Meghan’s birthday video

[Greenlittle]

I like the idea and I like the video. (Not that keen on the big desk) And I though MM looked...alive!

Not sure who the other woman was. But there was good chemistry.

What interests me about the Daily Mail is how much it influences people who would swear blind they weren’t influenced by it.

A while ago they ran an article referring to Meghan and Harry’s speech as ‘word salad’. It’s a term from psychiatry that they were using incorrectly. I cannot get over how many people posting on MN have absorbed this and regularly use the term. It’s on almost every thread about Meghan/Harry. They’ve been completely brain-washed by a nasty little rag and they have no idea.

Fascinating how insidious the tabloids can be.

My DC and her colleagues would not expect him to be there, it was a community project they chose between them and the garden re-working has carried on and now these residents have somewhere to enjoy.
The flat repainting was the first year, the garden came later.
Sometimes it just takes an idea and a push to make something happen.

People have been using the phrase "word salad" for years on mumsnet and in real life.

I know decent well qualified intelligent mainstream women who just wouldn’t get involved in politics (despite being very capable) because they wouldn’t want to deal with the horror of our media trying to ruin their personal lives or get power over them every chance they get.
Agree totally. Being a politician is an awful job, all that intrusion into your private life and the pay is just not worth the trouble.

I don't think it matters whether Meghan does the mentoring or not. It is the virtue signalling that annoys me. Every single thing about that video is designed to build her brand.

Rightly so, Meghan and Harry have and I expect will continue to have their privacy on triple lockdown - Meghan is one of the most searched people in the world on google.

Someone getting a recent image of her can earn tens of thousands of pounds from it.

God knows what the price on the first image of Lillibet - wasn’t there some paparazzi photographer complaining on Twitter that he was planning to fund sending his children to private school by stalking Meghan’s children? And she’d ruined his entitlement by moving away?

Serena Williams has been targeted asking about her at tennis press conferences.

The Instagram feeds of her known acquaintances are scoured for “clues” about her social life.

As a pp noted the Mail Online is running multiple daily stories on this alleged “irrelevant woman who lives in another continent who no one really cares about here”

Stories IN THE UK have been run on where her house is, guessing the hospital she gave birth at, on organisations she and Harry have been associated with.

I think the initiative overall is a bit “woo” - I’ve seen MO and Sheryl sandberg speak

I think the messages of “lean in” and “show grit” just encourages women to be martyrs

(though I’m quite introverted and grumpy and ASD and clearly not the target audience?)

But I do think it’s maybe a bit consciously naive to claim to not understand why someone in Meghan’s position would choose to keep her personal schedule/contacts/movements as secret as possible from now on? 🤷‍♀️

Like I said I find the charity stuff hard to understand, but I do think she and Harry are good role models in “showing boundaries and protecting their family ” .

William and Kate took a different path (and despite “playing nice” we had the stolen topless photos and also they still have to regularly take action on their children’s behalf but “not enough to annoy the Press”)

Oh, and what they did to Caroline Flack who knew William.

Meghan clearly isn’t a female martyr and refused to “just tolerate” being used as a scapegoat or chew toy for certain sections of society and the tabloids.

although some people loath her for it I think her life choices and decisions make her a better female role model than any 40 minute chat.

@MissTrip82

What interests me about the Daily Mail is how much it influences people who would swear blind they weren’t influenced by it.

A while ago they ran an article referring to Meghan and Harry’s speech as ‘word salad’. It’s a term from psychiatry that they were using incorrectly. I cannot get over how many people posting on MN have absorbed this and regularly use the term. It’s on almost every thread about Meghan/Harry. They’ve been completely brain-washed by a nasty little rag and they have no idea.

Fascinating how insidious the tabloids can be.

perhaps use the advanced search facility and see just how long ‘word salad’ has been knocking about MN. Maybe look a bit closer to home as to whose views are affected by tabloids ...

