With Love, Meghan - criticisms and genuine concern for her mental health

[Lavenderfarmcottage]

I am probably going to be flogged for posting this and chased down the dark laneways of Mumsnet as bystanders yell “Shame Shame Shame”.

I weighed in yesterday about a thread on Meghan and her new Netflix show. I made some criticisms about the trailer and certain cliche’s in the way it was produced. Hypocritical of me to be posting this but I feel guilty and have reflected. I am actually looking forward to watching it on Netflix and my criticisms were pretty minor and not exclusive to her show - it’s a common issue I have.

Meghan has struggled with mental health because of criticism. The reaction to ‘With Love… Meghan’ has been fairly brutal.

I think it would be really good if we refrained from saying anything negative about the series or Meghan Markle. That’s not the point of this thread.

I want to know if you think the criticisms have gone too far. The Princess of Wales is not on the scene and we are protective of her rightly so. That leaves Meghan as media fodder though.

Do you think it’s time Meghan and Harry were given a break ? I do. I think we’ve been far too harsh and the criticisms have gotten out of hand.

I think we also forget the cultural relevance. If we went into the homes or Gwyneth, Julia Roberts etc and I would probably feel the divide too. American culture doesn’t apologise for wealth and hollywoood is highly competitive.

Having a confident demeanour, throwing your head back Julia Roberts style when you laugh and unapologetically selling $$$ vagina products like Gwyneth Paltrow is how it over there. People talk loudly and confidently and are polished and rehearsed especially in the
Competitive world of Hollywood…

Are we all being too hard ?

"Does that apply to Catherine?"

Mmm, yes, nobody talked about Catherine this time last year before her diagnosis did they @Choccyscofffy ? She was totally left alone by the world press and social media wasn't she? No conspiracy theories, speculation, ridicule and hate there, was there? On no wait....

The amount of global hate and bullying this woman has received disgusts me to my core.

Well my partner drives a forklift. I wouldn't be safe driving a dodgem. It means nothing.

I'm probably about here, in terms of how I see her/them. I find it baffling that in a world of genuine villains, people race to expend time and energy in being incredibly unpleasant about Meghan.

If she stays at home in luxurious leisure, and doesn't do a thing, she's a freeloader. If she creates a show like this, writes a book, whatever, she's a talentless narcissist who should keep her head down.

She wants to try new projects? Great. Some will work, some won't. She seems nice, they seem like a solid, loving family unit and I wish her well.

In response to @mainecooncatonahottinroof

It's showing up on the trending threads. Which, were it posted on the relevant and appropriate board, it likely would not have been. HTH.

In any event this seems no longer to be an issue, as the thread has quite rightly been moved. Good work @MNHQ.

This! Markle is a Fame Junkie.

Zero sympathy and I think she and Harry are odious hypocrites.

I’m not sure where you got that from - every narcissist I’ve know has had poor mental health. They seek the validation they can’t give themselves by manipulating others.

Sociopaths however…

Nah, and tbh it feeds their brand & makes them richer.

This new show doesn't seem to be anything that hasn't been done a thousand times before - usually by people far more qualified to do so. So this has to be a 'look at meee...' show, expecting it to be popular just because she's in it.

So she's going to show us (cos we would never have thought of it and neither would anyone else in the history of the world) how to put flowers into ice cubes. Whoopi doo.

She's no Mary Berry is she?

With a string of failed projects behind them? Seriously??

I daresay Harry's millions pay for the mansion. She'd never owned a property previously!

To be honest, I am more concerned for the mental health of the extreme fans of both camps- there's a big difference between liking the frocks and gossip and investing huge amounts of time and energy into supporting either side of the Cambridge/Sussex Feud.And some people should certainly get out into the fresh air more.

I hope that this show proves popular, I'm sure Netflix does as well, as presumably they've paid a lot of money for it! It's not my type of show, tbh, plus the advance publicity suggests that many of the receipes are things that I already know how to make, such as a Victoria sponge and bruschetta.

I was more taken aback to read that apparently, BetterUp coaching pays Harry over a million dollars a year to be on their leadership team. Presumably they're happy with that salary, but personally, I think it's bizarre. Perhaps it's just a rumor, but anyway.

Who cares?
But, it takes a lot of work and a lot of people to pull it off.
The viewer only sees the end result.

