COMMENTARY | In a surprising move away from Newsweek Magazine's reputation for reporting actual news, its latest cover seems more appropriate for a gossip rag. The cover features a likeness of the late Princess Diana walking next to an adoring Kate Middleton. The knee-jerk reaction has been one of shock and even a little bit of horror for not only the cover photo but also for the disturbing story that goes along with it.
The cover depicts Diana in a Chanel-inspired dress, an awkward expression on her face, and the appearance of some wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. It is hard to imagine the reaction princes William and Henry had when they no doubt saw this likeness of their mother. Though they have become accustomed to the vicious paparazzi they blame for their mother's untimely death, this type of headline must have caused them a great deal of pain.
The shock of the Newsweek story does not end at the front page. The article includes a mock-up of what the author, Tina Brown, envisions Diana's Facebook page would be like were she still alive. Apparently, Her Royal Highness would be friends with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Prince Charles would "like" this on her wall. She would be a fan of "Glee" and her relationship status would be "It's complicated."
The fake Facebook page is obscene morbid. Yes, we all wonder what her life might be like today, the same as we would for anyone who left this world before their time, but the mentions on the page make a mockery of all of the things that she represented. She is reduced to a caricature instead of the strong and charming woman she was.
The article goes into further detail about what Diana's life would be like today. The author predicts that Diana would have remarried then left her husband to have other affairs and romances. Surely this is something her sons are thrilled to hear about their beloved mother. The story goes on to say that she would become close friends with her ex-husband, and she would have a difficult time sharing the spotlight with her daughter-in-law. Brown does attempt to soften the story at the end by talking about the touching tribute Prince William made to his mother by proposing to Kate with Diana's engagement ring. Although this is a touching end to the story, the damage cannot be undone with one paragraph tacked onto the end of the insulting article.
Brown reacted to the controversy by stating that she wanted to make Diana a "time traveler," according to the Washington Post. If this was her goal, she certainly missed her mark. The only thing accomplished by the "tribute" to Princess Diana on her 50th birthday was to tarnish the memory of a great woman taken from this world far too soon. The Newsweek article was not news; it was simply a piece of tabloid fiction.
Sources:
Tina Brown "" Diana at 50 " Newsweek
Sarah Ann Hughes " Newsweek's Tina Brown on Princess Diana cover: 'I wanted to make her a time traveler' The Washington Post
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