Harry & Meghan savaged by South Park

[sydneysunset]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/south-park-mocks-meghan-and-harry-and-their-high-profile-pleas-for-privacy-btkq9g2mg

Their standing in the US is at an all-time low. US audiences seem to hold them in the same contempt as people in the UK

Meh. He hasn’t tarnished the royal family as most people just think they’re a privileged family, albeit glorified civil servants in listed houses who have to stay in shape for the cameras. They’ve not responded to him. He’s made some money but shouting into the void. No problem.

Meghan’s more famous than she was and she spent 20 years trying to get famous so she’s probably happy, irrespective of what people think of her. Fame ✔️

Harry’s definitely thought of worse, largely, in the UK, but he’s got lots of ££ and that’s what he wanted. ✔️ If his kids don’t grow up within his large, close knit family who mostly seem to get on pretty well with each other that’s down to him and his decisions.

the South Park episode was classic SP. Very funny. They lampoon well.

I wonder if there’s any truth in the rumours that Harry tried to contact the SP producers to get the episode dropped but they wouldn’t take his call

on what possible basis would he expect them to pull it?

On the other, he has tarnished the reputation of the royal family. I’m glad HMQ wasn’t alive to see this.

Their reputation was tarnished long before H&M, she also knew of Andrew's antics.

If you want to listen to someone who seems to truly obsess about Meghan, check out the talk show host Megyn Kelly. She sounds like she is foaming at the mouth when she talks about her.

Also, being lampooned by South Park isn’t going to be the end of them, like some like to suggest. Tom Cruise is doing just fine.

America is very forgiving of people. All they have to do is disappear for a few months, stop complaining, then do something positive.I thought that was happening after Oprah until the Cut interview. Then again after the Queen died until Spare.

On the basis of it’s not fair that they weren’t given an editorial veto for no apparent reason I suggest. Which could be succinctly summarised as “Waaagh!”

I love the SP episode, it is so accurately observed. My absolute favourite part is the name of the hapless prince’s book, it just sums up the whole H&M circus so brilliantly. Oh, and the branding…royal, world traveller, victim. 😂priceless!

Actually, Harry comes across very well in 'Spare' and seems a thoughtful and interesting young man

he isn’t a young man.
he’s nearly 40.

he comes across as selfish, immature and very dim. Plus very cruel and dismissive in his attitude to the disabled matron. His own words have destroyed the great image the Palace had built up for him. Describing how he lost his virginity to an “older woman” who is actually younger than his own wife was crass in the extreme.

nasty piece of work.

Also, being lampooned by South Park isn’t going to be the end of them, like some like to suggest. Tom Cruise is doing just fine.

Cruise is an A+ list actor who has been making hit films for almost as long as Harry has been alive. Maverick grossed over a billion at a time when box office revenues are in steep decline.

In other words, Tom Cruise can afford to have the piss ripped out of him because he is a huge star. People are going to want to work with him no matter what, because he makes a ton of money for them. By contrast, what do the Harkles have to offer? What is their niche? As far as I can see, the only thing they have to sell is royal gossip, and that well is starting to run dry.

And it's not just South Park. They're getting mocked all round. They desperately want to be taken seriously, so this sort of thing really isn't good for what remains of their 'brand'. Harry and Meghan are not Tom Cruise. They can't afford to be a running joke.

I think the British public are forgiving too. Twenty years ago, it would have been unthinkable that Camilla would be Queen Consort. She’s still not popular with some people but she has come very far.

'And it's not just South Park. They're getting mocked all round. They desperately want to be taken seriously, so this sort of thing really isn't good for what remains of their 'brand'. Harry and Meghan are not Tom Cruise. They can't afford to be a running joke.'

This is true. The problem for them is that the SP episode has made them look crass and silly. I think this will be a real issue for Meghan - she wants to be taken seriously and SP have blown that out of the water.

South Park slated William and Kate just as badly as they slated Harry and Meghan.

There was a graphic scene of Prince William engaging in pegging (a direct reference to that horrible rumour that trended on Twitter), portrayed the Royal Family as engaging in bizarre and dangerous rituals, portrayed Kate as being so desperate to be a royal she was willing to have one of her limbs amputated, and took the piss out of the way the British press worship royalty.

The episode was an attack on royalty overall, not just Harry specifically.

Besides anyone famous gets slated by South Park, it's a badge of honour.

I think the difference is that Tom Cruise (and W+K for that matter) have a status that is way beyond harm from satire. As a PP said there is no denying that TC is mega A list, one of the biggest box office stars in the world for decades. (And W+K are future king and queen of course.) It would take a lot to knock either of those statuses off course so they are safe in their identities. South Park will have no effect on the line of succession or on TC's next blockbuster.

