Harry not honouring Tyler Perry. Why?

[Sunblessed]

Way back in July, it was announced that Harry and Meghan are tribute chairs for Tyler Perry and the award he will receive at the Paley honours Gala on December 4th. See

https://people.com/meghan-markle-prince-harry-celebrate-tyler-perry-paley-honor-8679521

Now we are told, even though Tyler has helped his family over the years and is his daughter’s godfather, that Harry won’t be attending the gala even though he is on the hosting committee. Instead Meghan will be on her own? See

https://people.com/meghan-markle-prince-harry-attend-events-on-same-day-next-week-but-on-different-coasts-8751500

Why? It makes no sense. I understand that their work takes them different places but this is something they are both involved in. Harry is off to a book conference that just so happens to be on the 4th December, all the way in NY.

He was a chair of the committee and he doesn’t bother to show up? That’s really poor taste, for a man that has done so much for him.

It’s also just adding unnecessary fuel to fire that all is not well with their marriage. This is an event that they should be doing together, instead Meghan will be left to the red carpet on her own. If he didn’t want to be part of it, why did he join the hosting committee, if he never intended to host?

Here is the US, horse racing is still popular. We live by a major track, and my dad, after he retired, liked to go a few days a week to watch. None of us joined him as we weren't interested. We were totally mystfied by his interest since the only time we see a horse is if it is a police horse.

In 2023 lots of US horses died at the Kentucky Derby.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/03/twelve-horses-died-around-the-kentucky-derby-last-year-little-has-changed-since

Polo isn't the only sport that is cruel to horses. A lot more breeders and trainers are out there than the RF.

Do we know how ARO is likely to be financed and the likely start up costs, risks etc?

Will H&M be funding it themselves or will they be looking for investors and collaborators - and who would be negotiating those deals?

Is there a tie up with the Netflix programme (is this - cooking / gardening / / entertainment?) and how would this arrangement be structured - would there be a commission on dog biscuits / yoga mats / crockery sold etc?

I think ARO is a huge step up in terms of structure, logistics, business complexity and prowess etc compared to The Tig which was effectively a personal influencer blog promoting products and experiences created and owned by others in return for revenue for ad space.

Celeb endorsement has taken a massive hit recently, and no more than post Kamala Harris' campaign,

I think this is where Meghan and Harry have landed now, they have pushed their 'celebrity' into every corner of their transactions, no matter how irrelevant it is (hair care products , dog biscuits, lemons,🙄). H&M don't appear to have cottoned on to this yet with their excessive use of tabloids and their friends SM to promote themselves at every turn. Their approach is becoming outdated.

"A new trend known as celebrity fatigue is emerging in the world of celebrity obsession. Audiences are growing tired of celebrity news, endorsements, and online personas. It’s a pivotal shift in how the public views celebrities.

Many folks sense a lack of realism in the immaculately constructed celebrity persona. The seemingly perfect social media feeds and painstakingly crafted public images often show a lifestyle and values that are far from reality, pushing celebrities further away from their audiences.

This perceived inauthenticity, along with the promotion of unachievable beauty standards and exorbitant wealth, can leave many feeling estranged and disenchanted.

Celebrity content, particularly on social media, is frequently unoriginal and repetitive. Sponsored posts often repeat the same storyline and focus on maintaining a specific aesthetic, which can become dull for consumers. Audiences desire authentic engagement and diverse perspectives, which formulaic content does not provide.

When celebrities find themselves embroiled in scandal or controversy, their public image is bound to suffer. This negative backlash can lead to disinterest and celebrity fatigue, as audiences lose faith and enthusiasm for a tarnished image.

Sometimes, a celebrity’s personal life and persona can overshadow their actual talent or accomplishments. This is particularly detrimental for musicians, actors, or writers, as their work falls into the background. Audiences, eager for genuine talent and artistic expression, may lose interest in celebrities whose fame overshadows their craft.

Audiences want to connect with relatable individuals, not just gawk at flawlessly curated images."

What normally happens is you pull together your business plan and 3 - 5 year forecasts and put in the gumshoe work going round seed and angel investors for them to cornerstone you. These meetings are very gruelling though - I hope Meghan has a good finance director because they dig into EVERYTHING.

With seed investors, they tend to invest in the big picture/blue sky rather than on the evidence of hard numbers, because there aren't any yet. And they'll know that it'll be loss making for the first three years but equally they will want to see that the business can wash its face (ie cover its costs) by year 3, top line growth in years 2 - 4, profitable growth in year 5.

The start-up costs for ARO will be HUGE. Main spend will be brand and marketing rather than profit. It's EXPENSIVE these days to get a decent Google ranking, she could do it all on socials I suppose but there are rules around it now, I'm not 100% familiar. She'll need to hire a brilliant SEO/SM agency and pay them $$$$$.

