Should Chelsea Clinton get a break from the media frenzy?
Chelsea Clinton is getting married soon to Marc Mezvinsky. They want to keep the details of their wedding as secret as possible, but - nonetheless - the event has become the object of . Everything from the likely venue, to the possible dress designers are being discussed.
Proud parents Bill and Hillary Clinton have said they're under strict orders not to let anything slip, although the Secretary of State did admit (whilst travelling in Poland) that : "It truly is the most important thing in my life right now".
As the presumed date approaches - July 31st - journalists, bloggers and tabloids justify their near-blanket coverage by suggesting that the Clintons are essentially.
The Washington Post has come to Chelsea's defence, calling for .
"The prying reportage is beginning to smell of dumpster diving. Have we no shame? No, apparently, we do not," The Post charged. "If there is anything particularly noteworthy about Clinton -- and this is a sad reflection on our pop-culture universe -- it's that as the child of two public and controversial parents, she seems well-adjusted, intelligent and pleasant," the newspaper says. "This is how our culture rewards decorum."
The weddings of other former US presidents have passed with far less fanfare. John Kennedy Jr. married Carolyn Bessette in a modest Georgia church, with no paparazzi in sight. As for Jenna Bush, she diffused any chance of a tabloid feeding frenzy by .
But it may be that the case of Chelsea Clinton is unique. She has been an object of fascination since her teenage years in the White House, when she was obliged to publicly endure her parents' marital difficulties. It appears many Americans feel they've watched the junior Clinton grow up, and therefore deserve to be part of her happy moment.
In a world where women announce their pregnancies on Facebook, it may be that we can't quite grasp the concept that someone in Chelsea's position simply doesn't want the publicity, or any further intrusion.
Or, is it unrealistic for the high-profile daughter of two of the planet's most famous people, to expect effective anonymity on what's likely to be the biggest day of her life?
Tell us what you think and listen to World Update this Friday as we will be discussing Chelsea and Marc's wedding.
