The Royal Spud

Don't get me wrong. I like the UK. I've spent a lot of time there. I have a lot of friends there. It's a fun place (if you can afford it).  The people there are, for the most part, pretty darn cool! Sure, they have some idiots...but we all have idiots, so one can't fault them for it.

I live in the US. A couple hundred years ago, we fought for our independence from the UK. It's not that we don't like the people there...we just wanted to do things our own way...and I'd have to say we've done OK, in general. At least we don't have an official King (except maybe Elvis) or Queen (Latifah? Possibly Oprah....or maybe Martha Stewart, the Evil Queen). Royalty ain't what this country is about!

All of this said, I'm hoping someone can explain this to me: As our drummer and I were heading to rehearsal tonight, we turned onto the 40th Street Bridge and I looked over at the giant, annoying, ever changing, light up billboard and see CONGRATULATIONS WILL & KATE! and there were badly designed, light up Union Jacks all around it. WTF?

Don't get me wrong. I think it's wonderful that they have a healthy new baby boy. What I don't understand is why we, as Americans, should consider this something to celebrate? We have 313.9 million people here in the States. The UK has 62.7 million. Are we congratulating them because they're now one closer to catching up? Was it some amazing bit of modern science that these two inbreds managed to conceive a child that doesn't have flippers? Why is it that we American citizens are supposed to be excited over this? Is it because they're Royals? So what!

This isn't the first royal baby born recently. There have been a number of others...see for yourself:

January 20, 2013. Prince Carl Friedrich and Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, twin sons of Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie.
May 9, 2012. Princess Luisa Irene Constance Anna Maria of Bourbon-Parma, daughter of Carlos Xavier and Annemarie [van Weezel], Duke and Duchess of Parma, The Hague.
February 23, 2012. Princess Estelle of Sweden, daughter of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, Solna (Stockholm). February 22, 2012. Princess Isabelle d'Orléans, daughter of Charles Philippe Duke and Diane Duchess of Anjou, Lisbon. January 24, 2012. Princess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie of Denmark, daughter of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, Copenhagen.
September 27, 2011. Prince Giorgi Bagration Bagrationi of Georgia, son of Prince Davit and Princess Ana. May 24, 2011. Prince Amedeo of Savoy, son of Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia, and Princess Olga [of Greece], Paris. February 12, 2011. Archduke Luigi Amadeo Thadeus of Austria, son of Archduke Martin of Austria and Princess Katharina [zu Isenburg], Pavia. January 8, 2011. Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sofie Ivalo Mathilda of Denmark, twin children of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Copenhagen.
May 28, 2010. Louis de Bourbon and Alphonse de Bourbon, twin sons of Louis Duke of Anjou and Margarita [Vargas Santaella] Duchess of Anjou, New York. May 20, 2010. Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Ulster. January 5, 2010. Princess Alva of Bavaria, daughter of Prince Manuel and Princess Anna [zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg].

I don't recall any media coverage on these births and I especially don't recall seeing any local billboards! So why the hubbub?

Sure, William's mother was Princess Diana...and we all seemed to think she was special. Why? Because she was pretty. That's really about it. Sure, Kate is pretty too...but what? We don't have pretty women here in the US? Personally, I think we have more than our fair share of hotties here...and ya don't see all of them getting this sort of treatment!

So why all the fuss? I hope the parents raise the kid well. I hope the boy grows up strong and healthy. If the UK decides to retain it's monarchy, he's 3rd in line for the throne. Mind you, all that means is he'll have a cushy job for life and not really have to do much.

So, my fellow Americans, ask yourselves: WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ACTING ALL GOOFY BECAUSE THESE 2 BRITISH KIDS HAD A BABY?