Opinion: Save the date?

By Rose Heaphy in Opinion on Jun 23, 2011 2:39 / comments

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Just two days away, the William and Kate frenzy is escalating to new heights.

(Courtesy)

The constant press over the highly anticipated day has been covered by E!, BBC and TIME. Lifetime commemorated the “trials and tribulations” of the royal courtship with a wonderfully dramatic movie. The couple has even been immortalized as PEZ dispensers.

When the press coverage permeated into my dreams, I decided enough was enough.

All the royal wedding press begs the ongoing question: Shouldn’t we be focusing on something else?

Yes. Of course. And by something else, I do not mean Charlie Sheen.

Japan, for example, continues to feel earthquake aftershocks and radiation issues since the destructive tsunami. Libya is undergoing an uprising against Col. Gadhafi. The North American bee population is decreasing at an alarming rate, befuddling scientists everywhere. Where’s that in my Twitter feed?

So amid all the political chaos, international suffering and growing environmental issues, what is with the obsession with a dying monarchy, which becomes more and more a figurehead with each parliament session? If Prince William and his receding hairline actually becomes the King of England someday, with Kate as his Queen, the world probably won’t be significantly different.

Amid the growing global troubles, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton offers a fairytale escape. A commoner marrying a prince? It’s a real-life Cinderella. An exquisite, yet-to-be-named designer wedding gown, a celebrity guest list; the moment will be just short of cherubs flying around.

As much as I hate to admit it, I’m sure I’ll cave and click to E! to catch the highlights, further procrastinating my finals studying.

While some will reach for the tissues and the bar of 85 percent cocoa dark chocolate, others will reach for the remote to change the channel. Either way, the event will have served its purpose.

The wedding serves as a distraction, allowing viewers to think back to the days when they pranced around in poofy princess gowns and kissed imaginary princes. Kate and William tying the knot symbolizes a storybook ending that people wish they could have in their own lives.

So on Friday, let brides enviously drool over the wedding arrangements, the fashionistas analyze the styles and the royals shine in their moment.

It’s likely that after Will and Kate, the media will search for another fluff story to push on the airwaves (please no more Rebecca Black). My hope is that by Saturday, the media can refocus on the more important issues.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.