American TV commentators, swept up in the royal wedding fever they had fueled for weeks, gave in to a general giddiness on the big day.
The wee hours were filled with speculation–the dress, the designer–spiced with gossip, misguided attempts at mind-reading, bits of history and all-American gawking at the Brits.
Anderson Cooper guilessly, gleefully eyed the fascinators and noted, “These hats are endlessly fascinating.” Hence the name, Anderson.
The American mix of envy and disdain for British fussiness was evident. “If we’ve learned one thing about you people, it’s that you are on time,” Matt Lauer said.
In an era of extreme casualness everywhere else, in everything from attire to speech and manners, the spectacle of a perfectly formal exercise proved an engrossing oddity. American broadcasters brought a wide-eyed awe, laced with a bit of snark, to the task.
And then there was sheer filler: “We look at her face, we look at her wave, we imagine what she is thinking,” Diane Sawyer said of the bride.
Apparently, we didn’t know what else to say.
Like the wedding itself, the global broadcast to a third of the world’s population was choreographed to within an inch of its life. Contingency plans, which had hundreds of reporters stationed throughout the city in case actual news broke out, fortunately were not needed. Anchors noted the snipers on the roof and kept moving.
The news was propriety, elegance and hats.
Last time, the bride fumbled her vows. (Diana mixed up the groom’s name so it came out sounding like his father’s.) This time, the only fumble was commentators getting couture guesses wrong.
Tina Brown, a British brand in her own right, proclaimed the couple quite real. “Their relationship is not based on fantasy, whereas Diana wanted to be a fairy bride,” Brown said on ABC.
On CBS, Katie Couric, dressed in pink, marveled at the bride. “She’s so calm and collected,” she said. “Unbelievably sophisticated and poised. Reminiscent of Grace Kelly.”
Piers Morgan offered helpful tidbits on CNN, a plucky presence better serving the audience than on his primetime interview show. “The Monarchy is back!” he declared.
CNN’s Cooper seemed to be fighting with himself to attain the right tone, backing away from his interest in the event, playing the serious journalist while gawking like the rest. “We were told it would be hair down,” Cooper said of the bride’s expected coiffure. “I don’t know why I even know that.” (Was he mindful that NBC’s Brian Williams had skipped the wedding, returning to the U.S. to cover storm damage?)
A great aerial shot from the rafters in Westminster Abbey, shared among networks, captured the regal scene.
And when the vows were exchanged, the commentariat thankfully kept quiet.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
