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?

Noone needed the media to say she was mixed race. It wasn't a secret.

Also I said "usually" not "always".

Oh yes, indeed - you should see the RF board!

I mean - there couldn't be any other reason, could there, for not liking Ms Markle? 🙄

But to answer OP's question seriously: it was unprofessional and out of place, so I do agree with you there.

I take care to keep my anti-Meghan rants strictly in my private life!!😂

@Spirallingdownwards

It seems you’ve an axe to grind and are intent on implying anyone who disagrees with you is racist, it seems you may be more biased than you realise ironically

Gosh. How strange. And this came completely out of the blue?

Well, the King's brother, Edward, has generally kept his children somewhat out of the public eye, so Harry could have acted similarly. The Wales children are inevitably in public as they are direct heirs to the throne and must be seen. And unless Prince George chooses to abdicate he will have no choice but to be in the public eye.

Something I’ve noticed about some people who are high up in their places of work, is how they expect other people to spend their valuable time listening to their meaningless drivel and pretending to laugh at their jokes. It’s quite funny to watch these types retire and realise their jokes were never funny and their anecdotes are actually dull.

Why should he?

No I said "usually" not "always" those people who have an issue with her do so because they have racist tendencies. It seems to have hit a nerve with you. If people don't fall within the "usually" category then people wouldn't have an issue with my comment.

She didn't have to expose herself to the grief she gets - she could have decided not to marry into the British RF as a working royal, or she could have carried out the job of work she had decided on (wife of a prince of the UK) and done it well. She would have received little but praise for that.

Ranting about her is very strange and out of place in a workplace. I would be uncomfortable.Idol chat or light discussion about her show in the break home would be pretty normal just like any show or celebrity.

Having said that, I think the view that any dislike of her show or criticism of behaviour can only be rooted in racism is very troubling. She’s a multidimensional woman who’s produced shows, podcasts and books. She earned fans and has many, many projects that people will enjoy and react to. She’s also been accused of bullying across various continents, workplaces, employees and roles. That’s troubling. Some of those employees have a substantial power imbalance compared to her role and her wealth. This was compounded by NDAs. That’s more troubling. Those employees are as entitled as Meghan, if not more entitled given the power imbalance, to have their concerns against their employer heard and taken seriously. If she has bullied her staff, which the bulk of evidence seems to suggest she has although likely due to inexperience as a manger rather than malice, then she will need to apologise and own her mistakes just like we all do.

It’s unfair to her and to the people who have real, genuine, three dimensional opinions about her behaviour to refuse to acknowledge any aspects to her other than her race. She can be well intentioned, a survivor, an interesting actress / producer, a passionate business owner, a perfectionist, a difficult women to work for and a bit self focused while also being a woman of colour or any other group of people. Many of us are all of those things utterly regardless of race.

As a society, I think it’s troubling when we refuse to allow people to have an opinion because specific traits are all we can see. I loathe the thought that there could be employees who can’t have their concerns heard because their employer is too famous.

I also liked her show, so kudos to her.

I don't have an axe to grind. I am merely responding to those who direct quoted me as they seem to have not read what I said properly.

It was unprofessional, and inappropriate.

But we are on a dangerous road when we are automatically assuming that dislike of Meghan Markle indicates racism with no ifs ands or buts.

I can't bear James Corden, am I sizeist?

It is both unprofessional and out of place but I don't understand why you feel uncomfortable about it. She has embarrassed herself, that's all.

This thread isn’t about Andrew. I you want to discuss Andrew I suggest you start a different thread and I’m sure you’ll have a lot of reaction with it.. So Harry can write the book, have the interviews etc but you are suggesting that he is so weak that he capitulates to his father? Then why didn’t he capitulate over the book? Personally I wouldn’t bow or curtsy to any of them. It this is their tradition. You may not understand it but it it what it is.

You don't see her children possibly because of the death threats made against them while they lived in UK.
Surely you haven't forgotten about those serving time in jail for the threats to kill? It is rather easy to forget as it is rarely mentioned.

Quelle surprise

Your manager can't even manage her own feelings. She is not very professional. However, now you have seen her in action, keep quiet.

What? Why should Prince George have to be in the public eye? Because he is second in succession to the throne of the United Kingdom and part of his job is to be in the public eye. Unless he abdicates - a thing he will not want to do, showing as it would that he no sense of his duty etc - he will be in the public eye all of his life.

So anyone who dislikes Meghan Markle is racist, even if they don't know they're racist? Does that include anyone who is the same race as Meghan Markle?

Yes, it was completely out of the blue. We were in the middle of a work-related discussion when she suddenly shifted gears and started going off about MM. It wasn’t relevant to anything we were talking about and the way she spoke about her was really intense.

Would you say the same thing about people who rant online about people like Donald Trump or Nigel Farage? Or is that different?

MM is the antithesis of British values which rubs up the British public the wrong way, such as mocking courtesying the queen in the NF doc while Harry looked on uncomfortably.

Said she didn’t want the Royal life, accused royals of racism yet clung on to her titles and her children’s. A widely shared clip of her correcting her friend for calling her Markle not ‘Sussex’ which is actually a title not her surname - anyone can see this jars.

Her supposed treatment of lesser mortals, her staff and family. With her family she’s been absolutely brutal which doesn’t fit in with the image she presents.

With regard to Harry, it could definitely be argued that the support of a wife would have helped him navigate complex issues with his family, not to help alienate him from them, which is a sad fact for most British people.

However after saying all that, i watched all of the first season of her show and although yes I did find it very superficial and happy clapping California vibes type thing, at the end of that day she’s super rich, has a doting husband and two adored little children in a beautiful bubble of California so well done to her. But to suggest the British public or anyone that doesn’t like her is poppycock.

Of course that's different! They are white.

@Grammarnut

She put herself down as caucasian on her CV apparently - though this does not mean white, of course.

This isn't true.

www.newsweek.com/meghan-markle-caucasian-actress-babe-1767053