american riviera orchard - what was that all about then?

[Tenmus]

It seems to have gone the same way as their Sussex Royal site. I don't know much about social media or PR, but this all seems pretty odd and ineffectual.

I’m wondering too. There were strong rumours that there was going to be an announcement of some sort, so maybe they were doing their usual of attempting to upstage it, until they found out what it was 🤷‍♀️

It may or may not be one upmanship or a need to outshine.

That is what it keeps looking like to me though.

I doubt she was getting paid directly, although such is the state of 'celebrity humanitarianism' in California, it's certainly possible.

I was thinking of the claim in the Valentine Low book that she had told aides during the Oz tour that 'I can't believe I'm not being paid for this'. Whether or not that's true, it does seem odd to find freedom from royal life only to do pseudo royal 'engagements' in a country which rejected royalty. Of course I know you don't have to be royal to do charitable work. But what is her connection to this hospital? Has she visited before and will she visit again? In what capacity was she there? America doesn't do royals, and she has no real celebrity role outside of her fading royal connections. So why this 'secret' visit?

About as "secret" as their "secret" message of "support" to "Kate" (she who must not be titled, even though she is the actual working royal and future queen).

As I said upthread, this is more likely to be pay for play. A nice money spinner for the hospital. The Kardashians have had a number of photo shoots at this place too, at times when they've needed some good press.

It's very possible that WME has a relationship with the hospital board, allowing people on their books in for this type of publicity in exchange for financial support. Contrast with other stars who use their own money for supporting the cause, and do things on the quiet.

The original timing would have been perfect timing, in the midst of where’s Kate and lazy willy accompanied with the Princess Diana wanna be look would have been remarkable PR but for the following announcement from Catherine. The children look confused to say the least.

Interesting. So you think she may have paid, or her agent called in a favour, for her to 'appear' at the hospital?

It seems a rather unethical way for a hospital to fundraise, but I guess this is California!

If the timing is correct, then it just seems self serving putting it out there now.

If it was all about the kids or the hospital, then surely it would have been put out there just after it happened?

Given Catherine’s announcement, the only reason I can see for the delay is for how someone else appears - so nothing to do with the kids or the hospital.

Same hospital

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movies/kim-kardashian-visits-childrens-hospital-001500128.html

https://www.looktothestars.org/charity/childrens-hospital-los-angeles

A lot of well known people on there.

They seem to be missing a supporter name though.

I feel antipathy towards all the terrible vulgarity of this and the UK based royals' commercialism. I hate it. I wouldn't mind if they didn't all sit atop an egregious tax dodging edifice.
Just quietly serve and leave the rest of us alone who have real bills to pay.

This pair intrigue me. It is so difficult to understand what their goals are at times.

I wonder if this 'soft launch' was to create intrigue - in the hope that speculation would build and build online as to what was coming next. Sort of trying to create a frenzy of anticipation. Like a teaser.

You can see the frenzy surrounding the Prince of Wales initial announcement and then silence for ages. Where is Kate. With hindsight the reason for the silence and absence is obvious.

I half wonder if they did launch prematurely trying to capture that sort of tension - get the world talking and speculating.

It hasn't worked out that way though.

@ArcaneWireless I think this demonstrates that celebs visiting these kids is not exceptional (although I am sure it is nice for the children) amd well publicised, and there's no reason to label the visit by M as either royal or quiet or something particularly special.

I don’t mind the dress at all. If you’re going to lean into your royal persona and visit sick children as the wife of a Prince, may as well dress like a princess I suppose?

I side eye this more because we know very well that she made the families involved in her last public book reading, at the Mahalia Jackson school in Harlem, sign a detailed non- disclosure agreement gagging them from saying anything at all about her visit unless it was vetted by her team first. Which is highly likely to be the case here too. If so, this visit is for Meghan’s benefit, not the children.

The quiet part of “show up, do good” seems to be “bring cameras”.

I guess this dress was a vast improvement on the Joker outfit she wore for the Harlem school visit. The families also had to pay $5 for copies of the Bench. Those were/are kids in poverty.

It is like they are cosplaying Royals which makes no sense given they chose to walk away from that life. It is like they can't let go of this 'half in/half out' concept, come what may.

I think they would be far popular if they just dropped these psuedo Royal visits altogether. It is just cringeworthy at this point.

<hollow laugh>

Self-serving? Meghan Markle? Never!

The ONLY reason for the delay is because it would have reflected poorly on MM. A bad ROI for her. None of this has anything to do with the kids or the hospital; I would go so far as to say that none of the charitable endeavours MM has been connected to in the public's eye, have been about the charity first and her second. I cannot think of a single effort where she didn't stand to gain something. She's in her early 40s. By her age, I (an ordinary person) had a years-long track record with 1 charity in the UK and a non-profit in the USA. I can't think of a single one MM has been involved in with any longevity. Even Harry has Well Child, Invictus etc. I may be proven wrong, maybe on her deathbed we will hear about an amazingly selfless endeavour she's undertaken. I promise to eat my hat if we do.

I don't think people outside the California-based celebrity scene can fathom just how amazingly well-run and slick and complex the PR and publicity machine is, just how greedy and ugly and self-obsessed the celebrities are, just how very much it's ALL about money and power. These people jeopardise their physical and mental health, their friendships and family relationships, their integrity, their dignity for fame and money. It's my very unfashionable opinion that they're all "off" in some way or another. Normal people can't take it. They leave. Some of them before they make it, some after they've made it. A tiny handful get so much money and power they're in a position to set the rules. Meghan Markle, with her solitary few million dollars in the bank (in a county where her entire fortune is what some people earn in a year on one of many tax-efficient investment accounts) is trying to scrabble her way to the very top of that world, and the main thing she has going for her is her marriage to Harry. But she's so entry-level - what the young people call "basic" - she just doesn't register with those who wield power. She's like a 40-something year old intern with not very good ideas. I do absolutely admire her stubbornness and determination, and she has very definitely been on the receiving end of a lot of online awfulness - relentless battering, day in and day out. I couldn't deal with it, personally (I don't think I know anyone who could, who could be bothered, who would think it worthwhile etc). But, if you lie with dogs, you get fleas. To bastardise one of her own phrases, she's not just lying with dogs, she's willingly feeding herself to dogs.

Johnny Depp does his visits in character as Captain Jack Sparrow, a film character who most children can relate to (or could relate to at the time he did these visits). It would be like Santa Clause arriving, Children would love it.

He also had a personal and family connection to Great Ormond Street who saved his daughter's life. He didn't take film crews with him.

This is where they at times lack authenticity, this scattergun approach which feels meaningless and shallow.

When Matthew Mcconaughay got involved in the Ulvade tragedy it was because it was his home town. It made sense and his response felt authentic.

I do absolutely admire her stubbornness and determination

Really?

What happened to her podcast career? Or all those programmes she was going to produce for Netflix? Or 40 x 40?

From what I can see, she drops things as soon as they get difficult or boring. Kind of like what she did with royal life, only to try to play pretend American royals now.

I do think only time will tell if the American market has enough cash flow, (doesn’t need to be a great percentage) and people who will buy into the British/American royalty angle, as its clear that is what is being sold, with an online push of the Princess Meghan narrative. I hope that it is successful to eventually move away from the fighting but I’m doubtful as there’s a team atmosphere around them and the royal family.

I meant stubbornness and determination to keep going until she reaches her goal (riches and adoration, as far as I can tell?). She obviously doesn't have the skillsets required for any of the projects she's tried her hand at so far to be that successful, but she's not giving up. It's entrepreneurial. She's not letting the failures hold her back, and that kind of persistence and resilience is admirable, to me.