@Choccyscofffy but why is playing at Wimbledon different? Let’s say Prince George got into the Bournemouth grass court tourney just before Wimbledon and lost 6-0 6-0. He was in this scenario a semi decent British player but not good enough to get a wild card. The organisers give him one because he will draw crowds.Same as why Meghan with no cooking experience gets a show. Money. Title. Rather than proven talent in that particular field.

So in my scenario why would it be okay to eviscerate one member of the RF and not critique the fact that another has been given a show without having any credentials?

The reason in both cases is the same. They have titles, there will be a buzz around them. People will attend or watch. The organisers/Netflix will make money.

The thing is, both Harry and Meghan are obsessive about controlling the narrative around them. If the media says something about her that she doesn’t like, she will get Scobie or her friends to repudiate publicly for her. They are both litigious (not always a bad thing in some cases) against the media.

You can see how obsessed she is to be seen as this perfect person who is everything and anything to everyone. But it’s obviously all fake and we the general public can see through it. She is so controlling that she even told the journalist from The Cut to describe the sound she made as being “guttural” and tried to lead her into forming a specific opinion about why she wasn’t allowed to “reinvent the wheel” in the royal family but the journalist didn’t bite and instead highlighted the ridiculousness of the facade.

”Well, I can’t put words in your mouth, I say instead.

And then a pause as she looks down and inspects her hands; The Bachelor producer in her head deliberates how much should be said. “I don’t know,” she says, casting a knowing gaze out into the middle distance”

Unfortunately you have to be thick skinned if you want to be famous. If you can accept the praise and adulation you have to be prepared the negatives and the criticism, and quite frankly at times she has bordered on the ridiculous.

Meghan took enormous risks choosing Hollywood over a safe life path. She eventually found fame and built a fairly solid career. She gave that up for a family that expected her to be a supporting act for very little pay or benefit in the context of a) their wealth and b) her capacity to earn otherwise.
Why would she want to give up on a career and her previous dreams?

Good heavens.

You're talking as if she used to be famous!

I'm sure that most of the UK had never heard of her till she met Harry.

She was hardly a serious actress- a bit part in Suits or whatever? Never watched it, no desire to.

IMO she's not especially talented in any area other than seeking publicity for herself and making money by whatever means.

It is immensely personal.
I kid you not. Last night I was speaking to an elderly relative - she sounded quite down. She said that she was reading a news article about Meghan and it was so horrid it just really changed her mood and she felt disgusted.

I say it’s personal because if we scoured through threads - we would find far less scathing discussions about Andrew who has been in close relationship with a Chinese spy!

If she was a nicer person, kinder to her father and who hadn’t sold out on the Royal Family- yet still demands a “ Tidle” people would be far less judgemental.
She and Hazmat are ghastly whingers.

H&M chose to live in one of the most expensive places in California.
Harry insisted on having as much privacy for himself, his wife, and mainly for his children, as he could, for good reason, yes, but still, he must now make his own way.
Being the head of charities and organizations must pay something, but likely not enough to keep their lifestyle going and to move ahead.

So Meghan busied herself trying other projects, didn't succeed, and has now gone back to doing what she did online, before she met Harry, her "The Tig" lifestyle blog-come-to-life on Netflix.

I like that because they've chosen the 'private' life, I don't have to think of them, look at photos of them, or see anything in print about them, unless I choose to seek it out, which I don't.

I did have a quick look the other day, can't even recall where I saw the pics, but to me it just looked like yet one more celebrity cooking show with all the expected, yet tasteful, decorations and accessories, clothing and hairstyle, chic and polished people holding court.
Who, if you don't already have this particular lifestyle, and move in similar circles really wants to watch this?

People can only judge on what they see...

Catherine hasn't given interviews about her personal life, made podcasts, written autobiographies, etc etc etc.

Do you mean failed series? Like most in showbiz? Miss, miss, hit, miss, miss... how it usually goes.
M was a millionaire before Harry. Yes, Harry had more to bring to the marriage, but M had some money.
I don't understand your bitterness?

Though she gets more criticism than most actresses or celebrities and it’s usually very personal.

The difference is that good actors don't court publicity. They get on with acting.

M&H want privacy but keep putting themselves in the public eye.

Funny that, isn't it?

I know, it must be hell for her in her multimillion $ home!!!

No idea where you got bitterness from rofl! How bizarre.

A PP listed the failed projects. Read back and learn.

@Shesnotfromroundhere My take is that H genuinely had no idea just how much money it would take to maintain the lifestyle that they want, simply because he never had to consider it before.