Media Rant: The (yawn) Royal Wedding

Try to imagine how little I care about the “Royal Wedding.” I don’t know either of the families involved. What they do will have little if any impact on my daily life. Yet every broadcast news organization that I pay any attention to seems to think I just can’t get too much information about Wills and Kate.

I did not grow up under a monarchy and I have no attachment to the figurehead who appears on the British peoples’ money. I don’t spend Christmas afternoon watching the monarch give a talk on the telly. This year, I’ll spend Christmas afternoon watching the Packers.

I’ve been to Westminster Abbey, and I’ve seen the Coronation Chair and the Stone of Scone (and was reminded about them when I went to see “The King’s Speech) but they’re only a tourist attraction to me.

The closest thing to a “Royal Family” I ever paid attention to was in my formative years, when Jack Kennedy was President, and the national media constantly showed us pictures of his pretty wife and young children. And, to be honest, I sort of felt that way again during the George W. Bush Presidency – we saw his wife, Laura, all the time, and I have kids about the same age as George and Laura’s daughters. But at no time growing up in America have I ever felt we’ve had a “Royal Family”, despite the media’s constant attempt to draw parallels.

I don’t care about what kind of dress Kate will wear; I don’t care who’s invited to the shindig; I’m not the least bit curious about where they’ll honeymoon, or even if Royal People have a honeymoon. But this is the sort of stuff that’s become the daily fare of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, and the other news outlets.

I can understand a segment on their mid-morning shows, where I believe they still operate under some sort of Leave-It-To-Beaver paradigm where dad goes off to work in the morning, and mom stays home all day and has the TV on for companionship. But segments every half-hour in prime morning and evening news time?

Beats me, although I know TV news is not programmed for males 60+.

I hope Wills and Kate have a nice wedding, and that once it’s over, I won’t have to endure more coverage.