# The Royal Wedding; will it be watched by you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693 "2011-04-25T19:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/121 "2011-04-29T14:00:26Z")
I failed. It was on the TV in the tea room and the wedding was still in progress when I went for my meal break. I managed to sit with my back to the set, so I didn’t actually watch the thing but I couldn’t avoid hearing it. Everyone else at work was a bit nutso about it. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/122 "2011-04-29T14:08:41Z")
Ha! I succeeded! Promised not to watch, and so far I haven’t. Despite the fact that the BBC appears to still be showing some wedding stuff all afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/123 "2011-04-29T17:20:23Z")
I’m at my parents today, so the TV has been showing lots of wedding coverage. The interviews with people on the street with nothing to say have been annoying me. I’m pretty indifferent to the wedding itself and all the fuss, but I think it is fairly harmless, and I am pleased that the couple seem to be genuinely happy. I wish them well for the future. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/124 "2011-04-29T18:59:10Z")
Prince Charles is an orc, a troll, an oaf! He walked through the doors, handed his gloves off to someone, \*then wiped his nose with his right hand \*and proceeded to offer it to the bishops to shake. Disgusting. I"m certain they were all desperate for a wet nap to wipe it off with. The one consolation is the next person through was the Queen, who kept her gloves on. So they had the chance to wipe it off, and with the very person who should have taught him better. OMG the hats. Especially that red one. I thought Kate’s choice of dress was perfect. It was modest and lovely. I was so afraid it might be sexy instead of lovely, you know? Elton John looking impossibly normal, if a bit sleepy. The camera kept panning back to him as if in disbelief. Prince Harry looks exactly like I always imagine Ron Weasley as an adult. I reckon he’d have made a fine knight. Beckham, I almost didn’t recognize him. First time I really “got” how handsome he is. He gave this one incredibly English sniff - it was just too perfect. Posh’s hat was too low on her forehead - it was darkening her eyes instead of accentuating them. When the presiding official (Bishop?) said “We thank you Lord for our families . . .” Kate smiled brightly and WIlliam looked so sad. It was very touching, and I felt for him. When he said “You have made this committment today . . .” William and Kate looked at each other and smiled happily, naturally, and spontaneously. That was also quite touching. I actually slept through the beginning and had to watch it on tape. So maybe that balances out the karma for some of you accidentally exposed folks. LOL! ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/125 "2011-04-29T22:20:30Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > However, suggesting it doesn’t make sense for \*Americans \*to be interested itself doesn’t make sense. Many people enjoy watching spectacle. Many people enjoy watching weddings. Heck, popular soap operas get high ratings for mocking up a wedding. People don’t have to have any interested at all from a political or historical standpoint to be interested. As I said, I _ **could** _ buy that if the media put that much effort into all the other royal/world leader/ritzy ditzy weddings, but they don’t. Not enough ratings potential, I suspect, even for the soaps folks. Which, again, makes me wonder, what is all the American fascination with the Brits, but nobody else? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/126 "2011-04-30T00:05:24Z")
They do much, much bigger weddings. Name another royal/world leader/ritzy ditzy wedding to compete. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/127 "2011-04-30T00:29:01Z")
Luke and Laura? ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/128 "2011-04-30T01:16:13Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > They do much, much bigger weddings. Name another royal/world leader/ritzy ditzy wedding to compete. I see. You mean, like this? https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kav0FEhtLug?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/129 "2011-04-30T01:33:28Z")
Woke up in time to watch it live (I’m on the US West Coast, I’m a night shift worker - and there isn’t much else on at 2 in the morning). Learned one thing… I _really_ want the Jag that Kate’s parents rode up in (The XJ?). DAMN that’s a nice car. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/130 "2011-04-30T02:47:01Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > The Queen lent her the [Cartier Halo Tiara](http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/04/kate-middletons-tasteful-tiara.html). Thanks. Her dress was gorgeous. Someone compared it to Grace Kelly’s wedding gown. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/131 "2011-04-30T16:29:02Z")
> [@Marc\_Xenos](#): > > As I said, I _ **could** _ buy that if the media put that much effort into all the other royal/world leader/ritzy ditzy weddings, but they don’t. Not enough ratings potential, I suspect, even for the soaps folks. > > Which, again, makes me wonder, what is all the American fascination with the Brits, but nobody else? We used to watch Monaco, but frankly the boozing gets old after a while. Sweden and Norway and such seem to have too much class to allow the TV cameras in. No fun for us at all. 😉 There are a _very few_ Americans who watch the Brits specifically; they are called anglophiles, and largely sneered upon. The exception is the State of Maryland, in which it’s the fashion for social climbers to pretend their families never really “went” for the whole revolution thing. Once they get to a mid-six-figure income, they begin to sprinkly the word “bloody” into conversation whenever possible. Americans in general do tend to be drawn to pageant though, and the Brits supply it. It’s the same crew who watch the red carpet section at the beginning of award banquets (guilty) and pay thousands of dollars to buy a dress and attend inauguration parties so they can look at all the other people who paid thousands of dollars to buy a dress and attend. . . ad infinitum (not guilty). ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/132 "2011-05-01T00:42:10Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > We used to watch Monaco, but frankly the boozing gets old after a while. Sweden and Norway and such seem to have too much class to allow the TV cameras in. No fun for us at all. 😉 > > There are a _very few_ Americans who watch the Brits specifically; they are called anglophiles, and largely sneered upon. The exception is the State of Maryland, in which it’s the fashion for social climbers to pretend their families never really “went” for the whole revolution thing. Once they get to a mid-six-figure income, they begin to sprinkly the word “bloody” into conversation whenever possible. > > Americans in general do tend to be drawn to pageant though, and the Brits supply it. It’s the same crew who watch the red carpet section at the beginning of award banquets (guilty) and pay thousands of dollars to buy a dress and attend inauguration parties so they can look at all the other people who paid thousands of dollars to buy a dress and attend. . . ad infinitum (not guilty). Excellent points, ALL of them, but especially Maryland… ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/133 "2011-05-04T15:22:47Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I failed. You have my sympathies. I tried to avoid it as well, but then I suddenly discovered that I had positioned myself just underneath a TV in a bar at Heathrow and the human nature is such that even if you’re not interested you watch if you see something moving on a TV screen. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/134 "2011-05-04T16:05:01Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > I had positioned myself just underneath a TV in a bar at Heathrow. Duty Free in Gatwick here. Any other dopers do it in an airport? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693/135 "2011-05-04T19:21:45Z")
You know, I think I’ve figured it out. It’s not monarchy worship, it’s more like “The Truman Show.” We’ve been watching little Willie for his whole life, through all the horrors of his Father’s foibles and his Mother’s pain, and we just want to see how it turns out for him. They are Soap Opera. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-wedding-will-it-be-watched-by-you/579693.md?page=6)