Fake grief for a stranger
12-May-2008
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Fake grief for a stranger

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Here we are again. A Royal funeral and Joe and Josephine Public are on the TV news pouring their hearts out in the most personal way possible about what the Queen Mother meant to them.  It happened in 1997 with the death of Princess Diana and it happened again this week.  What is it about the death of a Royal that makes people think they have a personal relationship with the members of this most aristocratic of families?

The Royals are the subjects of intensive media scrutiny and we see their faces day in, day out.  However, does the fact that their appearance in the media is commonplace make them less distant to us commoners?  I think not.  Was the Queen Mum really ‘a lovely lady’?  The fact is we do not know.  In April 1999, Princess Margaret scalded her foot getting into a bath, and several commentators referred to the shameful fact that a 68 year old woman had no idea how to prepare her own bath water, never having done it before.  The life experiences of the ruling elite of this country are as different to the rest of us as if they lived on the moon.

 A grieving woman

So why the emotional outpourings?

My gripe on this occasion, however, is not with the Royals.  It is with the people I’ve seen on the TV news this week.  Men and women from Macclesfield and Torbay who stand in front of the mass media and speak of their personal loss.  What is wrong with them?  Through their tears, do they really believe that the Royals care one iota about the lives of the ordinary people of this country.  Would the passing of one of us trouble any of them? Of course it would not.

So why the emotional outpourings?  And why on public television?  Why do these people feel they can appear in my living room and speak in the most personal manner about an individual they had no connection with?  The Queen Mum / Princess Diana / Whoever was ‘a wonderful person’ who ‘was so radiant’ and, the worst of all the platitudes, ‘had the common touch’.  We have no idea what these figures are like as people.  Professionals choreograph the media events in which they take part; every word that comes out of their mouths is scripted.  They have a duty to make public appearances in the same way as pop stars and actors do; we have no way of knowing whether or not they want to or not.  Whether or not we should have a Monarchy is a debate that will continue, however if we are going to keep them let’s at least see them for what they are.  I have nothing personal against the woman who died last week, but I didn’t know her so I can’t say anything good about her either.  She was Elizabeth Windsor’s mother, not mine or yours …

By Paul C.


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Simon the piper - soooo funny.. I too was laughing my head off at that.
Bob - go and pickle your head with your spam!
*Meggy  15-Jan-2008 20:28

 
To simon the piper just read your comment I nearly peeded my pants laughin wish I'd been there brill!
*margo  07-Nov-2007 14:44

 
Ah well, another parasite off the books eh? I was playing my bagpipes at a wedding on the afternoon she died. I'd just piped in approximately 150 people including the newlyweds into the reception. Everyone had just sat down when the manager of the hotel came in, cleared his throat and everybody fell silent as he raised his hands. "I regret to announce blah blah Her Royal Highness The Queen Mother blah blah died at such-as-such time this afternoon blah blah". Everybody remained silent apart from a few "oh dears" from some of the older guests. Then for some reason the manager turned and looked at me, to which I exclaimed in a loud voice, "Don't look at me, I didn't kill her!" A brief second, and then the room burst into uproarious laughter. Needless to say, I managed to make a graceful but sharp exit.
*Simon The Piper  23-May-2007 15:12

 
There is a song written by Eltion John for Queen Ma's funeral, much like candle in the wind for Diana, he has written 'Goodbye yellow teeth row' for HRH.
*michael caine  15-Mar-2006 16:05

 
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*bob  11-Jan-2006 21:12

 
The royles are well past their sell-by date, it was a crappy tv prog typical of ch4.
*dave  23-Dec-2005 13:16

 
Me and a friend of mine are having a debate of who really should have won the school presidency, in the movie Napolean Dynamite, he says Summer cause she is hot. I say Pedro cause he looked like a burned out stoner. So please cast your vote and help us settle this argument. This vote will end one year from 11/24/2005 at midnight EST.

http://www.uraniumhost.net/vote/
*Lee  24-Nov-2005 09:28

 
Dear Ferocious Scotsman. . .I think you are great, yes, you are right, the ethnic minos are breading like ahem . . . and I don't like it, at least you would think it was ok while they are living in their own country, but here. . . they can breed and draw BENEFITS! HAHAHA. . . disgusting or WHAT?! never mind, we can't do anything about it, so should keep our mouth's shut for fear of reprisals. . .
*Someone who fends for themself. . .  09-Oct-2005 19:37

 
It' very interesting approach!

_____________________________________________

http://www.oresi.com/
*Zimm  14-Aug-2005 21:01

 
All you can do is prey!!!!
*anonymous  25-Apr-2005 15:37

 
Kindly note, 'the white population is in decline the world over'. You can't blame the ethnics if Mr and mrs Whitey can't be bothered to breed anymore.
ted 62.252.0.8

Yeah and we all know that ethnics breed like rats and that is why the world is over populated.
*Ferocious Scotsman  24-Feb-2005 16:20

 
We can't be the whole world's safety net.
White Nationalist 4.227.249.125
*tom  22-Nov-2004 17:49


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