23 years ago today - Princess Diana's death

OMG - one of the guys in this video left a comment under the original clip mentioning that we have discussed it here on Datalounge!

"So ... I just learned that this video that I shot in 1997 has become a topic of conversation on several DataLounge pages, dating back years. To answer some questions that have popped up - Yes, this video is real, not faked later to a videotape. You think we're that good of actors? Some people call this video the first of what are now called "reaction" videos. That term didn't exist in 1997 and neither did YouTube. Why was I recording? I was trying out a new camcorder. The original video is much longer than this clip and starts with us just playing the card game UNO. Then my mom called me to say that Diana was in a car crash and to turn on the TV. I kept recording. I only posted the Diana part of the video here, not us playing the game for 15 minutes beforehand, because this is the interesting part. It was recorded in Iowa City, Iowa. All of the guys in the video are still alive today (as of today, August 26, 2020). Yes, we are all gay, so what. The guy who screams when he learns Diana has died is my friend Ken who lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is his genuine reaction to the news of Diana's death. Some people call it a "Wilhelm scream." The guy who stifles a smile after the scream is Scott. When CNN announced that Diana had died I didn't turn the camera back to the TV because I was more interested in capturing my friends' reactions."

link plz R1

We will never forget her. The greatest Princess ever.

The link to what I posted at R1 - posted just 4 days ago

Is today’s bank holiday in the UK in commemoration of the death of the Princess of Wales?

Don’t worry guys, we now have Meghan Markle

R1 All we wanted to know what who are the tops and bottoms and if there was an orgy after that he recorded.

We are ALL the guy who stifled a smile after his big MARY! friend let out that shriek.

Magnificent. Forever.

I remember watching Larry King on CNN and his show was interrupted by the Breaking News of Diana's car crash. Then they announced she died. It was just so surreal it was hard to believe.

From the article:

"In an announcement issued three days before the 23rd anniversary of Diana’s death, Harry and William revealed that a statue of their mother will be installed in the garden of Kensington Palace next year on what would’ve been her 60th birthday.

“The Princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy,” the Palace said in a statement on behalf of the offices of Prince William and Prince Harry."

it's clear he's a very nice and straight forward guy, R1 - I love the way he hits all the balls back in a clear and truthful way. Here's a person who knows how to roll with the punches....unlike Neely & co.

& for all the gossiping and giggling, they came across as a very nice group of people and they weren't all "queeny" they were a real cross-section, and who cares if they were?

Funny thing for me, I discovered DL the day the DLer first ever posted that clip and I did laugh a lot at the comments, it was my introduction to DL humor, what an introduction, right? - that was 13 years ago and I've been here A LOT ever since.

DL can be very funny when looking at videos and photos of gays. Even in 2007 it was a rare thing. This was WAY before gay VLOGS and such. That's partly why it got so much attention. Now if you link one, many people don't even bother to watch - but when they began, there was blood on the sidewalk every single time.

“In other words, her face got it” in response to the comment about how the news ticker went from describing Diana as “injured” to “seriously injured” is delightfully snarky.

I hope those guys in Iowa know we aren't making fun of them here. Not really. We're a bit amused and the shriek is actually a bit funny in context.....but it's our gallows humor here.

Princess of Wales, not Princess Diana

R5 No, it's just August Bank Holiday. It's a coincidence.

That video is great, OP! Wasn't expecting it to be that good!

R13 Yeah, I doubt too many Brits would have come out with something like that at the time.

It is quite sweet how much these Americans cared about a British royal. Was Diana a popular figure in the US?

She got nothing on me!

R19 - Diana was on many magazine covers and many of them were top sellers. She was a superstar in the US as well as the UK.

Ooooh. A statue! Will it be REGAL?

R19–we don’t have our own royal family, so we adopt yours. Not a universal sentiment, but wide enough.

Scott (the one who stifles a smile) probably used to laugh about Ken (the camp, squealing one) all the time behind his back.

"How was poker night, Scott?" "Oh, that Ken dude, Jesus Christ...."

Goddess.

I don't think he'd have called Ken, dude.

What a fuking homo!

MARY!

I've watched the video at least a dozen times over the years and it never fails to amuse.

So there will finally be a Diana statue at Kensington. I read an excerpt from a UK diarist (whose name escapes me) that Princess Margaret and Princess Michael of Kent were united in their contempt for erecting a statue shortly after Diana's death. Margaret said something to the effect of "I will not have this woman outside my bedroom window." At least Marie Christine will live to see it.

