NationStates Jolt Archive


What is America's obsession with the British royalty?

R539
25-01-2009, 14:38
Well, the title is obviously the intended question. Just about 20 minutes ago, I was watching the news and saw a whole thing on how Prince Harry broke up with his girlfriend of five years. I could care less, but the rest of America is almost obsessed with them. Another popular British royal was Princess Diana which was a huge deal when she died. It was terrible to have a person die, but the American reaction backs up my point. America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?
Wilgrove
25-01-2009, 14:43
I didn't know we were obsessed with British Royalty.

I hate it when people keep me out of the loops on these things!
Cannot think of a name
25-01-2009, 14:49
Are we? I wasn't aware, being an American and never hearing anyone talking about them or running across very many stories about them...none that I can think of...
Dorksonian
25-01-2009, 15:00
There is no such obsession.
Ordo Drakul
25-01-2009, 15:01
Compared with the British, we're also obsessed with Jack the Ripper. Unlike the Royals, you don't need to find an Anglophile to get a conversation going on Jack.
The Alma Mater
25-01-2009, 15:02
America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?

Because the citizens long to be part of Great Britain again of course. That silly uprising from a few years back can no doubt be forgiven; and then you could rejoin the Royal Empire.

*coughs*
SaintB
25-01-2009, 15:07
America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?

In my experience only teenage girls and young women (an age group that goes from 11 to ~25) are obsessed with the royalty, nobody else really gives a shit. These are the same kind of girls and women who are obsessed with models, Pariz Hilton, and sending 5 million text messages a month too.
Kryozerkia
25-01-2009, 15:15
It was my experience that Americans typically didn't care and that it was the British who loved them, with Canadians being on the fence on the whole issue.
No Names Left Damn It
25-01-2009, 15:32
it was the British who loved them

Lol no.
Ashmoria
25-01-2009, 15:52
we do like gossipy stories about famous people. some of those people are british royalty.

we do like hearing about them more than, say, the dutch royal family. i guess that that is because of our having been run by britain for a while.
Call to power
25-01-2009, 16:00
newsflash: its not just the Americans (we should of killed Diana sooner methinks)
Araraukar
25-01-2009, 16:01
Many countries that are democratic states (meaning they're not kingdoms, many countries with kings and queens are democratic too), have a 'thing' with the royalty of the countries that have them. I'd put it down on sheer curiousness, and let's not forget the fact that celebrity news sell. The royal families are celebrities same as sports stars and such.
Cabra West
25-01-2009, 16:11
I think it's more a general obsession with anything celebrity, not specifically the Windsors.
No Names Left Damn It
25-01-2009, 16:14
I think it's more a general obsession with anything celebrity, not specifically the Windsors.

The Saxe-Coburg Gothas, thankyou very much.
Call to power
25-01-2009, 16:14
I think it's more a general obsession with anything celebrity, not specifically the Windsors.

then why does nobody care about Richard Branson despite how hard he tries :p
Risottia
25-01-2009, 16:16
America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?

Envy?
Cabra West
25-01-2009, 16:19
The Saxe-Coburg Gothas, thankyou very much.

Them, too. You know, those family of alien reptiles who live in Buckingham Palace and Balmoral.
H N Fiddlebottoms VIII
25-01-2009, 16:50
Compared with the British, we're also obsessed with Jack the Ripper. Unlike the Royals, you don't need to find an Anglophile to get a conversation going on Jack.
Americans like serial killers generally. It is sort of the American dream, I think. Any maladjusted jackass with nothing but time and a switchblade on their hands can kill a dozen people and gain national attention.
I think it's more a general obsession with anything celebrity, not specifically the Windsors.
Very much so. Many Americans lead empty, pointless lives, and so they use the pointless exploits of pointless people to try and fill the cavernous void in their souls.
Newer Burmecia
25-01-2009, 17:20
Well, the title is obviously the intended question. Just about 20 minutes ago, I was watching the news and saw a whole thing on how Prince Harry broke up with his girlfriend of five years. I could care less, but the rest of America is almost obsessed with them. Another popular British royal was Princess Diana which was a huge deal when she died. It was terrible to have a person die, but the American reaction backs up my point. America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?
For the same reason we Brits were obsessed with the OJ Simpson trial, I guess.
DeepcreekXC
25-01-2009, 17:27
We don't need english royalty anymore, cuz we have Obama to obsess over.
Call to power
25-01-2009, 17:30
We don't need english royalty anymore, cuz we have Obama to obsess over.

