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.

@Roussette

Meghan reaped the financial benefits of her acting so she can't have been all bad at it can she? And what does it matter if she was not A/B. I doubt she's fretting about it lol.

I’m not sure that you can always use financial success as a judge of merit. But I thought Suits was quite good.

@Overdon - poor you - you sound really bitter or envious or maybe both. I would have thought every little helps in situations like this, anyway I guess your not someone who would want this kind of help but I am sure there are plenty of people who would so let's let them be the judge.

@spinningspaniels

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=woke

Woke to me means "The act of being very pretentious about how much you care about a social issue".

Oh okay.. some of us who have been using AAVE for years, because we relate to it actually know what woke is🤷‍♀️

I would assume the 40 minutes is to fit in with the theme but obviously they will spend more time depending on what help each person is receiving.

I’m not sure that you can always use financial success as a judge of merit

True.
But over 100 episodes counts for something maybe

I don’t beleive they are good friends at all. When would their paths have crossed?

@EachandEveryone

I don’t beleive they are good friends at all. When would their paths have crossed?

I would have thought it was a planned campaign and Melissa M was chosen by an agency or them for comedy value

The video itself was butt-clenchingly awful. Imagine watching it back of yourself - torture.

I think the initiative is really a PR stunt for Meghan and pals, unlikely to do much for any downtrodden women, but it's harmless and I hope it helps someone.

Love the table!

Does it matter?
They've come onboard, that's what matters.

Do MM critics on MN & some British media dissect the other working British royals the way they dissect Meghan Markle?. I mean those royals are actually tax payer funded and are loved by the royalists so you would think if and when they put out an initiative out there people would be asking loads of questions about how that initiative that’s taxpayer funded would make a difference. Why does it seem like MM has to pass a certain bar to be seen as someone who actually cares. My tax £ are not finding her. & hers so to me this birthday initiative that she posted on her website should have no bearing on my life really, except that I’m impressed by some people who came forward like Stacey Abrams & other not known professionals that she inspired.

The table was gorgeous as was MM.

The 'comedienne' wasn't funny at all. Not sure if she was trying too hard.

Some humour can be a bit cringe generally though, it was all bit blah blah blah blaaaaah.

Funding

I think Harry was in it because they're trying to build a brand as a duo, like the Obamas.

(Or the Beckhams )

It was basically "look! Remember the actual real Prince?!"

And yeah, it was a choreographed moment because Melissa couldn't see him but the camera was at the perfect angle to.

Incidentally, it looks like it was shot several times, from the camera angles. Normal enough.

I can readily imagine some American PR Guru going "YANNO WHAT? WHAT IF HE'S LIKE JUGGLING AT THE WINDOW, THAT WOULD BE SO CUTE RIIIIGHT??! DO YOU LOVE IT? DO YOUUUU??? UGH I LOVE ITTTT! LET'S DO THIS!"

As a woman who is out of work due to caring responsibilities, I find this ‘initiative’ completely off the mark and quite frankly insulting to women. We don’t need “mentoring” or help with our CVs or a chat with a rich celebrity. It’s so bloody patronising! We need things like flexible childcare and flexible working. More support for disabled children and elderly family members we have given up work to care for. Equal pay and better maternity rights (more so in the US where many women only get 6 weeks is it?).

Like many things Meghan tries to do it just has no depth to it and is poorly thought out and executed. It’s currently just a list of names of rich people who get a bit of free PR and 5 minutes to feel good about themselves whilst making no difference to anyone’s life whatsoever.

Happy to be corrected at the point we hear from the 40 women who are back in the workplace as a direct result from these 40 minute chats. I won’t hold my breath.

@Zuluqueen

Do MM critics on MN & some British media dissect the other working British royals the way they dissect Meghan Markle?. I mean those royals are actually tax payer funded and are loved by the royalists so you would think if and when they put out an initiative out there people would be asking loads of questions about how that initiative that’s taxpayer funded would make a difference. Why does it seem like MM has to pass a certain bar to be seen as someone who actually cares. My tax £ are not finding her. & hers so to me this birthday initiative that she posted on her website should have no bearing on my life really, except that I’m impressed by some people who came forward like Stacey Abrams & other not known professionals that she inspired.

Exactly. The other royals have been zooming the plebs for the last year and a half, yet no one was offended by them sitting in palaces and lecturing and patronising - as it's called with MM, to the masses.

Depressing to find MN has not changed in allowing this vitriol and frankly, bullying of this woman.

