Regal Fixation: An American Obsession

It's time to Break It Down!

This is a really short post.  In the past, I have often lightened up the discussion around holidays.  While I didn’t do that last week for Easter, I have decided to ease up a bit and take a step or two back this week.  There is a holiday in England to commemorate the Royal Wedding; might as well give my little corner of the blogosphere a break too.

As the “Wedding of the Century” approaches, it has been frequently noted during the last several days that the pending Royal Nuptials have received more coverage in the United States than in England.  Of course the concept of coverage, in and of itself, connotes the involvement of the media in influencing the formation of opinions.  But there must be more to it than that.  What accounts for the insatiable desire for the seemingly never-ending pomp and prose about Americans’ newest favorite couple?

Although we in America revel in having declared independence from England and from King George III, and in the fact we fought (and won) a War ofIndependence to punctuate that historic separation, there is still, I submit, a deep-seated association with what many Americans consider their roots.  And those roots, quiet as it is kept, sprung directly from the Monarchy that that so stifled the early patriots, their forbearers, and descendents that many of them risked “it all” to fight to the death to secede from tyranny and taxation.

Now it goes without saying, the Monarchy it not what it used to be.  Still, there is more than a hint of irony in all this overly pretentious fanfare.  On one hand, America long ago asserted its independence from the erstwhile all consuming tentacles of what was then an overreaching system of government.  Alternately, today, in an admittedly different environment, one in which we consider Great Britain our closest ally, we eat sleep and dream Royal Wedding.  What a reversal in our posture.  As boxing impresario Don King says, “Only in America!”

I suppose Royal Watching is harmless enough as a sport.  After all, it is a pursuit centered on activities based on another continent, played out, in large measure by people whose lives we cannot eve imagine living.  In other words, it is not that different than passionately following your favorite NBA player, or tuning in to see if your favorite team’s quarterback can lead the squad to the Super Bowl.  Bottom line; for most of us, all of the above fits fairly in the same category…fantasy.

Of course, there are at least a couple of points worth mentioning.  First, it is highly unlikely a Lakers-Celtics Final will ever be more popular in London than in Los Angeles.  The degree to which Americans have invested in following this European Made for TV Special is unique.  Second, while the fascination is both off the chain, and for the most part, viewed positively, imagine if you will a wedding in America, any wedding, at a cost of $32 million.  Then consider that tax payers pick up the tab.  I can see all that flowery media spin now, still spinning, of course, but with a decidedly negative slant.

Two days from now, the phenomenon that is the Royal Wedding will have come and gone.  The media will move on to “The next big thing,” and we will return to the mundane matters of budgets, battles, and birthers.  Reflecting for a moment on that reality, perhaps Royal Wedding mania is not such a bad diversion after all.  “Regal Fixation: An American Obsession,” run with it…at least for the rest of the week.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.  A new post is published each Wednesday.  For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/25/royal-wedding-receives-more-coverage-in-u-s-than-in-u-k/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parody

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satire

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irony

http://www.williamkate.com/

http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2011/04/26/down-for-the-count-americas-fascination-with-royalty/

http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/royalwedding/2011/04/26/2011-04-26_prince_william_and_kate_middleton_royal_wedding_granny_guen_murray_among_first_i.html

http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20467910,00.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/royal-wedding-watch/2011/03/royal_wedding_web_site.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-02/world/uk.royal.wedding_1_kate-middleton-wedding-dress-website?_s=PM:WORLD

http://erhj.blogspot.com/2011/03/americas-obsession-with-royal-wedding.html

http://newyork.citypudding.com/entertainment/entertainment-gossip/why-americans-are-so-obsessed-with-william-kates-royal-wedding

http://www.watchtheroyalwedding.com/20265/us-televisions-obsession-with-the-royal-wedding/

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2011/royal.wedding/

http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/829395/royal-wedding-will-cost-around-32-million