'Kategate'

[elisi]

I sort of want to apologise, but I also think this stuff is interesting. It's a cultural touchstone in some ways, something frivolous that speaks to wider issues...

But under a cut so as not to take over your whole flist. However, I *do* have memes. ^_^

The memes are wonderful. A couple that I couldn't not share:


(context)


(original meme)

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However I also read this article, which I found very insightful:

The Royal Family’s Kate Middleton Crisis
Her disappearance isn’t just a tabloid sensation. It’s a sign of the monarchy’s deepening instability.

[insert The Waste Land quote here]

I also found this Vox article rather good (far better than the title):

3 reasons why Kate Middleton’s royal scandal got so out of control
We’ve been trained to think of the royal family as a machine. Kategate upended that narrative.

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I don't have any thoughts as such. The conspiracy theories are fun, but again serve to highlight the price of being public figures. A Royal family is an expensive luxury, and takes a toll on everyone. :(



ETA: omg I totally forgot to add this brilliant video [about Harry & Meghan]. Funny AND true.

Watch on YouTube

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ETA2: Exceedingly tongue-in-cheek, but also a good reality check: Families in Gaza begin work on suspicious photoshop pic in hopes to get the media worrying about their wellbeing
Following days of wall-to-wall coverage of the photoshopped photo of Kate Middleton and her kids, a family in Gaza has decided to try make their own suspiciously photoshopped image in the ruins of their house in hopes to get international media to start caring about their wellbeing.

Comments

[shadowkat]

Ah, you fell down the "where in the world is Kate Middleton" or "what did they do with Kate" rabbit hole as well. Don't apologize, you appear to be in good company. Brits and Americans have fallen down that rabbit hole.

It does underscore some of the things both The Crown and Prince Harry's Spare point out - which is the increasingly toxic relationship between the British Public, the British Press and the Royal Family. Harry really goes into depth on the topic, and there's several episodes in the Crown that underscore this as well. Not that the American Press is much better with how it handles celebrities and political leaders (dear god, the whole Huntergate thing is just embarrassing), it's gotten to the point in which I cancelled my subscription to the NY Times and avoid the press for the most part.

[elisi]

Tbh, not so much apologising for the fall, as for posting. *g*

It does underscore some of the things both The Crown and Prince Harry's Spare point out - which is the increasingly toxic relationship between the British Public, the British Press and the Royal Family.
Oh yeah, it's very visible. You only have to glance at any of the magazines/newpapers to see that they're as vulture-like as they've always been. Although also very much falling in line with what the Royal family dictate - as I am sure people know, it's a co-dependent relationship, the Royals will withdraw communication if the papers step out of line. OTOH then their need for salacious gossip goes back *centuries*...

it's gotten to the point in which I cancelled my subscription to the NY Times and avoid the press for the most part.
Very wise.