The above cartoon was printed in The New Yorker a few years ago.  I find myself doing a lot of marriage cartoons, at least one a month. It’s a great cliche, the whole institution.  And now, whether you like it or not, the media will be incessantly talking marriage in the coming months.  You heard: Prince William is getting married to Kate Middleton. I admit, I will get sucked into the brew ha-ha like most everyone else, although I really don’t know why. What is the fascination?  Is it the expensive clothes, the upper class lifestyle? The curiosity as to how they are going to maintain their sanity through all the media attention?

The focus will be on Kate, mostly.  What is she wearing and how she behaves. This is nothing new for women, or for brides in particular.  But for her, it will be magnified a dozen times, and it will get nasty because the media craves controversy.  I hope she can maintain her sanity, and I hope the media does as well.  Even though Willam and Kate live in the spotlight, they are people after all, and deserve a measure of respect.

But let the show begin!