Dear Gossips,
I watched the first half hour of The Princess, HBO’s new documentary about Princess Diana, on the treadmill this morning. It made the time go by real fast and it made me want to stay on the treadmill, which almost never happens. I was mad when I had to stop and get ready for work, resentful that I couldn’t keep going. This, still, is the power of Diana over me. And maybe that’s still a problem.
The Princess presents Diana through archival news footage, interrogating the relentless media coverage that followed her to her death and beyond; the royal family’s role in encouraging it and not protecting her from it; Diana’s attempts to control it and the controversy that ensued; and also asks the viewer to consider the public’s responsibility in how Diana was treated. Did we leave her alone while we were calling for the paparazzi to leave her alone? Because it’s not like I wasn’t looking…obsessively. And it continues to this day. Because as just mentioned, I did not want to get off the treadmill, even though none of what’s in the film is new to me, even though I’ve probably seen 99% of what’s in it. Diana fascination in and of itself is a treadmill. Pretty sure I’m not the only one on it.
More thoughts on The Princess when I finish it – probably as soon as I get home from work tonight. It’s currently streaming on HBO and in Canada The Princess is available on Crave. If you’ve already watched it, definitely send me your thoughts.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
