What on earth should we believe when it comes to so-called mass media these days? At my local barbershop recently, I passed the time reading The Globe, not to be confused in any way with the Globe and Mail.
The Globe is a supermarket tabloid, second only in readership apparently to the National Enquirer. I regard it as a ‘guilty pleasure’, but like wrestling, I fear that far too many people believe what is on those pages.
A bit more consultation with Mr. And Mrs. Google reveals that the Globe is home base for most of the wildest of speculation about the Royal Family. They would have us believe that it has already been definitely decided that William will be King of England when his 86 year old grandmother Elizabeth dies or abdicates, unless of course Charles gets rid of the ‘wicked stepmom’ named Camilla.
According to the Globe, Camilla can’t stand William’s wife Kate, and wants nothing to do with young Prince George. The Queen has been described as ‘near death’ in every issue of the rag for at least two years.
She has apparently laid down the law to Charles that the only way he will ascend to the throne, is if he dumps his wife. Camilla in turn apparently is prepared to exit stage left, if Charles cashes in his share of the family jewels and gives her hundreds of millions in a divorce settlement.
I ask you, who knew?
If these fables were written in the wonderful cheeky style that we used to associate with Frank magazine here in Canada, the publishers of the Globe might sell even more copies. By passing it off as legitimate ‘news’, they seriously undermine whatever credibility they might ever have enjoyed.
The sad realization is that the numbers who read tabs like the Globe, and watch T M Z, far outnumber those who read The Guardian or the Globe and Mail.
I’m Roger Currie
