Is it just me?

Updated on April 8, 2005 By Ken Begg 11 Comments

Believe me, I have little patience with the focus on the private lives of celebrities. However, I am bewildered by the raging animosity being displayed against Prince Charles and his fiancee Carmilla Parker-Bowles (or whatever) in regards to their upcoming wedding. I keep seeing cruel and snide cracks all over the place, including several really nasty ‘jokes’ on SNL’s mock news segment, on how ugly and horse-faced Carmilla is. (Coming from two women, by the way, at least one of who fashions herself a with-it feminist. Nice.)

What I don’t get is, what is the source of all this hostility? It’s like people are offended that Charles isn’t trading on his celebrity and marrying (or ‘dating’) some vacuous twenty-something twinkie. Well, guess what? He did that once before, and didn’t seem to enjoy it much. Now he’s marrying a woman who he obviously cares deeply for and who appears to be a much more than suitable companion for him.

We tend, as a society, to sneer whenever some decrepit movie or rock star is ferrying around some chippie forty years his junior, but are we (in the large sense, because again, I could care less) really just envious? So envious that when such a man instead chooses a woman his own age for a mate despite the fact that she isn’t the hottest chick he could score, that we feel some need to mock them in the most meanspirited fashion possible?

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  • I think that the Royals are a special case. In the minds of many, that’s what they’re there for — to be examined, stalked, criticized, and derided. The American networks think they somehow invented the “reality” soap opera? Please.

  • Yeah, I get that, but isn’t there something refreshing about two people who are drawn to each other by something other than looks? I just find the whole ‘ha, you loser, your fiancee is ugly’ thing sort of unsettling.

  • twitterpate

    I think a particular part of the nastiness is inspired by the fact that Charles apparently wasn’t happy with Diana – who became an “instant celebrity”, and was meant to exemplify the “fairy-tale lifestyle”.

    To Hollywood, it’s one thing to cheat on your wife – but to cheat on a gorgeous, young, celebrity with an older, normal-looking, woman who doesn’t make the best-dressed list? THAT’S unforgivable. It might even get the punters thinking that looks, money and fame don’t bring instant happiness, and then where would modern society be?

  • Hmm, I think that might be closer to the mark. Thanks.

    Of course, my personal opinion is that it’s Jessica Alba’s fault.

  • So I take it Ken that you don’t want to pool your money with mine? A British bookie is giving 10,000:1 odds that Aliens will land in London to interrupt the wedding.

  • What, like the Irish?

  • Ken – I’m with you on this one. This is the woman he *loves* and she’s not some sort of trophy bride like Diana was. I wish them the best!

  • Wait a minute, though. I mean, I don’t really care either, but weren’t these two committing adultery while Charles was married? While Diana may have been the more glamourous and charismatic of the two, she also seems to have been the one who was faithful to her spouse. Surely it’s not that surprising that people would feel that these two aren’t the most moral individuals. Like I say, I’m not judging them personally, and people are being shallow about it for sure, but still…

  • Prankster,

    While there is no evidence that Charles ever was unfaithful with anyone other than Camilla, Diana was well known to have a long stream of lovers. To say that she was faithful to her spouse is somewhat stretching the truth. As a brit, I certainly agree that most of the animosity directed to Charles is that Camilla does, charitably speaking, resemble the back end of a horse, but there is no doubt that they are genuinely in love.

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  • I see. I guess that’s what happens when I don’t read the tabloids.