Harry and Meghan make surprise phone calls to young leaders in the US

[PrincessTigger]

I actually really liked this video, it’s them doing what they have always done best. I want to see more things like this, hope it marks a change in tactics.

It also has a very “royal” feel: e.g. there have been recent reports about a split but they’re not arguing in the gutter they’re rising above it and proving them wrong, they’re using their spotlight to shine onto other people, etc.

Only criticism: why are they filming people on the phone?! Makes me think of The Apprentice 😂 use Zoom!!

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/harry-meghan-young-leaders-surprise-call-b2386408.html

All that from a few photos of people in the act of walking out of a resturant and getting into a car?

Science or flight of fancy?

however they have form for elevating themselves off the back of others and doing very little

This I find intereting. Could you give a few examples?

What I see is the incredibly successful Invictus games - talk to any army people about those games and you will understand how important they are.

A little less well known to us but massively successful in Lesotho is the Sentebale charity and has a measurable impact.

One of the most succesful documentaries Netflix ever had.

One the best selling biographies, if not the best selling biography of all time.

MM show Suits is now on Netflix and is the most streamed show in their history.

No matter how you slice it and dice it, I think it would be hard to shoehorn however they have form for elevating themselves off the back of others and doing very little in to those things.

You can dislike them - but be fair!

Many of the things you list are due to the gossiping about the Royal Family factor

It’s the institution people are interested in and Harry just had to spill the beans

Without that a Netflix documentary and a book would be out of reach

Without the RF it’s Suits and maybe the games if Harry was committed enough

Suits is now on Netflix and is the most streamed show in their history.

Not even close.

Ans to be clear, I'm not attacking H&M per se or their charitable work. I just think that, and it applies to everyone famous who has a huge following including the royal family, that with fame comes a lot of influence and with a lot of influence comes a lot of power.

So many fans are so nasty on social media in the name of their favourite celebrity,... and I just think that if those famous people would just take 5 minutes to send a post on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook,... asking their fans to stop being nasty, it could make social media platforms so much more enjoyable. It wouldn't completely eradicate cyberbullying but it definitely could make a difference.

Yes where on earth does this come from?

Here’s a list

https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/entertainment/streaming/most-watched-netflix-shows/amp/

It’s really odd isn’t it

What an awful thing to say. They were one of the founders of this initiative and donated money to it. Yet you just want to knock them. And accuse them of monetising off the back of children.
FFS

My references were to H and M not the young people. You misunderstood my post.

ok

It's more of the same old claptrap - getting the limelight about something that is so vague and tenuous

What about this is claptrap?
What is vague and tenuous?

I appreciate you have left the thread but I think it reasonable to infer exactly what myself and some other posters got from your post. I am asking you to be mindful in your language in minimising and denigrating the project that the people you don’t like are involved in because you belittle the other stakeholders and the recipients by extension.

I hope those children go a long way in their ideas and expertise, and I hope H&M don't just monetise off the back of these children.

The recipients are not children. I’m curious - which other charitable initiatives that H&M have been involved in have they monetised?

You are absolutely correct - we know PH because of the institution. But he personally has something that a huge amount of people in the world are interested in.

I really doubt that a Charles, William, Catherine or Camilla book/docu series would sell like that.

and I hope H&M don't just monetise off the back of these children.

This is so unfair and mean spirited. Why on earth would you think they would do that and based on what?

Look up the Nielsen numbers.

3.1 billion viewing minutes in June/July. And sustained across the weeks that floowed.

The previous highest had 2.5b - a show called Manifest.

I completely disagree

People would love any titbits from Catherine, Camilla, Charles or William

They just haven’t done the selling out the RF part. Without the RF would you read a book by him? I mean you might, but if it was just him as an ex soldier no RF connection there’s no way that many would.

That you like him that much is clouding judgement. Even in italics he really does not personally have something that interesting.

It’s a classic dish the dirt on a closed but interesting institution story that people bought.

Those are figures for 'acquired' shows, which is not at all the same as all shows.

