A positive and non-bashing thread about Meghan and Harry

[MrsMaxDeWinter]

I have rejoined Mumsnet after leaving a few times. The first time I left was because I was concerned about the coverage and uncomfortable undertone of the commentary on Meghan Markle after the engagement was announced, before she had said a word, and before she had married into the Royal Family.

I came back around the time she and Harry left the UK, to be stunned by the pages and pages upon pages of virulent threads. At that time Mumsnet actually banned all threads about Meghan, it had become so toxic.

They have now made their lives in Montecito, but still the virulence continues. Yes, she speaks in a mix of therapy plus corporate gobbledegook, yes, she is occasionally vapid and irritating.

But who is she actually harming that she deserves all this virulence?

Yesterday, when the new UK Prime Minister was elected, the coverage in the Super Tory Daily Mail was all about a seven minute speech to a bunch of young people. Article after article after article. Body language experts. Counting the number of times she said "I" in a speech in which she sought to inspire young people by attempting to relate to them. Before that, 18 articles were devoted to the first podcast by the Daily Mail alone. 18!

Same with her podcasts. The series is about HER and HER take on labels, and she discusses HER take with HER guests.

It's all very anodyne, even vanilla. It does not deserve any of the vitriol sent her way.

SO:

As the next twelve weeks are going to be wall to wall Meghan, and the Meghan haters and detractors have several threads here that fill up rapidly with bile, scorn and mockery, I have started this thread, reminiscent of previous " positive" threads, to talk about what some of us like, enjoy, find amusing and even (gasp) admire, in the next few Meghan rich weeks.

If you don't have anything positive to say, that's okay, you can keep to the existing threads.

Looking forward to a bile-free discussion of everything Meghan!

God, mumsnet gets tedious. The only reason people HAVE to ask for certain discussions to be boundaried is BECAUSE of all the posters who shove their opinions in where it isn't wanted. i.e. well outside the remit of what is being asked by the OP. And it isn't general discussions evolving it's is just oppositional views to get attention. It's quite controlling tbh. Not allowing discussions to happen that you disagree with. Like their voice is more important and should be heard. It really isn't.

And FFS. If anyone is ruler of the internet I want it to be Me! (Joke - I couldn't think of anything worse tbh)

hi Op
good luck with this thread. it was tried back in the days of the numbered threads. hijacked by posters who would not allow one thread that wasn't full of hate. most of the people who didn't hate were hounded off mn,

She is very American. This is literally the worst thing you can be on MN. Even the pedophile uncle has a few supporters here who will stand in his corner. The fact that she is a mixed race woman just make it all the more enjoyable for some posters.

That's what you've got on the threads deriding her. Works both ways surely?

Those who aren't anti Meghan are hounded at times

I thought she looked drop dead gorgeous yesterday. Her beautiful smile, the way she holds her own when giving a speech. I like her confidence too which I know must take a lot when in a country where the media wants to make pple think she is not liked She is an actress - that's her job. Hard to have any sympathy for a couple who having left the Royal Family and the UK to supposedly live a private life and avoid press intrusion, have done nothing but seek press coverage through TV interviews, podcasts and magazine articles about themselves. No-one who thrusts themselves into the spotlight in the way these two have since they emigrated can expect an uncritical reception - if they don't want the attention they should work quietly behind the scenes instead of making everything about them. It's a choice.

I'm not comfortable with the amount of negative press attention that Meghan seems to gather, but then I can't honestly say that they're helping the situation.

I can't get my head around them wanting to form their own branch of the RF and essentially profit from it when apparently it was so rotten to the core and damaged them.........

She is an attractive lady. She has nice clothes and wears them well.

I'm trying really hard but that's really the only positive thing I can muster I am afraid. It's been one bad thing after another, shes deplorable, utterly sanctimonious in my opinion, living off her title while bashing the very family that she got that from, she would be irrelevant without them... and I just wish this constant battering the RF and every now and then growing little grenades is just awful. They just be living in constant tension not knowing what's coming next - She is constantly attacking her husband's family in the vilest way. I actually think she is one of the worse celebrities out there with no integrity living in a constant state of victimhood. I don't see how people can't see this after these continued attacks? How can you justify that?

He hasn't got a backbone sadly I fear because he's having so much therapy or cocktail of drugs who knows but somethings not right with him.

For the record I am not racist, I come from a mixed family and my husband is mixed. It enfruiates me when people play the race card - she is just not a pleasant person shown time and time again, simple.

I think "EdithWeston* said MN never banned all threads on M&H. Yes they did and I will stand by that 100%.
It was at the time that racist Poundland MN forum (MC) was going and threads were totally out of hand so for a while every single thread that was started about the couple was zapped. They did not have enough moderators to cope. And I know that for a fact for reasons I won't go into here

Maybe everyday regular people who are NOT racist misogynistic right wing voters just dislike the facade she wears.

Yes of course and that is absolutely their right. But you are presumably not making money by writing negative articles about her. I am referring specifically to endless negative press aimed at one young woman, which seems to me, unfair and unpleasant.

And where do the majority of people gain their information about someone like MM? More or less everything we know about her is gleaned through a filter of negative press.

