Is there another couple like the Sussexes Part 2

[veraswaistcoat]

With this new authentic Insta post where Meghan positions herself as a go between in securing some signed merchandise I think there's still plenty to discuss.
This is a new image. No make up. Carefully edited insta. New lips. Is this influencer territory? Mention of " my husband and l " Echoes of the Queen ?

@Princessconsuelabananahammock9 I disagree

That is interesting when you think about it. Writing letter about dishwashing sexism then choosing to pose as a suitcase girl with implants.

I can't see that video as being candid at all, not least because of the hair pulled to the opposite shoulder so the embroidered kids names on her sweater can be seen. It looks to me like it was staged and not even remotely spontaneous.

She appears high as a kite.

She certainly came across as very excitable, almost like she was the 15 year old girl receiving the gift. All a bit odd for a woman in her 40’s 🤷‍♀️

I have an American friend who is Texan and the Meghan video was exactly how my friend speaks, same language and everything. It's natural for them to big themselves up whilst also trying to appear humble. I genuinely don't think they do it to be false. It's their way.

Do all Americans act the same then ? Not in my experience.

Considering M is so altruistic and a great advocate of feminism and a humanitarian why didn't she chooses relevant career?

But she isnt tho is she - because for the first Vanity Fair interview (Wild About Harry) she attempted to pitch herself as such but the journalists on the publication found no evidence through their research of any such endeavours so didnt include her claim in their article.

Just watched it. I don't watch social media stuff, so don't know the form, but all that gaspy 'ohmigawwwwd' stuff is rather ghastly from a middle aged person. It's irritating enough from 13 year olds.

@PigglyWigglyOhYeah , that's because we are not the target audience, in my opinion, Meghan has decided to go with this route to garner support from a different demographic, younger people, instagram followers, maybe she's finally got the hint ?

Dreadful video and yet again raises the question, who advises them? Or do they arrogantly ignore advice..

She posts a video to IG and then says "off to email the mum" so it makes it very clear that it's about her not the mum or daughter. Hardly a surprise if everyone else knows before the intended recipient.

On that case, she's got about 5 years to do it before her children are utterly mortified. 'Mother - you are 50. Stop pretending you are 12.'

Meghan’s behaviour in the reel is also completely removed from other accounts of her behaviour. Quite apart from onscreen interviews she has given, there was the author of the article in the Cut for example who remarked a couple of times how she was very careful in her word choices and gave the impression of having a producer in her head telling her how to react. Giddily jumping around and dramatically clutching her forehead is quite removed from that persona.

Which is not to say people always act the same way in every situation, but being able to flex your communication style is a skill, and a choice. Meghan received the items, donned the Archie and Lilibet T-shirt, laid them out, made her film and then heavily edited it. It clearly was not a spontaneous piece to camera. So her excited teenager demeanour was also not spontaneous- it’s obviously how she wanted to present herself.

Giddy teenagers don’t get asked to speak at the UN, or dress up in back to film themselves looking solemn in a war veterans’ cemetery. I guess they are more popular on social media though. And that takes us back to one of Meghan’s perennial issues - she struggles to appear authentic.

Not behaviour and perceived persona as such, more that the past four years will have demonstrated to producers and Hollywood power brokers that she's not talented or creative enough to earn them megabucks.

I've talked on other threads about how diva and bullying behaviour can both be excused to an extent in Hollywood as long as the star in question is bringing in the bucks. In fact, if the star's making a lot of people rich, their nasty side will be carefully covered up - look at Ellen Degeneres. It was only when her earning power started to fall that it was 'safe' to air the allegations.

Off the top of my head Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey are often said to be very unpleasant behind the cameras but they are worth $$$$$$ to their bosses, handlers, and advisers, so you won't see any of the allegations being aired in the mainstream anytime soon. On this side of the Atlantic, it was well known that Cilla Black was an absolute monster but you'd be quite hard pressed to glean that from her coverage.