But H+M are still building their new status, having rejected their previous positions as members of the RF. And SP has made fun of not just them but of all the things they are doing to try and create that new position for themselves (the book / tv series / interviews). The problem is that when all of that is seen as ridiculous, there is not much else to fall back on and their chance of successfully redefining their sought-after status is diminished.

There was a graphic scene of Prince William engaging in pegging (a direct reference to that horrible rumour that trended on Twitter),

The Royal Pudding episode that this scene featured in was actually screened in 2011, long, long before any twitter rumours. So no, not a reference to anything in real life.

The actual characters and actions of William and Kate were not satirised in the episode. The parts that involved them were really poking fun at the notion of a big royal wedding and it featured various ridiculous “royal rituals” like William sticking his arm in a giant bowl of Angel Delight and Kate wiping it off. And the scene with William pulling off Kate’s arm and ahem, mis-using it, explained in by the plummy voiceover man as “tradition”.

Surely even Harry isn’t that deluded?

Are there 2 versions of this episode, does anybody know? The clips of the Royal Pudding I've seen has the Prince and Princess doing the arms dipped in the pudding ritual, but then, the ceiling of the chapel caves in, and the Princess is beamed away in a cube. No weird sex acts.

Also, being lampooned by South Park isn’t going to be the end of them, like some like to suggest. Tom Cruise is doing just fine

you cannot compare them to Tom Cruise!

he is one of the most successful actors in the world.

The clips of the Royal Pudding I've seen has the Prince and Princess doing the arms dipped in the pudding ritual, but then, the ceiling of the chapel caves in, and the Princess is beamed away in a cube. No weird sex acts.

After she gets rescued, they start the wedding again, and the arm stuff happens then…

(from a review when it aired in 2011 “The ending was... well... what was that? The story went absolutely bonkers and ended with the prince of Canada sticking his new wife's severed arm up his ass. There was no real comedy here. While I get that the show is poking fun at all the commentary and traditions of the Royal Wedding, there's a fine line between "funny" ridiculous and "stupid" ridiculous, and I think South Park crossed that line here.”)

www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/12/south-park-royal-pudding-review

Ah, thanks @Serenster

Not comparing them to Tom Cruise, just suggesting that as an example that anyone can come back from anything in America.

Cruise’s personal life has been a shitshow. He has behaved like pompous ass - completely and publicly trashing Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants while dealing with PPD. How much lower can you go?

His couch jumping antics made him a joke. Scientology - well, the average person still thinks he’s truly nuts, even if they enjoy his movies. The situation with Nicole Kidman was extremely weird. Katie Holmes obviously barely got her daughter out of there. Their tight-lipped refusal to discuss it is pretty obviously due to having to be very, very careful.

I think if Meghan and Harry would just stop whining and over sharing, put their heads down and work at something, anything, they can earn respect regardless of their many, many missteps over the the past few years.

By the way, Cruise went nuts about that South Park episode and tried to get it pulled. He obviously didn’t think it was no big deal. Even with the power of the Scientology organization behind him he got nowhere.

But again, Cruise is a massively successful actor with a "product" that millions of people will pay money for. He's been a huge star for getting on for 40 years. People may not think much of his religion or personal life, but they'll still go to see his films. That has been proven time and again.

The Harkles don't compare because they don't have a 'product'. Other than whining about how hard it is to be a Duke and Duchess. And they're surely reaching their 'sell by date' with that. Also, despite what some on this thread seem to think, they're not young. They had a moment 3 years ago when there was a lot of interest and support for them, but they failed to capitalise on that and are now literally a joke.

Unless they can rebrand quickly, or better, cultivate individual 'brands' which don't involve obsessing over what Piers Morgan said about them 4 years ago, it's hard to see how they can gain the respect and credibility they seem to crave.

That makes me laugh. It sounds totally Tom Cruise, that he'd think this would be successful.

And yet...I love him. He makes such fantastic films, great stories. He does his own stunts. You don't really hear other actors bad-mouthing him. And Graham Norton says he's the best guest he's ever had because he remembers the names of all the staff and asks them questions based on previous conversations. He said he's polite, friendly and wonderful with the the audience.

I can't help it. I ❤ TC. And HAM shouldn't even dare to dream they could ever come close to him in talent, determination, tenacity and longevity.

just suggesting that as an example that anyone can come back from anything in America

Americans have standards, just like the rest of the world.

suggesting otherwise is discriminatory.

Aww that's sweet @MarshaMelrose ! , I feel like that about Jeff goldblum! I could watch him open an envelope 😍.

I think @AliceOlive, is just pointing out that Americans can be quite forgiving if they let the hoo haa die down a bit , I don't think she's comparing thier talents or brand to Tom cruise , just pointing out he weathered similar situations.

I’m American. What a silly remark regardless.