The Cut, H&M and US voters

[Thedom]

The Cut having a snarky side eye at Duchess Difficult and her British Prince, the letter writing from the staff sounds totally like one of MM's harebrained and patronising ideas, i have a vision of them all feverishly writing letters as MM stomps around their desks in her high heels, providing her 'constructive criticism' feedback. They really are a laugh a minute.

"For example, do you think any unregistered voter was persuaded to get their shit together because Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reminded them?

In honor of National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, employees at the couple’s Archewell Foundation got together to write personalized letters to unregistered voters encouraging them to register. Whether Harry and Meghan were part of the letter-writing campaign remains unknown

It’s kind of funny that a literal prince who can’t vote in a U.S. election is saying this"

web.archive.org/web/20240918222930/www.thecut.com/article/prince-harry-meghan-markle-voter-registration.html

I think the article is asking the wrong question with "for example, do you think any unregistered voter was persuaded to get their shit together because Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reminded them?"

Because what they've done is highlight that there is a campaign, and it's a campaign whose value is self evident. And which probably gets quite a bit of sleb support. And it'll never be as simple as "because XYZ told me to" but rather the spread of the reminder to make sure you've done it. And this is spreading that reminder.

So perhaps the individual letters will make little difference, but the coverage of the campaign itself will have far greater reach. Which is a good thing.

(idly wonders how they get the names/addresses of the recipients, because in UK the main database is the electoral register, and there's no easy way to discover why addresses have no entry nor who lives there in order to send a personalised letter)

It's a bit of a mean article. Do I think it would have been better if the letter had only come from Meghan? Yes, but encouraging people to register to vote is something a lot of celebrities do and they are celebrities.

Anyone encouraging disenfranchised people to vote is welcome in my book.

Harry's on an A1 diplomatic/head of state visa by the best guess of anyone who has followed the visa case. He should not be commenting on the US election, even in neutral terms (which these two are not - everyone knows who they want people to vote for). Meghan is an American citizen, so she can say what she likes about voting, as so many other celebrities do. However, I really can't imagine they are making a jot of difference - it's not as if the populace are not very well aware there's an election on, the bloody election cycle runs for two years and is relentless. People feel disenfranchised, and I don't blame them, given the dismal choices the parties have presented to the electorate.

I agree that this is a really important initiative - especially this election. I ahd a look at the Archewell write up - H&M are not mentioned by name - its presented as an initiative that colleagues have done together.

However this quote in The Cut article (from MM in 2020):

“I know what it’s like to have a voice, and also what it’s like to feel voiceless. I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard. And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard.”

Could be seen as disingenous given the NDAs and consistent and persistant bullying behaviour reported by many of her staff over many years and across continents.

Walk the talk.

I can understand the influence someone like Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish would have, certainly for those who are young first time voters and the importance of them registering etc. However that isn't their audience, and generally they are unpopular, I think the author is not wrong when he says what unregistered voter, certainly what disenfranchised voter, will leap to register because of H&M and their staff. ,

To me, it comes across as a performative attempt to muscle in on genuine celeb territory and again pretend they are something they are not.

@Hiji that paragraph is so totally disingenuous, particularly now we know Meghan is such a bully along with their extensive use of NDA;s.

•   <strong>&quot;</strong>Prince Harry said he has never been able to vote in his &quot;entire life&quot; as he and Meghan Markle asked Americans to register ahead of the US election.*&quot;
  

He's such a dick.

To me, it comes across as a performative attempt to muscle in on genuine celeb territory and again pretend they are something they are not.

I also wondered on the timing - I believe Archewell posted this on Monday after The Hollywood Reporter expose the week before.

I also looked at their programs https://archewell.org/programs/

and as surprised is so 'thin' - only two listed.

The Welcome Project (launched in 2023) and The Parents Network online safety (launched this year).

Only the launches of both are covered as opposed to any development, updates, traction, follow-up etc

I'm also wondering where they bought the mailing list of hapless allegedly unregistered voters. Maybe someone should investigate a bit further.

I'm voting for Harris but if I got one of those letters from H & M I'd do a quick Google, register, and vote for Trump since he has promised to deport Harry.

H&M are not mentioned by name - its presented as an initiative that colleagues have done together

Fair enough, but it's still obvious where the "initiative" came from and I'm not sure what Harry's doing involving himself in this at all - unless he intends applying for US citizenship and that seems unlikely since it could mean his title going

TBH I'm more interested in who these "staff" really are, as it's never been clear if Archewell has an actual office, far less who works there

Typo

Ha!

Sounds like it’s been written by one of us lot!
love the last paragraph. What a burn.

I find it interesting that having previously made no secret of being anti Trump, they have now decided to go down the "just vote" pathway. I have a suspicion that maybe, just maybe, they are hedging their bets in case he gets in, given his previous bluster about Harry and his visa by not prodding a currently hypothetical bear.

unless he intends applying for US citizenship and that seems unlikely since it could mean his title going

Imagine that, Harry the only one in his little US family without a title, LOL.

I guess Harry has never voted in his life then, the RF abstain in the UK and he is not allowed to vote in the US.

It just seems a bit of an odd initiative for Harry and Meghan to have pursued. "We're here to remind you to do your duty for your country".... oh wait

@Delphigirl Yet oddly enough William pulled in a huge crowd and had to do an impromptu walkabout during his visit to a fire house in NYC last year:

https://nypost.com/2023/09/19/prince-william-visits-iconic-fdny-firehouse-during-nyc-visit-to-meet-with-big-apples-top-fire-officials/

Let's see what fresh mayhem H creates in NYC next week.

I read somewhere because of the foundation status of Archewell they are unable to endorse a candidate, but I don't think that can be correct when the Clooneys, the Obamas, the Clintons all have Foundations too but still endorse Democrat candidates.

I’m not so sure - didn’t M get involved with the single word ‘vote’ campaign a little while ago?

At least they’re showing some consistency in sticking with a cause.

And they seem to have drawn more attention to it than any of the 5,500 organisations that took part (even though Archewell is tiny in comparison to some)

nationalvoterregistrationday.org

National voter registration day was September 17th. I was tripping over people asking if I was registered all day. Lots of grassroots initiatives in the streets. Also reminders in our mail.

And they seem to have drawn more attention to it .

mainly in the UK, where it is irrelevant.

It hasn't got much traction in the US mainstream media. maybe a small report in a few of their usual go to celeb magazines.

I was actually quite interested in the related article at the bottom of this one So when will
Markle start selling jam?
There is one paragraph that talks about 18 staffers having left ARO already and difficulty finding a CEO 😱

bold fail
ha! Still didn’t work. Italics instead 😂

The problem isn't registering to vote. You can do that online. The problem is getting to your polling place only to be told to there is no record of you. Or having your polling place moved to a less convenient location.

Or finding that the local post boxes have been removed in your Democrat area when you have registered to postal vote.

But he said at a previous event that he'd never been able to vote, and that's just not true (admittedly no surprise there )

It's correct that the RF usually abstain, but I really don't imagine anyone would have tackled Harry to the floor if he'd insisted - especially as ballots are private in the UK