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Mawkishness is the new beige
by loiswakeman @ 23/05/2007 - 11:26:37

First it was Princess Diana, then it was Our Brave Sailors in Iran, and very recently, Our Maddie (or Maddy - depending on which paper you read).

Am I alone in finding the mawkish coverage of this tragic affair distasteful in the extreme? The McCann family has been dignified about it, especially considering what has befallen it. If only the TV and newspaper coverage could be similarly restrained, instead of churning out reams of ignorantly over-familiar coverage, sentimentalised images of the mother holding a toy, gruesome piles of soft toys and yellow ribbons and so on.

What has happened to the English tradition of private grief for a private affair? Only someone who has gone through a similar experience can really feel for the protagonists, so why should we, the great unwashed, be invited to emote all over the place? Not only by the press - but by fading footballers, for goodness' sake.

I wonder if it is all of a piece with the consumer lifestyle that is supposed to be our crowning glory today - rather than living a decent life?

Much better to be seen by all and sundry to be buying loads of stuff, living in a tasteful magnolia, stainless and laminate "home" (not house - dear me no) and overtly proclaiming our solidarity with people we have never met, than actually getting on with our own lives quietly in the background.

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Tags: madeleine mccann, sentimentality,

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[Visitor]

23/05/07 @ 11:33

You took the words right out of my mouth. And put it better than I ever could!

Am in total agreement with the whole "I don't know you, but I FEEL I know you because I saw you on TV and I feel your pain."

No. No you don't.

[Visitor]

23/05/07 @ 11:45

Just wanted to say thank you for writing this! well put indeed!

I agree with everything you say here.

I will now go away in a quiet fashion.

respectfully

GB101

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loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
23/05/07 @ 12:22

I am glad to hear you are being properly British about this! Well, at least until you declare independence :-)

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bloglikesitbloglikesit [Member]
23/05/07 @ 12:01

I agree with you, with the little addition that - as awful as this whole thing is - I cannot understand why this case is receiving so much attention. Unfortunately kids go missing all the time, but I have never seen anything like this.

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loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
23/05/07 @ 12:19

Yes - I never understand why the media pack gets so worked up about one case and not another.

I suppose their dear little brains only have room for one big idea at a time, and if you can put the picture of a pretty, very obviously Anglo-Saxon, child on the front page, it gets lots more attention than appalling atrocities committed in a far-off place. We are still tribal creatures at heart, I think.

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[Visitor]

23/05/07 @ 13:52

mm to use the anglo saxon child as an image would suggest far deeper racist or favouritist leanings toward what would look like "the pure child".

The thing is about the mindless public , they love a good soap opera.

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[Visitor]

23/05/07 @ 13:37

Totally. Kids disappear so often.

I have a sneaking suspicion, the media (or meeja ;)) are laying this one on thick because she's blonde, cute and "angelic" looking.

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LissaTLissaT pro
24/05/07 @ 15:46

I can't quote it because it was a private post, but my best friend teaches the surviving child of a family murdered by their mother. (In Britain, but not, I deduce from the names, Anglo-Saxons.) It made the news, but was soon overshadowed by media hype over the disappearance of Madeleine in the same week. My friend and the rest of the staff are quite grateful since being part of a media circus helps nobody.

A relative had to attend a meeting in London the day of Princess Diana's funeral; she said that she has never driven so quickly into the capital even on a Sunday. Was everybody else lining the streets or glued to the television? Moreover, what use are heaps of dying flowers and soggy teddy bears to anyone, and why pillory the queen for staying in Scotland with her grandchildren?

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RidgewayBloggerRidgewayBlogger [Member]
26/05/07 @ 11:30

I was working in St James Street at the time and had to cycle past the growing pile of flowers and towards the end of the week, the stench of composting vegetable matter was unbearable. To make matters worse, several of our staff joined the queue to sign the book of condolence and so were either queueing or sleeping off the overnight wait when they should have been at their desks.

On the Friday that week, there was a police barrier across my normal route to work, complete with held-back crowds of Joe Public, and I was stopped by a very harrassed officer who demanded to know where I thought I was going. I'm afraid I was so angry by that time, having watched a week of the growing hysteria, that I literally spat back "I'm trying to get to [bleep] work." Thankfully she ignored my aggressiveness and became polite and helpful, apologising and suggesting I cycle across the park and into St James Street the back way.

The whole thing was utterly outrageous; as you can probably tell, it still has the power to make my blood boil, even all these years later! I completely fail to understand why mourning, a very private and personal matter, should suddenly have become so public. But then, I fail to understand so much about modern society...

I can feel for your friend's student and how devastated he/she must be. My sympathies go out to him or her, but the poor child is far better off in the shadow of "Our Maddie" and very definitely out of the limelight.

Ahem, sorry folks, rant over...

RB

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LissaTLissaT pro
24/05/07 @ 15:49

I've just thought: could we found the Stiff Upper Lip Society for people who like to show a decent restraint, and invite Her Majesty to be the patron?

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loiswakemanloiswakeman [Member]
http://lois.co.uk
24/05/07 @ 16:14

An excellent idea Lissa! I am sure some other bloggers here would be founding members too.

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RidgewayBloggerRidgewayBlogger [Member]
26/05/07 @ 11:31

Ooh, yes, what a fabulous idea! May I join?

RB

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LissaTLissaT pro
29/05/07 @ 23:04

Yes. Anyone who likes may join, but let us be very British and reserved about our membership and simply not talk about how much this new fellowship means to us emotionally.

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