If Meghan had been going round the Cali seed investor community I'm sure we would've heard of it because those guys are famously leaky even with an NDA, which never really bothers them because they've truly got fuck-you money. So I presume she's funding it herself, which is a HUGE RISK, I mean the years 1 & 2 start up costs will be ASTRONOMICAL, I'm actually getting a bit nauseous thinking about them lol. She's possibly using the slug of capital Harry got from his inheritance. Or, she's actually been a business genius on the sly all these years and sees a path to instant profitability, in which case she'll re-write all of the MBA courses in the western world.

She's possibly using the slug of capital Harry got from his inheritance.

I suspect that this came with loads of caveats to keep it in the blood family line ie PH, PA & PL - and away from spouses.

MM other recent investments publicised (handbags, haircare etc) - look small fry compared to launching something as costly and logistically intense as ARO.

Well I'm presuming that 'investment' means not that she's put cash in but that she's going to include affiliate links to these brands on the ARO site.

Can you legally set a parameter around what someone does with an inheritance? Surely when it's in your bank account you can do what you please no? I wouldn't know as I've never inherited anything lol

Yes, I think since Covid if not before, there's been something of a backlash against celebrity culture.

If you want to make a success of a celebrity brand, you need to do a lot more than say 'Hey, I'm famous! Buy what I'm selling!'

I am still sceptical that 'ARO' is going to happen.

Trademarks aside, and the silly name of American Riveria Orchard, there is already brand fatigue surrounding it , along with the negative consequences of not launching it soon after they put out the SM teasers, its become overexposed without ever having a product to sell. It is really bizarre.

I don;t know how they will ever manage to launch it with any level of credibility.

Yeah, I mean, it's business 101: don't launch until you have product on the shelves. I honestly don't know what she was thinking there.

She wasn't.

She was thinking about the immediate gratification of making an announcement that would steal William and Harry's Diana moment and remind her husband (on a trip with his mates in Colorado) that she existed.

I really think that was the motive behind announcing it when she did.

The sugars here went overboard denying that it was anything but a co-incidence, arguing that business ventures such as ARO are planned meticulously and so the announcement on that particular day, an hour or so before William's speech, was just that - a coincidence.

Seems not.

I didn't know about that coincidence; I've actually assumed that she was trying to get ahead of a media leak. There are ways she could have done that without giving away the name and product lines tho.

I actually think the biggest challenge ARO will have is not one of product, but of MOOD. H&M built their early solo brand on one of trauma and victimhood - these were the dominant tones of the Oprah interview, the NF docu and the statement about the 'near catastrophic' NY car chase, and it worked OK, I suppose, but you can't build a sustainable long term brand off of victimhood.

The problem is that everything they do carries a heavy tinge of negativity and misery - compare Earthshot with the Parents Network. William's tone was upbeat and solutions oriented - empowering young people. H&M's tone was one of relenting negativity, decrying the damage of social media but not suggesting any solutions. The focus was on the untimely deaths of young people, not on empowering the still living to use SM in a healthier way.

This is a massive problem because you simply CANNOT sell an aspirational lifestyle brand on a cloud of negativity and victimhood. Nope, nada, will not work, computer says not even the teeniest bit. And that is why I presume Meghan has been instructing her PR to guide the media recently to write that she is 'joyful' and focussed on joy and life etc - the problem is you can't just put these words into the press, you have to embody them. I appreciate that she's trying with all those recent smily red carpet apearances, but it's not organic and feels false. It'll take a long time to shift the narrative surrounding them from one of frustration and petulance to one of joy and empowerment.

I cant see how she had a video short ready to go though - if it was such an impulsive action and all he legals were not buttoned down?

Takes half a day tops to film edit and render one of those.

"It'll take a long time to shift the narrative surrounding them from one of frustration and petulance to one of joy and empowerment."

Especially when you're bearing planet-size grudges against both sides of your family, to the point that you won't let their two sick grandads see their grandchildren.

Is the Tyler Perry event tonight ?

Yes it is, Mylovelygreendress - starts at 6.30 their time

Just don't understand how even well set up business operations can make sufficient profits from jam and dog biscuits to fund a multi-million lifestyle.

I have so much admiration for what you do.

@GiveMeSpanakopita I find your posts so interesting and insightful.

Agreed. Really interesting points.

Right, before I go. I’m going to call out my Megan red carpet bingo card and will check in the morning.

1. Continuing the new mermaid hair look. No more tight buns (that was her previous iteration as serious producer lady, now she’s tradwife extraordinaire)
2. Some sort of cut out somewhere on the dress- for some reason the sternum is a hot look according to megs. Shoulders will be out.
3. Holding on to someone, anyone, for dear life
4. looking straight down the barrel of the camera
5. Making sure she is centre of attention in every shot
6. If she makes a speech, something about viewing through the lens of community, the Madea character empowering women (not sexist at all!), something about healing.

Agree.
And aged dog-mother, too.

I have to disagree on point 2. I'll have a side-bet with you that the shoulders continue to be showcased.