if Obama went clubbing dressed as a Nazi I would support him invading whatever country he pleases :wink:
Articoa
25-01-2009, 17:34
Wait, was this a report on a local channel, or the 24 hour crap that needs space to fill, so they'll report on anything?
Cabra West
25-01-2009, 17:38
For the same reason we Brits were obsessed with the OJ Simpson trial, I guess.

Who?
R539
25-01-2009, 17:38
It was on Good Morning America I think.
JuNii
25-01-2009, 17:40
America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?
because, here in America, we love to hear about the 'drama' of popular people... and since the Royal family are the ONLY Popular people there... :D
Mad hatters in jeans
25-01-2009, 17:40
The Royal Family are not deserving of the attention they recieve.
See guns n roses Bad obsession.
JuNii
25-01-2009, 17:42
The Royal Family are not deserving of the attention they recieve.

Neither was Anna Nichole Smith.
Articoa
25-01-2009, 17:44
It was on Good Morning America I think.

That's the problem. That show doesn't report anything serious at all. :p
Katganistan
25-01-2009, 17:55
Who cares about the British Royalty?
We have politicians, Hollywood and Britney Spears to provide us with entertainment regarding failed relationships.
Vydro
25-01-2009, 19:09
The Saxe-Coburg Gothas, thankyou very much.

The Mountbattens you mean. Or Mountbatten-Windsors if you must.
Sudova
25-01-2009, 19:17
Well, the title is obviously the intended question. Just about 20 minutes ago, I was watching the news and saw a whole thing on how Prince Harry broke up with his girlfriend of five years. I could care less, but the rest of America is almost obsessed with them. Another popular British royal was Princess Diana which was a huge deal when she died. It was terrible to have a person die, but the American reaction backs up my point. America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?

It's a phenomena that's had me confused for decades. I have a secret theory that Yanks secretly wish they were still British.
Rhursbourg
25-01-2009, 19:19
The Saxe-Coburg Gothas, thankyou very much.

Its Mountbatten-Windsor for their personal surname
Gauntleted Fist
25-01-2009, 19:21
*snip*...Prince Harry had a girlfriend?
Intangelon
25-01-2009, 19:40
No idea. I don't give any kind of shit about the Royals.
Gauntleted Fist
25-01-2009, 19:42
No idea. I don't give any kind of shit about the Royals....I don't know anything about the Royals. ...Are there a lot of them? o_0;
DaWoad
25-01-2009, 19:50
It was my experience that Americans typically didn't care and that it was the British who loved them, with Canadians being on the fence on the whole issue.

*looks at post*
*Goes back to fence sitters anonymous*
Vydro
25-01-2009, 20:09
Its Mountbatten-Windsor for their personal surname

Beat ya to it.
Yootopia
25-01-2009, 20:11
It was my experience that Americans typically didn't care and that it was the British who loved them, with Canadians being on the fence on the whole issue.
Some Brits are really into them, some aren't. I quite like the royalty for the genuinely useful stuff they do, but I couldn't care less about Harry's sex life.
Skallvia
25-01-2009, 20:17
Couldntve been that big, I keep up with news on the web, radio, and tv...

