Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, spotted out and about, part 4

[pipsfromthefuture]

Part 4 of a nice, unproblematic thread to discuss some of the fab outfits from the Duchess of Sussex, and some of the many great causes she (and Harry) and Archewell supports.

Oh come off it!!

What can't 40 year olds take pics of themselves hanging out?

I'm 46 and my house has lots of pics of me and my friends together. I love them. They are my family.

My mom is 75 and still takes pics of herself out with her friends.

I feel like a teenager again when my friends and I get together. It's so much fun! I love a good giggle fest.

But it is.

What is immature about pics with your friends having fun?

Whatever!

It’s such a good question but probably too deep for RFF. In short, pictures take on a different meaning when posted on SM.

Hmmm How so? Who decides this?

You and me and whoever else wants to form an opinion.

There’s a huge amount of academic research available in open access, published form on the theoretical debates about dialectical transformations, photography and social media, including theories of the lens, the gaze and the subject/object. Fascinating stuff if you like semiotics and phenomenological analysis, @Josette77.

If you think that photo shoot was friends hanging out and having a giggle and spontaneously taking photos of each other, then you’re a fool. I don’t have any problem with it myself - I think they’re nice photos - but let’s not pretend it was anything other than a professionally arranged gig.

It's about Meghan modelling clothes. I think she's just moved into trad wife territory, baking, clothes, gardening etc.

She’s desperately trying to get into the instagram influencer arena. Selling a lifestyle .

If this was a pic of her hanging out with old mates - no comment. But since it was a professional photoshoot with new influencer-type friends - then surely comment is invited?

And “friends” ? They are all busily scratching each other’s backs with jam pictures traded for T-shirt exposure.

Abigail Spencer was also on Suits, so they've been friends for a while.

She's known Abigail for 13 years.

So are publicity photographs for particular causes and promotions not inviting comment? Is content creation and media involvement not inviting viewings and comment?

Or are we still sticking with 'why are you even thinking about two people you have never met and never will and who don't know you exist?'

Is this Schrodinger's non-royal royalty? You can't observe and assess them at the same time?

I've gone down the rabbit hole and I'm reading. Lol

I not a huge fan of MM. Well, I was at one point from Suits and the Tig. We used to go to the same yoga studio in TO.

I just don't like the assumption that girlfriends hanging out taking pics is juvenile. I understand this is a photoshoot, but it's still girlfriends who love each other presumably which is nice. The pics are cute.

I don't think MM can make a lifestyle influencer comeback. It's too saturated and she would need to work consistently hard and take advice.

Still, the pics don't bother me.

Of course not.

It's interesting though that a group of women friends invites such negative stereotypes. It's not just this pic.

I think we should celebrate female friendships more. They are important, and valuable.

Of course it’s fine for friends to take pics of each other but why does it need to be for public consumption? We don’t need to know who she is friends with.

I suppose it’s because I don’t really believe that they would ever interact in this way if they didn’t each have a motive that wasn’t about friendship.

Of course genuine friendships should be celebrated, but that doesn't have any connection to a promotional photoshoot, where there may have been genuine friendships involved, or it may have been 100% staged.

Because they are advertising a charity? Isn't that kind of the point with this one?

@Josette77 - I kind of see your point - obvs friends and charity, all good. But… Meghan has for me lifted the curtain on transactional friendships and this photoshoot (and the jam instas) leaves a distinctly cold and ruthless impression (about all these hustlers - not solely Meghan).

I think it would be nice for her to promote the charity without putting herself front and centre.

This is how it strikes me.

I can’t deny it is great promoting a charitable foundation.

It sours it a bit having a ‘plug my jam’ scrape on the grass shortly thereafter.

I would like to think it is all about friendship.

It really just honks of transactional.

She isn't front or centre in those latest pics!

And I think it is ageist to assume that a pic in a charity tshirt with your mates is only for certain age brackets.

I think in one of the pics, the way the one in the centre is holding her arms is a bit weird. But I think Meghan looks great - she looks way better in very casual clothes