Netflix's own productions, such as 'Squid Game', 'Stranger Things', 'Wednesday', and 'Ozark', to name but 4, easily surpass the viewing figures for 'Suits'.

So no, it is not even close to being "the most streamed show in their history."

Look at any table for Top Ten most viewed NF shows of all time. 'Suits' is nowhere to be seen.

Yes where on earth does this come from?

It comes from Deadline - July 27th issue. The viewing nubers are from Nielsen.

This is the headline - ‘Suits’ Breaks Nielsen Streaming Record For Acquired Programming; ‘The Bear’ Hits 1B Minutes Viewed In A Week

This is the link - https://deadline.com/2023/07/suits-the-bear-season-2-nielsen-streaming-record-netflix-peacock-ratings-1235449701/

Exactly. The list below shows top 15. Suits is not on it.

Also, Suits had 9 series and well over 100 episodes, so not surprising that it would rack up higher viewing figures than other, much shorter series.

Not denying that it's been a success in streaming terms, but claiming it's 'the most viewed in history' is just simply wrong.

Without the RF would you read a book by him? I mean you might, but if it was just him as an ex soldier no RF connection there’s no way that many would.

As we agreed before - without the royal blood we might never had heard of him.

Your question is like asking would you have water without the H, the 2, or the O.

That you like him that much is clouding judgement.

I don't actually like him that much. What I hate is the dismissive and somewhat dehumanising "anti" threads that crop up here all the time.

We can recognise someone's achievements without liking them or even endorsing them.

Even in italics he really does not personally have something that interesting.

Maybe - but the numbers, actual hard data for book sales, documentary viewing, Invictus, her Archetype podcast, even on the bloody clothes she wears say very different to you.

And anyway it’s not like MM carried the show, she was the gf of the main guy

I used to watch it, I can’t say she was why I did. It got a bit samey though but it was quite popular as a show

No the numbers back up what I’m saying.

The RF is interesting as an institution. Harry dished the dirt. It’s not him people are particularly drawn to.

He’s no where near getting numbers on his own steam. That’s the whole point, he’s just selling RF gossip.

We can recognise someone's achievements without liking them or even endorsing them.

Can you tell me what 'achievements' Harry has which are entirely unrelated to the royal family?

He's had 3 years of 'freedom'. What has he done in that time which proves that Harry is 'personally' of great interest to "a huge amount of people in the world'? I'm not talking about books or 'documentaries' related to his royal life, or charities founded when he was a royal. What has he 'personally' done which has been a great success in his new life of freedom?

You're correct, for acquired shows.

The USA Network series saw an impressive 3.1B viewing minutes during the week of June 26 to July 2 across the two streaming services, according to Nielsen’s latest streaming data. That marks a 36% increase in viewership from the week prior and another week atop the Nielsen streaming charts.
This is unusually high viewing time for an acquired series and breaks the record for an acquired series in one measurement week. Though there have been several, including Manifest and The Office, that have tallied plenty of weeks with over 1B viewing minutes after landing on a streaming platform, none have managed to perform quite so well.

And anyway it’s not like MM carried the show, she was the gf of the main guy

I think if we are being honest, right now people are watching in such high figures largely because of her.

He's had 3 years of 'freedom'. What has he done in that time which proves that Harry is 'personally' of great interest to "a huge amount of people in the world'? I'm not talking about books or 'documentaries' related to his royal life, or charities founded when he was a royal. What has he 'personally' done which has been a great success in his new life of freedom?

So you're going to stipulate that anything he's done in any way connected to who he actually is, which is never going to change, is not to be included? Even Invictyus is ruled out because of when he founded it? He is of interest because of who he is, yes. Like all of the royals. Nobody would give a fuck about boring old Charles and Anne if they weren't royals either. What can any of them do about it? Its a silly way to frame a question. Take a part of his identity away and now prove he's of interest. Its silly.

he’s just selling RF gossip.

Well, that is one interpretation. Others see it as someone leaving a powerful privileged and wealthy institution and telling his story about why he had to and what it's really like. What to some is gossip, to others is whistleblowing and exposing an archaic institution for the damaging outdated cult it is.