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Newsweek‘s Princess Diana Cover: Not Quite Right

by Lizzie Manning | 2:06 pm, June 28th, 2011

» 30 comments

Oh, Newsweek. Oh, Tina Brown. Did you really have to do this?

In honor of Princess Diana’s would-be 50th birthday (if not for, you know, her death) Tina Brown wrote an article called, “Diana at 50: Chilling with the Middletons. Tweeting from Davos. And still the people’s princess. If not for that tragic night, what her life might look like now.” And yeah, that about sums it up.

In many ways, Brown’s approach is understandable. Princess Diana was a beloved public figure. She was idolized and worshipped. Her death was devastating: an abrupt tragedy. But, it happened. To pretend like it didn’t is disrespectful on so many levels.

For me, the pictures are what makes the article the creepiest. Almost every news outlet that covered the royal wedding posed the inevitable “what would it be like if Diana were here” question. But they didn’t create a hologram of her to include her in the proceedings. The cover image of Diana and Kate Middleton really is impressive photoshopping, but I almost expect Diana to have white zombie-esque eyes.

Similarly, photos of her with an iPhone are borderline disturbing. You can almost imagine the Newsweek people contemplating whether they should try to digitally age her to make the article more real. Oh, but according to Brown, Diana would have kept herself up: “Fashionwise, Diana would have gone the J.Crew and Galliano route à la Michelle Obama, always knowing how to mix the casual with the glam. There is no doubt she would have kept her chin taut with strategic Botox shots and her bare arms buff from the gym.”

That’s probably the worst part of the article, which generally speculates the direction Diana’s life would have headed in if not for the car crash. Brown thinks that Diana would have married again twice, that she would have continued her charity work and that she would have whole heartedly embraced the Middletons, although she would have been just a little bit jealous of Kate.

Brown ends on a note that ends up being a little confusing, discussing how Prince William brought Kate to his mother’s grave before their wedding.

But perhaps more than any gesture of significance, in the days before the wedding ceremony, William took Kate on a sacred trip to Althorp to visit Diana’s grave on the island in the lake. He had waited all these years to do it, showing his wife-to-be that Diana still lives and is vibrant in his memory. And in ours.

But, wait. Haven’t we just been looking at all these pictures of Diana living it up in 2011? You mean she didn’t retweet the Dali Lama?

Maybe Brown should have reread her last paragraph and rethought the article. Yes, Diana is alive in our memories. She isn’t walking with Kate Middleton, posing for the paparazzi, and tweeting. That is sad, but it’s more devastating to pretend like she is. To create photographs that simulate a bizarre alternate reality is hurtful, especially to her children.

(h/t Newsweek)

Kate Middleton, Newsweek, Prince William, Princess Diana

lillyluminatus

Diana at 50…would be a zombie?
Azarkhan

“Fashionwise, Diana would have gone the J.Crew and Galliano route à la Michelle Obama, always knowing how to mix the casual with the glam. There is no doubt she would have kept her chin taut with strategic Botox shots and her bare arms buff from the gym.”

Hard to believe that a foreign twit like Tina Brown is allowed by the lamestream media to comment on American politics
Harry Flashman

So…Diana and Kate would get drunk, then Kate would put a spaghetti strainer on her head but Diana, not to be outdone, would tie a fryer splatter screen on her head with a ribbon, then they would take a walk with some creepy guy following them.

Is that what would have happened?
crclarkNY

I’ll bet they thought this was clever…but it’s just tasteless. What makes it bad is that Brown was so catty/superficial in her treatment (did she even know Diana??). Written with another approach – and omitting the photoshopped photos – it might have been okay.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Dean/759323618 Tom Dean

This is a sick joke, right? Right?

Time is run by intelligent people sensitive to, among other things, nuances of taste and decorum and so would never do something this blatantly clueless, utterly devoid of human compassion, and just plain butt-head stupid..

This has got to be some clever joke on Time and Tina Brown designed to make the entire organization and especially Brown look like babbling idiots on crack.

Oh the humanity!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ts-Jones/100000221131798 T.s. Jones

Disgusting. Diana was a beloved person and this marginalizes her life. Gross. Newsweek USED to be a respectable (albeit liberal leaning) magazine. Now it is an utter joke. It is VERY DISTURBING and not funny, clever or insightful at all. :(
lillyluminatus

Azarkhan said:
Hard to believe that a foreign twit like Tina Brown is allowed by the lamestream media to comment on American politics

And apparently you have never heard of Rupert Murdoch….?
TfT

“…simulate a bizarre alternate reality…”

That is pretty much what Newsweak, Time, and the restof the looney left liberal media, to include nbccbsabccnnmsnbcnytimes, do on aregular basis.
c54910

This is one of the reasons “Newsweek” is a failure.
Rescuedog2

This is classic Tina Brown. It’s all about the buzz! (Gag)
MediaiteCensorsSux

One of your worst decisions Tina.
MediaiteCensorsSux

BTW, Harmon had more class than this.
NotALib

Harry Flashman said:
So…Diana and Kate would get drunk, then Kate would put a spaghetti strainer on her head but Diana, not to be outdone, would tie a fryer splatter screen on her head with a ribbon, then they would take a walk with some creepy guy following them.

Is that what would have happened?

That was too funny!
TillieGlockenspiel

T.s. Jones said:
Disgusting. Diana was a beloved person and this marginalizes her life. Gross. Newsweek USED to be a respectable (albeit liberal leaning) magazine. Now it is an utter joke. It is VERY DISTURBING and not funny, clever or insightful at all. :(

Couldn’t agree more. Apparently, Tina Brown did NOT learn everything she needed to know in kindergarten! There seems to be no conscience left in humankind any longer.

Shame on you, Tina Brown.
mlb

Diana looks like an aged Barbie doll. Ewww. The entire covers looks like the National Enquirer. Just Yikes! BIG Big Mistake Tina. You don’t mess with the legacy of a beloved public figure in such a disrespectful and cheesy way.
Emma

Was Richard Stengel on Morning Joe pimping this issue?
Cecelia

‘“Fashionwise, Diana would have gone the J.Crew and Galliano route à la Michelle Obama, always knowing how to mix the casual with the glam. There is no doubt she would have kept her chin taut with strategic Botox shots and her bare arms buff from the gym.”’

Well, that’s a relief…

Tina Brown is a veritable jelly roll pan of depth.

Maybe for the next News Week cover she can superimpose the late Mother Teresa’s likeness at Jack Welch’s Independence Day Party on Nantucket.
Nature Freak

Absolutely terrible cover, no matter what political affiliation you hold.

Poor judgement.

Internet killed the magazine star.
Magazines such as Newsweek were huge and very influential only 15 years ago.
As a 40 year old, at least I will always remember that distant time before the internet ascended.
http://www.squidoo.com/lauriebethsgrotto Laurie Beth

This is a morbid and hideous mistake.
Tedderman

Run, it’s the zombie princess!
Nature Freak

Tedderman said:
Run, it’s the zombie princess!

was Lady Di in Shaun of the Dead?

Diana needs brains.

Terrible photo!
Tedderman

Looks like something a kid photoshopped.
Nature Freak

Tedderman said:
Looks like something a kid photoshopped.

most kids would do a better job.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

bizarre alternate reality is hurtful, especially to her children. – no kidding!

tacky, tacky, tacky.
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PennyBeach

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TristramShandy

Tina Brown made a mess out of the New Yorker, do destroying Newsweek should be a very simple task.
sharrow

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TehSchlip

Lol. Hillarious. Just about what I think of ‘high fashion’ as well. doubtless those strainers / screens cost $1,000+ also.