@Applesonthelawn

People have been using the phrase "word salad" for years on mumsnet and in real life.

In psychiatry, as I said, yes.

Elsewhere? Perhaps it’s just coincidence that you’ve found it widely and incorrectly used by the general public and has simply been taken up by those people who use it, widely and incorrectly, whenever they describe these particular people.

Just did, Maramaldeagain! What a great idea! It definitely proves your point……

How odd to see so many uses of this phrase with regard to these two people?

Again, what an amazing coincidence! That so many have been using this phrase entirely incorrectly and it has simply naturally increased with regard to these two people.

Aren’t coincidences funny?

I suppose it’s well-intentioned, but I agree with the posters who question the actual usefulness of it. I’m sure Hillary Clinton can proofread a CV well enough, but it’s been decades since she’d have needed to submit one for anything, and conventions have changed in the meantime. I doubt she (or any of the others) have useful advice to offer on how to climb the ladder from manual labor to office worker to middle management, how to balance college classes with a job and a family, or where to find professional interview attire when you’re struggling to pay rent. Most have never done any of that, and for the few that have, it was such a long time ago that too much has changed for their experience to be very helpful.

Or is the intent to give 40 randomly-selected lucky women the chance to get a job through this connection? If so, that’s just wrong in all kinds of ways. The problem with “the system” (for lack of a better term) is that too often, jobs and other opportunities are doled out based on who you know rather than what you can do. Meghan’s criticized this before, and I agreed with her on that point. But this is just more of the same - this alternative would have these women getting jobs not because they’re any more deserving of them than any other applicant, but because they had the good luck to be chosen by Meghan (or Meghan's employees) for the chance to connect with someone who decided to be magnanimous and dole one out to the pleb she was matched with. That’s really not an improvement.

If any of the current royals presumed to lecture the unemployed on how best to reenter the workforce, I’d bust a gut laughing. They don’t, though - they seem to have enough self-awareness to know better. Or at least, the men in gray do, and stop them from embarrassing themselves.

As for “word salad,” I’ve been using it in reference to my MIL’s texts for years. It’s been in common usage in the US for longer than that. To laypersons, it means “a bunch of words that aren’t connected in any way that makes sense.”

@PurpleOkapi I agree I don't really get the "principle" of it if it's just a chat.

(and it would actually be really annoying - oh bloody great I said "hi" to Beyonce time to sign on again now )?

That said, SmartWorks and the Vogue editorial have done spectacularly well (Meghan's Vogue was fastest selling issue) so I expect it's all been fairly well-organised.

Especially in "networking style" industries like entertainment and politics and fashion where you need a hand in the door.

Things a "mentor" could offer access to, like internships or work experience or a weeks trial (often only accessible to those with the right close contacts) would make a real difference.

Things a "mentor" could offer access to, like internships or work experience or a weeks trial (often only accessible to those with the right close contacts) would make a real difference.

That's my point, though. Yes, those things can make a real difference. That's why they shouldn't be handed out based on a person's connections. If Hillary or Beyonce or whomever knows of an opening for someone with the mentee's qualifications, all they should be doing is directing the mentee to the job posting. Using those contacts to get the mentee a job does nothing to resolve the inherent unfairness or inequality of the current system. The only change here is that now Meghan's the one picking the winners and losers. Sure, it's helping the mentee, but it's harming whoever would have gotten the spot instead. Now, maybe that's not what's happening here, I don't know - depending on how they go about matching people, I don't think Hillary Clinton will necessarily know anyone hiring preschool teachers. But if so, I think it's hypocritical of Meghan to suddenly decide she's ok with furthering systemic inequality as long as she gets to be a power broker in that very flawed system.

I guess the argument is that women (and women of colour) often naturally think "networking is a fancy twattish concept and not something people who look like me do." Or have "imposter syndrome".

But guys like David Cameron's WhatsApp group would and have done for yonks? (and extend this to their children and mates).