[quote Overdon]@Roussette , it was only 2 years ago and I really don’t care how well the bananas ‘went down’ I found it cringe.
However, the charity involved sensibly never included the offending bananas in the sex workers food parcels and used them for baking a cake instead. 😀

Meghan was a basic cable actress, not A/ B list; and it shows.[/quote]
The banana writing was naff but the charity itself said that the publicity resulted in a lot more interest in their work and more donations too. So if it meant that they could do more for their service users then a bit of naffness is forgivable.

I thought it was great, really original and influential. By having 40 celebrities adds visibility and her website encourages other women and organisations to get behind the initiative.

For the comments about “what will be the point?”, we do speed mentoring at work and just having a few hints and tips is massively useful
For people - we don’t even get 40
Mins! So, I think it’s great and it’s better than doing nothing all.

@Rainy365

As a woman who is out of work due to caring responsibilities, I find this ‘initiative’ completely off the mark and quite frankly insulting to women. We don’t need “mentoring” or help with our CVs or a chat with a rich celebrity. It’s so bloody patronising! We need things like flexible childcare and flexible working. More support for disabled children and elderly family members we have given up work to care for. Equal pay and better maternity rights (more so in the US where many women only get 6 weeks is it?).

Like many things Meghan tries to do it just has no depth to it and is poorly thought out and executed. It’s currently just a list of names of rich people who get a bit of free PR and 5 minutes to feel good about themselves whilst making no difference to anyone’s life whatsoever.

Happy to be corrected at the point we hear from the 40 women who are back in the workplace as a direct result from these 40 minute chats. I won’t hold my breath.

While I agree that this initiative won’t solve systemic issues (and I don’t think it claims to be trying to), it’s simply not true to say that people don’t need help with their CV, for example. I see the CVs we get sent at work, and some of them could really do with some help. Same applies to interview help.

Exactly. The other royals have been zooming the plebs for the last year and a half, yet no one was offended by them sitting in palaces and lecturing and patronising - as it's called with MM, to the masses.
I have no issues with royals doing zoom calls. It's part of their job.
I do have an issue when royals (or any other celeb) sit from a position of wealth and privilege acting like they're benevolently going to solve the world's problems with tokenistic gestures.

My issue with Meghan a Harry is they spend a large amount of time throwing a pity party about how awful things are for them when they are hugely privileged, and seem to be trying to create a celebrity benevolent philanthropist image where it's all about them.

Rainy365

“As a woman who is out of work due to caring responsibilities, I find this ‘initiative’ completely off the mark and quite frankly insulting to women. We don’t need “mentoring” or help with our CVs or a chat with a rich celebrity. It’s so bloody patronising! We need things like flexible childcare and flexible working. More support for disabled children and elderly family members we have given up work to care for. Equal pay and better maternity rights (more so in the US where many women only get 6 weeks is it?).

Like many things Meghan tries to do it just has no depth to it and is poorly thought out and executed. It’s currently just a list of names of rich people who get a bit of free PR and 5 minutes to feel good about themselves whilst making no difference to anyone’s life whatsoever.

Happy to be corrected at the point we hear from the 40 women who are back in the workplace as a direct result from these 40 minute chats. I won’t hold my breath.”

I agree but hoping that more details emerge in due course . Like you I won’t hold my breath.

I think it's a great idea and the follow up video on Stacey Abram's Twitter made me think she has a fair understanding of the real challenges women face re-entering the workplace as opposed to it just being a confidence issue.

And as for the criticisms of it being rehearsed- of course it fucking was! I don't think you were meant to believe that it was just a casual chat between friends any more than you were meant to think the Prince William/Stephen Fry comic relief chat was!

I thought it was great, really original and influential. By having 40 celebrities adds visibility and her website encourages other women and organisations to get behind the initiative

Yes, and that's the point of it. Already some of the 40 have posted on SM encouraging other women to join in and do the same mentoring.

I quite liked it , no whining involved or bitching and they were both having a laugh for once and not taking themselves too seriously.

I felt I had to be blatant about it as it appears some posters didn’t understand 😉

While I agree that this initiative won’t solve systemic issues (and I don’t think it claims to be trying to), it’s simply not true to say that people don’t need help with their CV, for example.
I see the CVs we get sent at work, and some of them could really do with some help. Same applies to interview help.

I do agree that many people do need help with their CVs and mentoring can help in the workplace - but this is broad across all working age people.

I think I just feel like that as this is directly aimed at helping women to reenter the workplace (who left due to caring responsibilities particular during the pandemic) it just drives a message that what they need is mentoring because they probably aren’t good enough anymore! Let’s help the poor women by telling them what they need to be doing better! It doesn’t go any way in helping anyone to really understand what the barriers actually are.