To be uncomfortable after my manager went on a rant about how much she hates Meghan Markle during a team meeting?

[AlertBird]

So, today, in our team meeting, my manager went on a full-on rant about how much she hates Meghan Markle. It seemed completely out of place and unnecessary, especially considering the meeting was meant to be about work. It got a bit awkward and no one really knew how to react.

I get that people have opinions but I just felt like it was unprofessional to bring something like that up during a work meeting. It felt like a personal issue being projected onto everyone else.

AIBU to feel uncomfortable about this or is it just me being overly sensitive?

I'd be concerned about a manager who hated someone she knows nothing about, and is thick enough to jump on the MM bashing bandwagon created by our media.

However, given that this didn't happen and it's a made up scenario to shoehorn a MM thread into AIBU, I don't really think it's that important .

I don't NEED to know, I did say out of interest, but maybe you don't understand what I mean.
I don't know why you say "angrily". I'm not angry, just amused.
You see, I know what you are, I've met plenty of people like you. Accusing everyone else of being racist, when they (you) are the most racist of all.
Jumping onto any supposed "racist" comment and twisting it to suit.
You're rumbled!

You little minx!

@soupyspoon
Bit random to go on about a celeb that she doesnt know but then people are strange sometimes.

People do that though don't they? Have a rant about a famous person in a way that they wouldn't do about someone they actually know. Very strange.

All the time in our office!

Usually prompted by something on the telly the night before or something's been said on social media perhaps, but its not uncommon.

People have views about other humans, its normal in many ways.

I dont have strong views or any views in fact on any of the royals but I wonder if people would have felt 'uncomfortable' if the manager had been moaning about other members of the royal family.

You haven’t answered her question and neither have you “educated” her

Really in the middle of important work meeting, s you all decided to to gossip about celebrities you had never met ?
That's quite strange 🤔

Why does thinking this woman is a bit of a knob racist in the slightest? I think Harry is too and he is whiter than white. She comes across as extremely fake and a lier which has nothing to do with her appearance.

Well things go off at a tangent from time to time, I work in a role where we are often exploring people's motivations and dynamics of situations so analogies are often used that might bring into conversation something seen on the news or a comment by a public figure/well known personality or action by them or something. I cant think of a serious 'rant' but that might be perception because in OPs situation as I said, I would probably just make a joke of it.

There’s a big article in today’s Telegraph about Mumsnet, and this thread was mentioned.

A thread started at 10.30am was mentioned in a newspaper that’s printed in the early hours of the morning?

I've just had a look. You know you spend too much time on Mumsnet when you've been on both threads mentioned in the last paragraph 😂

It’s the online edition, came up on my Apple newsfeed. I’m going to try and do a link, bear with me.

Is it chastising us all for talking about non-lady things like cooking and sewing? Are we all nasty wimmin?

Is your manager a mad Royalist (emphasis on the word 'mad')?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/11/how-mumsnet-transformed-britain/

It really is MM Bingo Card time again, isn't it?

Having one of these threads out in the open of AIBU instead of hidden away in the dark cellars of the RF forums where they belong is a stark reminder of the absolute arseholes and nasty pieces of work that frequent MN.

OP's thread seems to have served its purpose anyway.

Thanks @TY78910 , it wouldn’t let me link it, getting in a right muddle. Bit about current threads is towards the bottom.

Completely inappropriate OP.
My son told me that he was in a transatlantic meeting last week and two Americans got into it over Trump. A third party cut in and said "I'm not being paid enough to listen to this shit"..and signed off!
My son, a newly graduate junior engineer was contacted by HR to corroborate what happened, as another colleague formally complained......
HR have sent out "guidance" on chit chat!..

Perhaps not so uncommon op.

I mean Trump is a megalomaniac who happens to be the POTUS and very divisive world wide and MM married into the royal family her actions affect no one not really a comparison.

Yeah. Don't have opinions... or a personality! 🙄🙄🙄

I do wonder why people keep banging on about her.

But I really couldn't be bothered to be offended. There are worse things.

I thought we were supposed to be able to bring our real selves to work these days anyway. Perhaps your manager has a reasonable adjustment that means she needs to vent about randoms in the celeb world now and then!!!

I went on a date a few weeks ago. He had a rant about MM halfway through the meal, talking about how much he disliked her like he knew her (he doesn’t). Personally, I wasn’t that impressed, I feel like he spoke about his ex wives in the same tone so definetly a 🚩

How well do you know her personally?