Can we now agree the press coverage about MM was racist?

[bagthoughts]

Only comment if you've seen the Harry and Meghan documentary because only in that programme did I become aware of the headlines.

If you've seen this programme specifically the images of some of the headlines and STILL don't think some of the press coverage was racist then quite frankly you're part of the problem.

I quote, she has 'exotic DNA', Harry marries a ''gangstar' and 'she is from Crenshaw where they have xxx crime rates last year' (she wasn't even from Crenshaw), 'straight outta Compton'

Seriously, do you seriously think this would have been said about a blonde hair blue eyed women?

For the record, I'm not a H&M fan at all - you don't have to like them to see that the headlines were racist, why can't brits just admit and agree on this?

I think there is definitely a large group of people who don't like her because she's black. There are also people who don't like either of them because they are tone deaf whingers.

So the Daily Mail hasn't got 23 articles just today running Meghan down... rightio

Unconscious bias is everywhere, but especially on Mumsnet.

I applaud H for refusing to pass generational trauma onto his kids.

Besides it's well known to anyone around the periphery of royal circles that KM is the Colleen Rooney of the royal wags. And Wills is an arsehole.

I don't read the Mail. I can't bear either Harry amd Meghan. I would also be happy to get rid of the entire Royal Family, from which Harry and therefore his wife has benefited hugely financially.

@Janieread I think if you believe that you are naive

What, that Harry has benefited financially from his family 🤔?

@Janieread no that the press influences public opinion

Of course it does to an extent. The press influenced Brexit - but there were still almost as many remain voters.

Where were those articles published (which papers)? I have always read most articles on the royals and never seen those - they sound quite dumb really and I would judge people who read and agreed with silly statements like that as really dumb as well.

@Janieread yes a good example of the influence the uk media has

A tweet I've just read ...
But we're not racist, absolutely not

Just seen someone tweet a mocked up Christmas card from Meghan and Harry where Megan’s face has been replaced with the character from the old jam labels (you know exactly who I am talking about). Tell me again how the hate towards her has nothing to do with race.

Is it though, unconscious bias? I remember when I first joined mumsnet there was thread, after thread about Kate. Mumsnet despised her, she could do nothing right, her make up was awful, her family was classless(and dissected in great detail), her clothing was awful, she was waity Katey a complete and utter waste of a human. I'm not from the UK and I remember it because it was my first real introduction to the British class system. If William and Kate had come out and said 'Stop picking on my wife' then gone sod this and moved and done tell-alls for money I think the hatred would have gotten worse. I don't know if people have selective memories or what but Kate(and her entire family) were dragged with equal gusto to that of Meghan before they decided to leave, leaving(and having tell-alls as their main source of income) then inflamed everything.

So because Kate put up with it Meghan had to? Completely unreasonable expectation.

And nobody can deny the racist undertones of the very earliest articles about Meghan. They set the tone.

And Harry said that, that the treatment of all women coming into the family was disgusting and he’s been the first to make a stand against it and point out how appalling it is.

Who said that? I quoted the poster that mentioned unconscious bias towards meghan on mumsnet. Maybe you missed that? I was questioning if it was 'unconscious bias' or just the standard hatred the people on mumsnet seem to have towards women that marry into the royal family.

I don't think anyone deserves abuse solely becasue of the family they decide to marry into.

It’s all led by the press and that’s the main point of the documentary. Mumsnet comments that mirror the press reflect how powerful it is. Where else do the sources come from!

I'm not a fan, but this is bullshit. Many parts of the British public - and the Royal household - are racist. And deeply entrenched and endemic racism in society reflects through British society, institutions and media. She is both not white and a strong assertive woman. Those qualities are widely despised in Britain. Denying that racism is a factor, and an influential one, is delusional. But not entirely unexpected on this site.

I watched the three episodes this morning. I'll try and keep my thoughts as brief as possible.

I think the press coverage was, and remains racist and classist towards Meghan.
MM is an intelligent woman but shockingly naive. She suffered an enormous culture shock.
The curtsey thing was ridiculous. Of course you have to curtsey or bow to the Monarch. Even if they are related to you.
British people are not ALL reserved, we are not ALL racist, and I think MM casts some big generalisations in this regard.
The comms teams and the MSM are entirely too close IMO. Also, the MSM have cast the Cambridges as the goodies and the Sussexes as the baddies, when Prince W is no angel, fidelity-wise.
I completely understand where Harry is coming from, regarding his relationship with the media. I'm sure he's very damaged by his experiences.

Having said all that the privacy-seeking Sussexes did this documentary for money and publicity, which is just odd to me.

I have only ever heard two comments quoted - the “exotic bloodline” comment and the “straight outta Compton” headline. They are both racist. But that does not equate to an never ending tidal wave of vile racism that made it impossible to live here. In the RF the only incident which has been referenced was a comment about the baby’s skin tone. It is not unusual for families to speculate on what babies will look like - it might have been racially motivated, it might not, we don’t know because they’ve been rather vague about it.

I am deeply skeptical that the racism is the reason they left Britain- I think a life of duty in drafty castles in rainy Britain wasn’t for Megan. And that’s fine, but don’t pretend it’s because of unimaginable suffering.

I know A LOT of people and not one of them dislike Meghan because of the colour of her skin.
The press have a lot to answer for but absolutely nobody I know dislikes Meghan because she is Mixed Race. Absolutely no racism involved.

Yes, some of it absolutely was. Misogynistic too.
Only some of it was British press, much of it was also American press, Australian press and European press.
That part seems to get forgotten about and only the British press and now the British public gets criticised.

Well said !

Tbh at the time anything racist went right over my head if I saw it(again not in the UK so don't see your media like you do). I thought the narrative in the press was that she was a fame-hungry American actress, maneating older divorcee that suckered in poor thick Harry, I remember lots of mentions of deleted blog posts where so posted about her quest for fame. You still see that narrative across mumsnet now and that is perpetuated by the fact that she went on Oprah, has a Netflix doc, 'isolated' hapless Harry from his family etc so people are like haha I was right. There was also the implication that she was 'trailer trash' because of how her family behaved(her dad and her sister?) which mirrors the coverage Kates family. Again not in the UK so don't see your media to the same extent, I never even saw her mother mentioned until the wedding day.

But really... it is very well hidden but it is there. Not everyone, but more people than you realise.

Hermione I could not disagree with you more! There were very subtle hints and dog whistles apart from those two headlines. It was incessant.