And have heard nothing of this until now...however, I do like the british royalty, im a bit of an anglophile, lol...
Nanatsu no Tsuki
25-01-2009, 21:49
Well, the title is obviously the intended question. Just about 20 minutes ago, I was watching the news and saw a whole thing on how Prince Harry broke up with his girlfriend of five years. I could care less, but the rest of America is almost obsessed with them. Another popular British royal was Princess Diana which was a huge deal when she died. It was terrible to have a person die, but the American reaction backs up my point. America is obsessed with the British royalty, but why?

I could venture enough to say that perhaps Americans are so obssessed with British royalty because they have none of their own. Perhaps if they did, they would be bored out of their skulls by a royal family. I don't know.
Hydesland
25-01-2009, 21:51
As a Brit, I had no idea that prince Harry broken up with his girlfriend until this thread.
VirginiaCooper
25-01-2009, 21:52
I can't speak for America, but the only British royal I give a hoot about is George III.
Hydesland
25-01-2009, 21:56
But this 'HURRR DURRR I don't give a FUCK about the royals, fuck yeeeeeeeahhhhh' is kind of lame. I think the British royalty (and thus, European royalty in general) has a fascinating history, I enjoy reading about it.
Ashmoria
25-01-2009, 22:06
But this 'HURRR DURRR I don't give a FUCK about the royals, fuck yeeeeeeeahhhhh' is kind of lame. I think the British royalty (and thus, European royalty in general) has a fascinating history, I enjoy reading about it.
you say that but you also say that you had NO idea that prince harry had a girlfriend.

if you really cared you would know her name, her family, and the details of every date they had been on.

like every american does.
Hydesland
25-01-2009, 22:33
you say that but you also say that you had NO idea that prince harry had a girlfriend.


No, I said I had no idea that he had broken up with his girlfriend, there's a difference.


if you really cared you would know her name, her family, and the details of every date they had been on.


I take it you're being sarcastic?
Verdigroth
25-01-2009, 22:39
if Obama went clubbing dressed as a Nazi I would support him invading whatever country he pleases :wink:

Sucks to be Poland....or Mexico
No Names Left Damn It
25-01-2009, 22:43
I quite like the royalty for the genuinely useful stuff they do

Such as sitting around doing fuck all and slagging off the peasants?
Skallvia
25-01-2009, 22:44
or Mexico

Actually, its really what Mexico wants.....We just dont want it, itd be a serious Financial Drain...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Union#Contemporary_proponents

From Wikipedia:

'Then President of Mexico Vicente Fox said in an interview for Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy that in the long term he sought with the United States a "convergence of our two economies, convergence on the basic and fundamental variables of the economy, convergence on rates of interest, convergence on income of people, convergence on salaries." He suggested this might take as long as 20 years to be realized, but the ultimate "convergence" he saw between the United States and Mexico would allow them to "erase that border, open up that border for [the] free flow of products, merchandises, [and] capital as well as people".[41] After leaving office, he continued to support the concept, while expressing his disappointment with the changed American political situation which made it seem more difficult to come to fruition.[42] In an online discussion of his book Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith, and Dreams of A Mexican President Fox cited the process of European integration and asked a questioner, "Why can't we be not only partners in the long term, but a North American Union?"'
Skallvia
25-01-2009, 22:45
Such as sitting around doing fuck all and slagging off the peasants?

You say that like its a bad thing >.>


May I interest you in some of our elected leaders that do the same? lol
Knights of Liberty
25-01-2009, 22:45
I didn't know we were obsessed with British Royalty.
Are we? I wasn't aware, being an American and never hearing anyone talking about them or running across very many stories about them...none that I can think of...
There is no such obsession.

Wow. First three posts were an /thread.
No Names Left Damn It
25-01-2009, 22:46
May I interest you in some of our elected leaders that do the same? lol

Good point.
Ashmoria
26-01-2009, 01:28
No, I said I had no idea that he had broken up with his girlfriend, there's a difference.



I take it you're being sarcastic?
of course.

i take it that you are interested in british royal history not gossip about the current royal family.