Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Kate Middleton: The sacred cow of the moment

Kate Middleton...err..Catherine Cambridge cannot put a foot wrong...

She is beautiful, everything a princess is supposed to be...

She is a style icon in the making and every woman wants to be her...

 Even her natural fear of childbirth is to be noted, evidence of her humanity.

But woe betide anyone who dares to state differently. Or in this case, points it out the obvious without sugar coating it.

Leave that to the people who adore her. They know best and can say it better. Discuss, in serious tones, that she is primarily known for her appearance and requirement ability to breed and you are blasted because you are so jealous you can't think straight. *Gasp!* Criticism? (However valid it might be?) That's irrational. After all, you don't know her now do you?

Neither do the people who praise her. Those referred to as 'sycophants'. Praising for no other reason that she is has married into the royal family, she is pretty and now she is fertile. She sells clothes. What she does is not nearly as important as how she looks. Until Kate lets her work speak for her, what else is there to say?

True, there is vicious criticism of her online. Just as there is cavity inducing praise. A well thought out critical argument is now a 'venemous attack'. It goes against the script, the fairy tale. Anything critical can be spun. An ill-timed, expensive vacation becomes a well deserved 'baby moon'. Spending too much on clothes? Part of the job. And the ultimate criticism. Her work ethic. Suddenly akin to a four letter word. How dare she be asked to become a working royal? Let's make it more palatable by calling it 'supporting her charities' instead. Try this:

Catherine needs to work more vs. Catherine needs to 'support her charities more frequently'.

Go ahead, explain the reasons she doesn't 'support her charities more'.

There is no denying that she looks nice and wears clothes well. Was she chosen for her appearance? Because she carries herself well? Doesn't hurt. Had she weighed 160 pounds I highly doubt people would ignore it. Then it would become 'why would William choose someone who looks like that'? Kate is praised for being 'just like us', accessible, every woman. But now every woman doesn't have a muffin top, do they?

Much like Sarah Ferguson and Diana, Catherine is the sacred cow of the moment. Someone who can do no wrong.

For now...

© Marilyn Braun 2013

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3 comments:

Hopewell said...

I never felt Diana was "right"--there was never any visible connection what-so-ever with Charles and then she begin to visibly eat up all the attention and court it. Fergie flirted with the press and they turned on her. Kate and William DO seem to connect, but I sometimes wonder what she has over him in a bad way. Probably nothing compared to what we've seen Harry do. But with an 86 year old Queen, a 91 year old Consort, a grandfatherly heir and his 2nd wife, the press just doesn't have much to go on these days--especially with Harry having to take a few months and play real soldier. I like too the way, now that he's older than dirt, Philip is being hailed as "romantic". As in all matters of history the public has a nano-second attention span so it all sells.

Lisa @ http://hopewellmomschoolreborn.blogspot.com/2013/01/did-royal-love-story-inspire-downton.html

Rman said...

I guess it's just a pattern for the Royal Women of Windsor. The media praise them to the high heavens and then turn around and knock them down.

I don't think any members of the royal family pay attention to this stuff. They have a job to do and they get on with things, while the outside world fight over who's more popular?, who designed their clothing? why they haven't put a foot wrong and all that crapola.

Marilyn Braun said...

Yes, Prince Philip has really done a turn about in his image. I think it has to do with his age - at almost 92 he came before the politically correct generation and at his age he can get away with it. Personally I think he enjoys stirring the pot and the results.

The public does have a short attention span for royal news. Prince Harry's interview critiquing the media, William and Kate's Mustique trip, to this speech now. All in the space of a few weeks. What will the new 'uproar' be next week and the week after that? Will we even remember?

I really doubt that Catherine read what Mantel wrote about her. I highly doubt she reads most of what is written about her. It would destroy you, especially the minute stuff that Vogue did with measuring the angle of her hats. You would go crazy. Hope she just gets on with it. No one died. That's all you can really do in her position.