Sex, Bread, and Circuses

Professor J, 

The Simpson/Windsor scandal may be a "footnote of history" but I've always found it a fascinating one. It was depicted once again recently in the movie, The King's Speech. Several years ago I read a book of letters between the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Their correspondence was interesting and revealing. The relationship seemed to be one of those where each one needed or wanted a specific thing.  He appeared to have been looking for the close mother figure he didn't have (He seemed to be playing the John to her Yoko.). It was fairly obvious what she hoped to gain and though she didn't get all of it she came  pretty close (She was denied the title HRH, but when her jewelry collection came up for auction in 1987 it sold for a little over 53 million dollars). She was also Time's 1936 Woman of the Year.

Do you ever think he was sorry?  I always imagine them arguing and him throwing the old "I gave up the crown for you!" in her face. It's a bit of a trump card as sacrifices for love go now, isn't it? He actually may have had the chance to say it as she was known to carry on several affairs during their marriage, some rather publicly. They were the epitome of  dashing good looks and a glamorous lifestyle (in exile), though ostracized by the British  upper class whose opinion mattered to them most. They made several serious mis-steps not the least of which was making a chummy visit to Germany and palling around with Hitler and Goebbels! For all the vitriol heaped on her, she probably did the Brits a favor by way of providing them with a king much better suited for getting them through the bleak years of WWII.

The way things work today, they would move to America and some network would build a reality show around them, The Abdicator. ;)

Speaking of scandals, this has been a summer full of the bread and (media) circuses sort. While the budget/debt crisis looms the public has been distracted by such serious news stories as Congressman Weiner's acting like a twit via Twitter and the Casey Anthony trial. I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the congressman. Some silly messages and revealing photos cost him his seat in the House. It seems fairly harmless behavior to me considering what we see from other politicians. He certainly paid a hefty price for NOT actually doing anything.  Yet when the offender is a woman we often see a different outcome. Graphic sex tapes have earned the likes of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian celebrity status and television/magazine deals. I can't help but wonder how long it will be before Playboy offers Anthony a mega cash deal, or if they have already.


In the south a few years ago we had the case of a woman who murdered her pastor husband in his sleep then collected her 3 children and fled the state. At her trial she confessed to doing it but claimed she didn't know what happened and didn't remember any details. The defense was abuse, of course. The jury found her not guilty.


At the risk of having members of my own sex heap disdain on me, I can't help but notice that female reporters and anchors set the tone for how the public is supposed to think of these things. A couple of years ago when South Carolina's Governor Sanford, went missing and lied to everyone from his staff to his best friend about hiking the Appalachian Trail when he was actually in South America with his Argentine mistress the media was ready to pounce when he finally came home and went public with a detailed confession. After a very strange and rambling explanation of his actions, confessing the affair, and referring to the woman as his soul mate along with describing the affair as "one for the ages" back in studios on several channels women were sympathetic. It probably helped that he choked up several times and said he had spent "the last five days crying in Argentina" (how's that for theatrics?) So the female anchors and pundits framed it as "It wasn't just about sex, the poor guy's in love." One woman reporter went so far as to say "He's ruined his marriage he should get back on that plane and go get the woman he loves."

This is the news, right?

He managed to hold on to his office (barely) but not his marriage. Ah, the beauty of a 24 hour news cycle. It certainly is different from what I use to watch with my dad every night after dinner.