I worked admin at a very naice firm once and my "interns" were all useless kids who were the children of mates of the company owner so they could put the company name on their CV. I had to just give them internet access so they wouldn't get in the way! But that was the system.

There's actually a bit on the website about it and I think the "40 minutes" is just a catchphrase, it looks like more than 40 minutes!

"Work with your mentee to identify their goals. Write them down, so you can return and measure progress.

Establish trust by using an open and nonjudgmental tone. Listen before you give advice, and provide constructive criticism that identifies areas of improvement, while pointing out strengths.

Make the process collaborative. Once you’ve identified challenges, brainstorm strategies together.

Share real life stories. Lessons from your own experience might be applicable to a problem a mentee is trying to solve.

Develop your mentee’s network by introducing them to yours. Expand your mentee’s opportunities by introducing them to people, resources, and professional organizations."

(Still no idea who would be matched with Beyonce though )

@SpringlikeBunk
Great post of yours at 23.34

Purple
You talk of 40 randomly selected women, but as has been said on here loads of times... that is not it! Already there are many other individuals, many other organisations coming forward and offering mentoring services, well known people are urging others to take part, many more than 40 are getting involved.

Meghan isn't picking winners and losers!

I've linked and shown offers from others and from organisations back up the thread. I think the whole idea is to push this forward and what starts at 40 to draw attention to it... is in fact far more than that. It's not about getting the favoured spot!

That’s a good description Spring. Probably will result in learning and growth on both mentor and mentee side, as these things tend to be.

She may be virtue signalling. But isn’t that better than hate signalling? I think there is a culture war and any message of compassion is better than the divisive ones that DM and others hammer on about.

I think MM could have made a difference to the RF. in this age, “don’t complain, don’t explain” comes across as arrogant. And with social media, there is no air of mystery. Younger people also don’t believe in the class system and that the RF are somehow superior by birth. So the only justification left is “ what about president Blair?!” Or whatever. Which is not really a compelling argument against a more democratic system.

The RF needs a brand, as “divine right” is not a great one any more. And MM could probably have helped with that! Compassionate royal sounds better than tampon royal or predator royal

@MissTrip82

Just did, Maramaldeagain! What a great idea! It definitely proves your point……

How odd to see so many uses of this phrase with regard to these two people?

Again, what an amazing coincidence! That so many have been using this phrase entirely incorrectly and it has simply naturally increased with regard to these two people.

Aren’t coincidences funny?

It's a misuse of the true meaning yes, but it is used as a slang term for narcissistic conversational patterns.

From Psychology Today:
^NPD Meaning: The term narcissistic word salad is essentially a misuse of an important psychological term. Instead of referring to an involuntary verbal sign of a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, it is being used as a slang term for a type of narcissistic speech that is purposefully confusing.

How odd to see so many uses of this phrase with regard to these two people?

🤷‍♀️

What I love and take inspiration from is how Meghan Markle continues to do her thing and thrive while people who deem her to be irrelevant expend their energy criticising and in the process make her even more influential.

Harry is definitely punching above his weight and must know he struck lucky to have such a clear minded woman who is strong enough to enforce boundaries with the “feared” press.

Go Meghan. The silent majority is routing for you. The desperate UK press dissect every aspect making stories out of nothing. They’ve been rightly shut out. Always desperately for what ever morsel Meghan and Harry throws them.

And don’t talk about the carnival of royal experts. The world has seen straight through the racist British press. The UK has embarrassed itself internationally, especially with the Commonwealth, nearly 70% of which are brown and black faces. The message came out loud and clear.

As for comparison with Kate. Why must women be pitted against each other? It is an absolute shame that Kate will now feel pressured to live up to and outshine Meghan. Their paths are different. Kate’s role is to provide heirs, wave and cut ribbons, smile and keep quiet. She has taken to her role and done her job well.

