]

28. I would love to stay up and watch,

but at 9:30 my brain turns to mush. My daughter will record it so it's all good. I did stay awake for Diana's wedding and her funeral.

[truth2power]

32. No flame from me. I'm getting up at 4 am to watch it...

I've been reading all the nasty posts about the wedding this week and just shaking my head. I don't understand all the animus about this.

I'm an English major. I think British history and literature is interesting. I also love the Anglican (Episcopal) Church...the ritual, the music, the color and the liturgical year, though I don't identify myself as a Christian. That probably doesn't make much sense to most people, but it is what it is.

So the wedding is pomp and ceremony. So what? It'll be colorful and the dresses will be beautiful and the music will be "high church" and profound. I wish William and Kate a happy life together. They deserve it.

I get up every morning and read the news and all I see is some low-class guy with an ugly toupee screaming about birth certificates and telling people they're fired. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and it's damn hard to find an oasis of serenity anywhere.

So I'll take time out to witness some joy for a change and enjoy the revelry.

[Warren DeMontague]

34. I hope they're happy, and wish them the best.

But if Tina Brown really thinks this is what Americans want cover-to-cover in Newsweek, she's wrong.

[FirstLight]

35. kick for the all-nighters!

;)

[Jack Sprat]

37. who doesn't wish to be Prince William on this exciting day?

I'm not asking for too much really. I would love to wed his Kate, who looks so happy and excited. My own feelings are filled with some jealosy. A marriage as a royal prince to a beautiful commoner absolutely fill me with excitement for them both.

[JCMach1]

38. I have no interest in the claptrap of an empire that killed more people

than the NAZIs...

[Waiting For Everyman]

39. BBC's live tv feed to watch online

Here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13132410

General wedding link:
http://www.bbc.com/royalwedding

Or:
http://bbcamerica.com


I agree with you, FirstLight. I'd rather watch a rare real-time historical event which is positive, happy, beautiful, and romantic, than indulge in a hate-fest for little or no actual reason. I'm already up for the all-nighter, and enjoying it very much. It's INTERESTING and POSITIVE, that's enough reason for me to watch it.

I wish the best to Will and Kate, and cheers to all UK DUers! :toast:

[OKDem08]

40. in the wake of austerity measures for the peasants

it's just wrong... duh

[rainbow4321]

41. Watching BBC America now..

Much better coverage than the US talking heads on our cable channels!

Less than two hours now!

[LynneSin]

47. OMG amen to that! I lasted 5 minutes on NBC

BBC America is doing a great job because it really is about the Royal Wedding and not "A Bunch of Americans in UK attend the Royal Wedding"

[leftynyc]

42. Yes, we fought a war so

we wouldn't have to care however, Great Britain has been our most loyal ally during my life and this is the way they do stuff. It's not costing me anything and if the Brits don't mind, what do I care? Can't wait to see the dress.

[BlueMTexpat]

45. I'm not a royalist. But ....

if the wedding of Wills & Kate makes a lot of people happy, I have no problem with it. It's also going to bring in lots of tourism revenue - that will largely outweigh the costs - for a financially strapped country. And it is a good spectacle, for those who love such things.

Their whole lives will be led in the spotlight. They will never really have the same private lives that we all have, or at least, used to have.

The cage may be gilded, but it is still a cage. It is also the British people's place to complain, if any complaints are warranted. Not ours.

[LynneSin]

46. I like how the Wedding is going to be a Green Wedding

Kate choose local flowers for the event and the Abbey is lined with trees that will be replanted after the wedding. But everything about the Wedding will be green. The Environment is an important cause for Prince Charles (considered to be the Al Gore of Great Britian) and it's good to see his son following his dad's example.