As I said previously, I don't really have any opinions about her one way or the other, and I firmly believe that the UK would be better off without the deluded fantasy of a royal family, but I know bullying when I see it.

Brilliant post

Those who aren't anti Meghan are hounded at times But the same was tried on me on your Boris and Trump bashing threads. You seem to want echo chambers with no divergence of thought.

Posters claims the OP doesn't understand the word virulence should perhaps look it up.

You may want to be positive about Meghan and Harry but you can't tell others to feel the same. People don't dislike her for being black or female but for her constant lies. Often aimed at RF but the latest was trying to make out she was in some way akin to Mandela. Saying an African cast member of Lion King took her aside and told her she should know in Africa they celebrated on her wedding day to Harry just like when Mandela freed from prison. It all backfired and shown to be yet another lie, because the only African in cast of Lion King stated he had never even met her, and was unaware of any celebrating in streets of Africa on day she married Harry.

Oh purleeeease.

Please don't accuse ME of that. I have never ever been rude to you or insulted you or driven you off of threads.

I have had everything thrown at me as you well know. You were prolific on that other site where my name was dragged through the mud with often 30 posts a day about me using every insult imaginable. So dont talk to me about echo chambers.

@MrsMaxDeWinter
Sorry but you don't get to dictate the tone of the entire thread. You don't get to,police other people's opinions, and however many times you say you want a supportive thread for MM, you get what you are given.

FWIW MM and H are divisive and dividing public opinion. If they just lived their own lives and stopped their involvement with the RF (they can't, as it is their only valid celebrity status) we would all be happy for them.

I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm talking about nasty personal comments about Melania and Carrie and the appearance of BJ and DT. A lot of it wasn't very edifying. Double standards

@Roussette !!!

So thrilled you are here. I always love your posts. We exchanged dismaying DMs a few times, I was under another name.

And yes you are right that threads were actually banned at one point because it became so relentlessly toxic that MNHQ could not cope. There were posts about MM and H being "an organ grinder and his monkey" there was endless speculation about Harry's mental health, and there was a healthy dose of speculation about fake pregnant bellies and surrogacy even.

I am really glad that posters are contributing in ways that allow us all to have a POSITIVE discussion. Like I said, I find her irritating at times, particularly the word salady speaking mode and am by no means asking for only lovey dovey posts.

It's just that in my view the criticism is reaching toxic levels, and it would be nice to discuss them and their upcoming projects in a more sober frame of mind.

The Mindy Kaling podcast looks interesting, and I hope MM goes more into imposter syndrome, something she touched on in her speech.

i remember that too. so can back you up.

If you can tell me where I said I want a "supportive" thread, then I will be happy to entertain you. Nor have I "policed" anyone's opinion. Challenging a point of view and asking questions is kind of the essence of a discussion and debate, no? I

I don't believe for a minute that posters here would be happy if they gave up their Sussex title, which incidentally was the gift of the Queen on their wedding, not an entitlement. The Queen is, I am sure, within her rights to take back her gift. They would still be Harry the grandson of the queen and son of future queen, and Meghan, his wife.

But I am afraid you may be disappointed: if the Queen strips away that gifted title when her Nazi uncle the Duke of Windsor was allowed to retain his until his death, it would not be a good look for the RF as it would come across as vengeful and vindictive.

Only an Act of Parliament can remove his actual entitlement as Prince Harry and his place in the line of succession. Even if he were to be "unmade" as Prince Harry or Duke of Sussex, it would not change that he was born into that family.

And many here would still find other reasons to attack his wife.

So no, I don't think there would be any circumstances under which you would be "happy for them" so they may as well live their lives the best way they want.

Son of future KING, even!

Funnily enough MrsMaxdeWinter I watched the new film version of 'Rebecca' a month or two ago... my god it was a load of piffle. Nowhere near as good as the old version! Thank you for your kind words

My view which I expressed this morning. I liked her speech, a bit word salady for my liking, but it went down really well and even the news channels said it was rapturous applause. I thought she looked great, what a colour that tomato red was!

She has been involved with the charity for many years and they liked her opening speech.
I'm looking forward to Harry's WellChild speech. He has attended their awards day every single one since he became patron in 2007. He has been there in person every single year since, except for a covid zoom in 2020. All the videos of his attendances are on youtube, he has visually changed a lot, but don't we all with age!

Very well put.

I think her output is pretty vague, uninspiring and with the overall intention of gaining fame and wealth. BUT, that's what 1000's of slebs do. It's generally well meaning and harmless and she is being singled out for excessive criticism. It's cringeworthy, the amount of DM articles about her. She won a case against them and they will NEVER forget that.

Totally agree.

Bashing Meghan (and Harry) is honestly a multi million pound industry. The fact that she rises above it is inspiring, even if her speeches pass me by somewhat. I like turn the other cheek and the best way to counteract endless unwarranted criticism is to do well and ignore.

The DM is laughable. As I reported once on a thread, there was one day when there was actually twenty one seperate articles on Meghan or M&H in one edition. It's like they are brainwashing readers into hating her.

And as for Angela Levin. She has a screw loose, she is a female Piers Morgan, she tweets something horrible about Meghan every day.

What! Wishful thinking there.