R29 The diarist's name - Andrew Morton?

And the thread that started it all.

If only the technology was such that we could have a reaction video to the news of the death of Pres. Kennedy.

Nice find, R1!

The guy with no shoes or socks, who begins holding the shriek queen...... I would fuck him like a teacher.

Princess Margaret and Princess Michael of Kent were/are jealous Diana stole the limelight and was massively popular, and she wasn't even royal. Yes, I'm sure Diana could be nasty and manipulative, but why was she that way? She was pushed to be. Diana was massively damaged by her family before she even married Charles and the royal family and media damaged her further. I imagine she was quite mentally ill, but it was no means her fault. She did her best. She was too young for her station. Very sad.

Odd that it's taken him THIRTEEN years to find out about the DL "attention".

He's deleted it and re-posted it several times in different places over the years.

I've read some nasty homophobic messages posted under them. But he's always cool about it. I love the message he sent us. He says it like it is.

I think this is worth watching. You know, for perspective?!?

I hope the statue looks better than Lucy's did.

"Oh.. she died"

"Pass the remote"

No, r30. I'm pretty sure it's Kenneth Rose. He was a frequent tippler at the Queen Mother's extravagant luncheons.

Someone here said it best,” she was a covert narcissist with a borderline personality disorder.” And after watching her interviews, I believe we were all fooled.

[quote]I hope those guys in Iowa know we aren't making fun of them here.

Bitch, stop. We love them, but we made fun. Don't rewrite history. I was there.

Isn't the concept of "covert narcissism" an oxymoron? Why would a narcissist want to go undiscovered for all of his/her incredible wonderfulness? There is no recognition in a vacuum.

I'm glad to read his update that he and his friends are still alive. He seems like a nice and candid person. And they're all gay mid-Westerners.

[quote]If only the technology was such that we could have a reaction video to the news of the death of Pres. Kennedy.

Well there was Walter Cronkite announcing JFK's death live on TV, struggling to compose himself. He didn't seem the screaming type.

R36 Someone needs to ask him if that cute-ish younger guy (white t shirt) that was consoling the shrieking mary (ken?) the Shrieking mary’s top?

I love this video! If the guy who posted on YT is visiting? You guys are all DL icons!!

Gosh, I remember I was about to start my senior year when Diana passed. I was dating my first boyfriend and we'd just watched some lame movie after a night of coke and sex. Ah, the 90s...

DIG HER UP!

DIG HER UP!

[quote]The original video is much longer than this clip and starts with us just playing the card game UNO. Then my mom called me to say that Diana was in a car crash and to turn on the TV. I kept recording. [bold]I only posted the Diana part of the video here, not us playing the game for 15 minutes[/bold] beforehand, because this is the interesting part.

How much would we LOVE to see the full 15 minutes?

I remember I was dating a guy who’s mom was / great big fat person from the uk. He said she was wailing when she heard the news and he thought it was awkward.

I, too, am shocked that this was the first that any of the stars of DLs most iconic video knew they were a hot topic here.

I hope they post here someday. I'm happy they are all still alive!

I'd like Scott, the guy who tried to hide his smirk, to do a Q&A here. Or the screamer!

Poor thing R43. You must’ve been born yesterday. Welcome to the world.

I remember when Charles and Shy Di (ha!) got engaged. Such excitement!

Sometimes I imagine getting in a time machine, traveling back to the day of the royal wedding, and blowing everyone's mind as they kiss on the balcony. "Hi, I'm from the future. Get this. It'll be a godawful marriage, ending in a bitter divorce. Then she'll die tragically in a horrific car accident with her muslim playboy boyfriend. Oh, and this is fun, they'll have a black grandchild." This being 1981, they would have thrown a net over me. Just goes to show, you never know how things turn out.

"That means her face got it. "

[quote]Was Diana a popular figure in the US?

Diana was immensely famous in the US throughout the 80s and 90s. Constantly in the media and on magazine covers. The kind of fame and public interest Diana had back then doesn't exist today, even among the biggest stars and public figures. Nobody captures the attention and interest of the general public like that anymore.

Diana was the most beloved human being in the history of civilization. Her birthday should be an international holiday! In Britain, Heathrow airport should have been renamed in her honour.

I remember Diana kvellling about how, like JFK, Jr., her son William was so gorgeous. Little did she know that his beauty would not have such a short shelf life.

I think William is handsome. He looks immaculate.