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Ok, I was going to not say this. I've resisted all week. Because, once again, I'm raging about something I can't change. But then this lunchtime it just got too much and I thought "Well if I can't vent in LJ where can I?" So, here it is.
I don't care that the Queen Mum is dead.
It started off OK. I was amused (as I was at the time of Princess Margaret’s death - someone should speak to the BBC) to hear the newscasts say "we'll bring you further developments as they happen". I know she died on Easter Sunday but it still seems pretty unlikely that there will be any further developments. And I was annoyed, as I often am, by the "loved by everyone" and "whole nation in mourning" stuff because I didn't know her and wasn't interested in her so I'm untouched except that I wish they'd get on and tell me about the Middle East.
So it goes on. And on. People queue for hours to look at the corpse. Or the box containing the corpse anyway*. I feel repulsed by this. Its being reported as if it was a wonderful thing but to me its not respect, its voyeurism. It's the sort of thing that people do so they can say to their children "I was there" - it's about them, not her. I realise though that part of that reaction is just my upbringing. My Dad particularly, but both my parents to some extent are very cynical/dubious about after death ceremonies. They both believe, and I agree although for slightly different reasons, that once the person is dead they've gone. They've left their body and are not interested any more. If you want to respect/remember them you should sit down and discuss your memories, not obsess over the empty shell. Dad has always said that he hopes that when he dies we'll just burn the remains and stick the ashes on the compost heap or in the bin or something and then sit down with the last of his wine cellar and have a drink and swap stories about him. So anyway. The continued news coverage is making me uncomfortable - I feel like I'm being pushed into intruding somewhere I don't belong and have no interest in being - but I think to myself "It'll all be over soon" and grit my teeth.
Even this morning, I was OK about it. They sent us round an email which said "We're having a 2 minutes silence" but didn't actually announce it over the tannoy or anything so it was easy to ignore it. But at lunchtime I wanted to pop out and get a CD and a cup-a-soup. But no. The fucking shops are shut til one o'clock. And suddenly I'm furious. They've pushed me from not caring to hating her for intruding into my life like this. I never met her and the only person I know who did hated her. Why should I mourn. I don't want to and I refuse to. All I want to do is buy a CD - is that so wrong?
* I did find myself thinking that it would be interesting if they announced later that the corpse was never actually in the casket in Westminster Hall. Because actually it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to all the people who file past (I assume they'll have treated it so it doesn't smell) but wouldn't it make them all mad. To me, that's where the hypocrisy is I guess - it shouldn't matter if the corpse is there or not because she's abandoned it now anyway. I imagine it being very anti-climactic when you actually get in there after the 4hr wait (or whatever) - you just shuffle straight past and out again.
I don't care that the Queen Mum is dead.
It started off OK. I was amused (as I was at the time of Princess Margaret’s death - someone should speak to the BBC) to hear the newscasts say "we'll bring you further developments as they happen". I know she died on Easter Sunday but it still seems pretty unlikely that there will be any further developments. And I was annoyed, as I often am, by the "loved by everyone" and "whole nation in mourning" stuff because I didn't know her and wasn't interested in her so I'm untouched except that I wish they'd get on and tell me about the Middle East.
So it goes on. And on. People queue for hours to look at the corpse. Or the box containing the corpse anyway*. I feel repulsed by this. Its being reported as if it was a wonderful thing but to me its not respect, its voyeurism. It's the sort of thing that people do so they can say to their children "I was there" - it's about them, not her. I realise though that part of that reaction is just my upbringing. My Dad particularly, but both my parents to some extent are very cynical/dubious about after death ceremonies. They both believe, and I agree although for slightly different reasons, that once the person is dead they've gone. They've left their body and are not interested any more. If you want to respect/remember them you should sit down and discuss your memories, not obsess over the empty shell. Dad has always said that he hopes that when he dies we'll just burn the remains and stick the ashes on the compost heap or in the bin or something and then sit down with the last of his wine cellar and have a drink and swap stories about him. So anyway. The continued news coverage is making me uncomfortable - I feel like I'm being pushed into intruding somewhere I don't belong and have no interest in being - but I think to myself "It'll all be over soon" and grit my teeth.
Even this morning, I was OK about it. They sent us round an email which said "We're having a 2 minutes silence" but didn't actually announce it over the tannoy or anything so it was easy to ignore it. But at lunchtime I wanted to pop out and get a CD and a cup-a-soup. But no. The fucking shops are shut til one o'clock. And suddenly I'm furious. They've pushed me from not caring to hating her for intruding into my life like this. I never met her and the only person I know who did hated her. Why should I mourn. I don't want to and I refuse to. All I want to do is buy a CD - is that so wrong?
* I did find myself thinking that it would be interesting if they announced later that the corpse was never actually in the casket in Westminster Hall. Because actually it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to all the people who file past (I assume they'll have treated it so it doesn't smell) but wouldn't it make them all mad. To me, that's where the hypocrisy is I guess - it shouldn't matter if the corpse is there or not because she's abandoned it now anyway. I imagine it being very anti-climactic when you actually get in there after the 4hr wait (or whatever) - you just shuffle straight past and out again.
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Date: April 9th, 2002 06:51 am (UTC)From:http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,680522,00.html
Steph told me Markies was shutting 10.30am - 1pm so I went and got my lunch at 9.30!