New at Reason

Michael Young remembers the tragic death of a vapid socialite—and urges us all to just move on.

Comments

matthew hogan | August 30, 2007, 12:24pm | #

Whew! I was just surprised and relieved not to read that Syria had had her killed.

Minion of URKOBOLD | August 30, 2007, 12:28pm | #

URKOBOLD denies any affair. The URKOBOLD remains, has remained, and will remain faithful to the Weibskobold.

Plus, it was one of several problems with the driving school (and hier)

creech | August 30, 2007, 12:29pm | #

Never could understand the Diana cult. Yes, she was less of a twit than, say, Paris Hilton, and it is admirable she devoted some of her time to charitable causes, unlike some other monied celebrities. But we could line up thousands of women to do the same if we gave them $$millions, provided designer clothes, first class accomodations, private jets, etc. and asked them to visit a few childrens' hospitals and the like from time to time. Far better we revere the thousands of men and women who volunteer their time to causes (esp. libertarian causes), not expecting tabloid headlines or mass adulation.

Michael Pack | August 30, 2007, 1:06pm | #

Always thought she was a goldplated whore.Famous for being famous.

Lamar | August 30, 2007, 1:08pm | #

Maybe John Tierney can highlight the evolutionary precursors to worshiping useless people.

Michael Young | August 30, 2007, 1:33pm | #

Matthew Hogan: Ouch. But very nice.

poco | August 30, 2007, 1:56pm | #

I never understood why all the flowers were tackily left in their cellophane wrappers. Where's the aesthetic?

madpad | August 30, 2007, 2:50pm | #

So Michael Young takes a break from writing ludicrously inaccurate defenses of the Iraq War to focus on...trashing a dead lady and everyone associated with her.

As always, you're a class act, Young. A real class act.

ed | August 30, 2007, 3:00pm | #

Too soon, madpad?

madpad | August 30, 2007, 3:46pm | #

Nah...I never had much of an opinion one way or another on 'The People's Princess.' Which is to say, I didn't swoon over her nor did I despise her in the fashion Michael Young appears to.

While I never felt an attachment to her, I could understand how others did. But hey, I never felt an attachment to Pope John Paul II but I was kind and understanding to all my Catholic friends who mourned his death.

As for Princess Di, we could go round and round about why she was famous and whether or not she deserved it and whether or not the royals were as bad and was she really all that committed to charities and what not...not that I really care about any of it.

The point is, why does Young give a damn? Most of Young's article is just opinion (then again he's usually in poor possession of facts anyway) so what is the point of his article? It's just a nasty screed...like some wise-ass college kid trashing his parent's idols.

de stijl | August 30, 2007, 3:50pm | #

I never understood why all the flowers were tackily left in their cellophane wrappers. Where's the aesthetic?

So they wouldn't touch the other flowers. That would be unsanitary... or the flower version of miscegenation... or something.

Rhywun | August 30, 2007, 4:15pm | #

Michael Young remembers the tragic death of a vapid socialite—and urges us all to just move on.

I thought it was going to be about Leona Helmsley. Well, in either case, I couldn't agree more.

madpad | August 30, 2007, 4:27pm | #

I thought it was going to be about Leona Helmsley

Leona was many things - a few admirable and many bad - but she was neither vapid nor a socialite.

Aresen | August 30, 2007, 4:32pm | #

Arrgh!

Reason has fallen into the Diana pit!

Is there a "No Princess Di" zone left in the world? (Outside of North Korea)

joe | August 30, 2007, 5:03pm | #

I never understood why all the flowers were tackily left in their cellophane wrappers. Where's the aesthetic?

Ever see some of the nativity scenes in certain Mexican homes?

If you leave the baby doll in the packaging it came in, it shows respect for the Baby Jesus, I guess.

madpad | August 30, 2007, 5:16pm | #

I never understood why all the flowers were tackily left in their cellophane wrappers.

There's a joke about land mines or AIDS in there somewhere...I just know there is.

Lamar | August 31, 2007, 12:59am | #

Princess Di, I read about the Duchesse de Guermantes, I imagined the Duchesse de Guermantes; the Duchesse of Guermantes was a spectacular literary figure. Princess Di, you're no Duchesse de Guermantes.

Douglas Gray | August 31, 2007, 11:30am | #

This is poor journalism. Mr. Young was not personally acquainted with the Princess, yet he manages to trash her with no real information, just opinion and innuendos. Why does REASON use up space with this sort of tabloid quality stuff? Why does he want to write about her in this way?

The House of Windsor's vast wealth and sense of privelege is oppressive. I think people admire her because she tried to stand up to them.

Mike Reason | August 31, 2007, 5:20pm | #

What do you mean "no real information," it is common knowledge that Princess Di screwed everyone in Europe. Also, someone needs to tell the people that she was a rich bitty that was occasionally photographed visiting kids that got their arms and legs blown off, not a saint. Michael Young, keep up the good work.

Shem | September 1, 2007, 12:27pm | #

But hey, I never felt an attachment to Pope John Paul II but I was kind and understanding to all my Catholic friends who mourned his death.

And in ten years, if they're just as broken up about the death of a man they never even met, marking the anniversary every single year, will you be so understanding?

dbust1 | September 4, 2007, 2:54pm | #

I am as sick and tired of hearing about princess di now as I was when every media outlet was holding a "death watch" ten years ago. (AND I am sick and tired everytime someone calls the Kennedy's "American Royalty." Perhaps the only "royal" things about the Kennedys is their amazing ability to leave the scene of the crime and their inability to safely operate motor vehicles themselves.) I agree that REASON should focus on real issues and not pop bull-shit. But, hey, at least some media outlet is willing to say what we're all thinking.

gabe harris | September 10, 2007, 3:08pm | #

This article shows that If Mr Young doesn't get a job with the Fox Street Journal or the National Review he can always get a gig with ET or star magazine writing about the next Paris Hilton Scandal or maybe doing an opinion piece on Anna Nicole Smith.