Yes, so agree @MrsMayJune

On the Royal experts, royal reporters or whatever you call them... in my eyes they made themselves defunct, after four of them happily did a scathing critique of the OW interview in advance of it being aired. Yes, they were hoaxed but it shows their default position is to be unpleasant and critical of MM. Utter fools.

What I love and take inspiration from is how Meghan Markle continues to do her thing and thrive while people who deem her to be irrelevant expend their energy criticising and in the process make her even more influential

So agree with this. Like her or loathe her, she generates discussion and conversation. Just look at this rapidly filling thread!

The RF were never ready for Meghan, never will be and what a loss that is.

She and Harry will thrive and do well in the US, good on them for making it happen

WRT the word salad thing. I didn’t know it had a basis in psychology or was particularly promoted by the daily mail (I don’t read it)

Language terms are contagious and people tend to pick things up wherever they hear them, they often evolve from their original meaning/use. I first heard word salad on here, along with naice and getting your ducks in a row.

If word salad is actually offensive to people with mental health disorders rather than a neat term just to mean “lots of worthy sounding words which don’t really say anything” I’m glad to be educated.

Those bleating on about how inequality needs to be sorted out and will mkse a bigger difference ...we haven't event been able to decrease institutional racism in the world in decades. How depressing!
.m

Yet somehow you think Meghan should somehow he doing something that's going to address the inequality for women issue. Lol your crazy!

At least is doing something to help and using her time positively meanwhile you choose to spend your time bitching about another woman. How pathetic

@Roussette

Yes, so agree *@MrsMayJune*

On the Royal experts, royal reporters or whatever you call them... in my eyes they made themselves defunct, after four of them happily did a scathing critique of the OW interview in advance of it being aired. Yes, they were hoaxed but it shows their default position is to be unpleasant and critical of MM. Utter fools.

What I love and take inspiration from is how Meghan Markle continues to do her thing and thrive while people who deem her to be irrelevant expend their energy criticising and in the process make her even more influential

So agree with this. Like her or loathe her, she generates discussion and conversation. Just look at this rapidly filling thread!

The RF were never ready for Meghan, never will be and what a loss that is.

She and Harry will thrive and do well in the US, good on them for making it happen

Agree with this, you see Meghan now and look back to footage from a few years ago, so many people thought she was beneath the royal family, that it was a pinnacle she didn’t deserve and for whatever reason (POC/American/divorced/actress) there was a “who does she think she is” tone to everything reported about her.

She’s used that apparent pinnacle simply as a stepping stone in elevating herself to a super celebrity and made the RF look boring and staid.

Now whether this was the plan all along, whether she ever did intend to gel in the family and make it work, whether accounts of bullying staff will affect her image as compassion guru, I don’t know. But she’s played a blinder.

I’m not a fan of everything she’s done and said (the bench is not a good children’s book) but she’s definitely impressive. It’s a bit like looking back at the previous tasks on the apprentice, even the ones which went wrong, and still being able to pick out the winner from the first episode.

there was a “who does she think she is” tone to everything reported about her

Yes... which then moved on to the narrative that she stole our Prince who was coerced into leaving the RF by her when in fact... he was always going to go as far as I'm concerned. He spoke years ago about how much he didn't like the role he had, he was always a square peg in a round hole. Lucky lucky him meeting her and them together making it happen.

Just skim-read the last few pages of this thread, and as usual I am surprised that those who purport to hate the Daily Mail seem intimately acquainted with its every story .

Yet somehow you think Meghan should somehow he doing something that's going to address the inequality for women issue. Lol your crazy!

If that's aimed at me, you can see if you read my posts that I repeatedly say I don't think that solving inequality is Meghan's responsibility. My criticism of this project is that by getting involved in the issue of women's unemployment without even mentioning it, she is reinforcing the idea that women don't succeed because they're not good enough, that if they could just be improved in some way, they'd be in work. It's a shame when a woman with such a high profile makes systemic change for other women less likely.