On Aug. 26, people world wide watched the trailer for Spencer, a biopic about the late Princess Diana. An icon of the 80s and 90s, many know her for the various movies, documentaries and books published about her life. Yet, her story is being told again, which begs the question: when will the media stop exploiting people’s trauma?
Twenty four years after her tragic death, Princess Diana continues to amaze people. During the 80s and 90s, she was known for her exemplary fashion style, from bright red suits to green sequined mermaid style dresses. Most notable was her work in bringing awareness to AIDS and homelessness, yet this appears to be ignored in tales about her life.
Each documentary and movie about the late princess focuses on the rough time she had while being a member of the royal family. Each points out her eating disorder and deteriorating mental health. And most importantly, each form of media includes the decline of her marriage with Prince Charles. It’s the same story told repeatedly, indicating that all society cares about are traumatic experiences.
However, it’s not just Princess Diana whose trauma is constantly being exploited.
The victims of serial killers are continually being exploited with every re-creation of their trauma. For example, Jefferey Dahmer and Ted Bundy have multiple films about their heinous crimes. Rather than focus on the victims, the films give background into the serial killer's upbringing, evident in My Friend Dahmer or attempt to establish humanity and paint the killer as a normal person, as seen in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The victims are not only being disrespected by the dramatization of their attacks but also by fan clubs worshiping these well-known serial killers.
Besides individual people, Hollywood continues to exploit the trauma of Black Americans. Popular Black films deal with topics such as slavery, or more prominently today, police brutality. The back-to-back films about the enslavement and murder of Black people do not investigate racism in America, but profit off of the horrible experiences of Black Americans. The lives of Black Americans are filled with more than suffering, and society needs more of those movies.
The media is only partially to blame because they continue to serve the interests of audience members or consumers. As a society, there needs to be a shift into how the life of someone is viewed.
Princess Diana will always remain an icon, and for some, an inspiration, but there is no reason to continue to create films about her terrible experience with the royal family. It is time for films that celebrate people’s lives. Not only that, but it is time to create a film about someone else. Plenty of iconic women have led lives as interesting as Princess Diana, such as Ida B. Wells, an iconic journalist who was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The media needs to leave Princess Diana alone. After all, the paparazzi being intimately involved in her life is what led to her tragic end.
Iana Fields is a senior studying English creative writing at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Iana? Tweet her @FieldsIana.
