Really..
Of course, there are the naysayers and spoilers who bitch and moan that the royal family are parasites that cost taxpayers millions and return nothing to us.
They are of course wrong...dead wrong.
That enmity towards them is perpetrated by that section of society who hate royalty on principle, because of its rank and privilege, a perceived outrage to modernism, good sense and egalitarianism.
But the argument that the Royal family costs taxpayers something significant is more of a red herring than the truth because when it comes to costing taxpayers anything, it is a mere pittance, about a $1.44 per person in Canada and about the same in Great Britain.
For Britain, the royal family is the greatest bargain on Earth, bringing millions of tourists to England to see the changing of the guard and touring royal castles and sites including the Tower of London and the crown jewels, generating billions and billions of pounds in revenue.But more to the point, the royal family is worth its weight in gold when it comes to entertainment for the many of us who love everything royal and follow accounts of their lives, with heightened interest in royal births and the pomp, circumstance and pageantry of royal weddings.
If the royal family sold worldwide television rights to their weddings, I daresay they would pay for their upkeep in spades and if the CBC put the wedding of Harry and Meaghan on pay per view, how many millions of Canadians would pay?
Luckily we get to live their lives vicariously for free and for little girls and little girls at heart who dream of being a princess and perhaps being won over by their Prince Charming, having real-life royals makes the fantasy possible.
Now I know you feminists and liberationists are cringing at the thought of such antiquated notions, but the beauty of this world is that it takes all kinds and people and those who love and revere the royals, or those who are just entertained by their lifestyle have just as much right to enjoy their indulgence as those who watch the Kardashians or those who watch Game of Thrones or Hockey Night in Canada.
To those who argue that it isn't the governments role to fund entertainment that appeals only to a segment of the population, I would remind them that that is exactly what the government does, funding entertainment and the arts to the tune of over 5 billion dollars year, or a whopping $142 for each Canadian, through entities like the Canada Council for the Arts, paying for programs like museums, ballet, native culture which by the way, few Canadians partake or care for.
Money spent by the government on the royals is a bargain when one considers how much pleasure it brings to so many Canadians.
Back in 2011, the streets of Quebec city were lined for William and Kate, as local francophones were thrilled by the couple's visit.
In fact interest in the British royal family extends across the world, across all languages, cultures, religions. I daresay that if North Korea allowed coverage of the Royal wedding the country would come to a standstill.
Why there is so much interest in the Royal family is a mystery, but the attraction is impossible to deny.
I'm sure that more people in Canada know the name of Harry and Meaghan's new baby than those who can name one of our Prime Minister's children.
You know I'm right.
At any rate, those who complain about the Royal family are less hateful of them than they are of us who enjoy following the exploits of the Royal family.
For haters, it is a complete betrayal of post-modernist anti-monarchists sentiment that represents a complete humiliation to modern feminism and a reminder that they cannot control human nature or sentiment.
Too bad for them and good for us.
Interesting thing is, nary a penny of that $1.44 goes to the Royals. It's all pumped back into Heritage Canada.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know where you read that, Mr. Marco. I somehow believe we pay them, if you'll pardon the pun, a royalty.
DeleteWhatever. I still believe Canada should be its own republic. They monarchy certainly does have its place in the UK and it is too important a brand to abandon for British tourism purposes. We neither need Governors General nor Lieutenant Governors anymore as it's a fluff patronage job that gives the lucky appointees carte blanche on our taxpayers' money. Then again, Trudope seems to be flying to Florida every other weekend on the taxpayers' dollar, so what's a few tens of millions of dollars spent on personal extravagance, right? Ex-Governors General still have a free hand in the taxpayers' pockets now and then, too.
To me, people who have to meddle into the lives of other peoples' business don't have lives, period! That the Kardashians are a TV show is pretty awful, and I imagine they're staging a lot of what is seen on their shows. It's not completely real or spontaneous Same goes for the Real Housewives of wherever and whatever other "reality" shows there are.
Sadly, primetime reality shows will never go away because the prizes given to the winners are cheap, even if it's a mil or two. The ratings are ridiculous because too many people don't have real lives. Now psychotherapy is being offered to people who can't cope with the end of Game of Thrones, and dickheaded Meagan McCain on the talk show with the cackling hens spoiled the ending like the dipstick flake she is for those who have not yet watched.
Psychotherapy for fiction? What is becoming of people? IT'S A FICTITIOUS TV SHOW! Get real!
Anyway, I don't put royal watching much above Hollywood talk shows, staged TV family and other so-called reality shows. DRIVEL DRIVEL DRIVEL! C'mon people! GET YOURSELVES A DAMN LIFE!
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ReplyDelete[I deleted the above comment so I could edit it and repaste]
ReplyDeleteI always thought it would be more fun having the Monaco royal family as our royal family. The girls pretty much effed anyone they wanted: prince or pauper. Very egalitarian of them. The gossip columns were always full of their shenanigans (the youngest even joined the circus at one point) and we all gleefully read about their exploits and fortune-seeking boyfriends.
And, of course, Prince Ranier married an American film star some 60 years prior to the Harry/Markle marriage. Even his son, the current Prince of Monaco, has a child out of wedlock...and beat Harry to copulating with someone with mixed race blood. Albert's first child is also African-American, I believe.
But I do like the British Royal Family...except for the nutcase Charles who should be passed over for William to be king. I always thought it was policy for Royals not to engage in partisan politics but it seems Charles can't keep his big yap shut when it comes to climate change which most definitely isn't science and most certainly is on one side of the political divide. If we would be lucky enough to elect Maxime Bernier as P.M. (fat chance but I can dream, can't I?), maybe he could suggest to the powers that be in England that he doesn't feel it fit for Charles to rule. Let him go the way of his Great Uncle, Edward VIII, and retire to the countryside or Paris and play polo or drink champagne and eat bon-bons all day long. Just stay out of our lives.