I guarantee if Meghan's podcast, ARO, the Invictus and Polo series were huge hits, we'd all be hearing constantly about what wonderful and kind and humanitarian people she and Harry are. We're only hearing about her less pleasant side because she hasn't proven herself to be a lucrative talent or skilled producer, hence LA has concluded that she's dispensable, and therefore it's safe to laugh at her.

She's only just started with Three Gates, give 'em a chance!

I can guarantee they'll have a whole calendar of PR opps for her. And I think the new strategy is 'kind, relatable and adorably ditsy'.

I’m quite prepared to give ‘em chance but I wonder if Meghan is? She has had reputable PR companies work with her before and it’s all come to nowt. I’m pretty sure the problem lies with her and not the PR. She doesn’t seem to want to out in any graft or be consistent to get results. I have no idea why, though. And she does always seem to put something out whenever there are headlines about Catherine. It’s happened too often for it to be coincidence

Thank you @GiveMeSpanakopita
most informative! And I could kill for a spanakopita right now but am gluten free and can’t be bothered to make!

I doubt even Goldie Hawn in her heyday could have survived what M&H are perceived to have done to the late Queen Elizabeth II and her close family in what were the monarch's final months on earth.

ETA: And I'm a republican! But if even I can see it ...

Three Gates isn't a reputable PR firm yet - it's a start-up. In fact I think Meghan might be their only client right now. Which makes it hard for them to say no to her, but it'll also mean they're relatively cheap (she parted ways with Sunshine Sachs, who are extremely good and extremely expensive, because their invoices weren't being paid. Allegedly).

And I think the new strategy is 'kind, relatable and adorably ditsy'.

I’m trying to think of who might be a template for that, and I’m struggling with that. Bridget Jones as played by Renee Zellweger? But I don’t see Bridget Jones being a consummate glamorous, aspirational hostess charming her guests with elevated focaccia, three-tiered cakes and hand-arranged flowers on a perfectly laid table. That’s more Gwyneth Paltrow - who doesn’t portray herself as ditsy at all. Two different personas at the same time with a new project to promote isn’t very coherent.

it also doesn’t mesh with girl boss serious philanthropist role model either, which is another personal brand strategy. Which Meghan will we see at Invictus, I wonder?

The template is every "manic pixie girl" in every romcom MM didn't get a part in. The cool girl the hero ditches his laced up fiancé for.

Interesting

I’m trying to think of who might be a template for that, and I’m struggling with that.

Oh gosh, it was a big template on IG in the late teens. Lots of humblebragging and chat about loving junk food and being adorably chaotic and disorganised (whilst also looking slim, beautiful and very polished). I think that's what Meghan was going for in the With Love, Meghan trailer, and also with this video. She also played the part a bit in the original NF doc (ditsy girl who messed up her first curtsey to the Queen etc).

It's all fine as far as it goes but, as with a lot of stuff Meghan does on social media, it's about 5 years out of date, and she's just a tad too old for it. It also fits poorly with her other public personae, the main two being serene, mindful humanitarian and whip-smart, bootstrap, ass-kickin feminist.

Possibly she's retiring those two personae, as they've not worked out very well for her, and focussing on Ditsy Girl for this new era of her career.

Oh gosh, it was a big template on IG in the late teens. Lots of humblebragging and chat about loving junk food and being adorably chaotic and disorganised (whilst also looking slim, beautiful and very polished).

Thanks! Spot the person who had young children in the late teens and spent no time on instagram. 🤣.

The only one I can think of in that bracket was a instagrammer called “The Londoner”. Like that? (If anyone remembers her!)

That ditsy girl "I just have to quickly tell you something and I'm so excited to share it I can't even wait to put make-up on ohmigosh ohmigosh" stuff doesn't fit at all with the crazy editing though - it's been so carefully produced and all those cuts tweaked to make it look spontaneous to the max. To me it's just an absolute mess visually / editorially. But as a 50-something media professional and cynic, I'm sure I'm not the demographic she's chasing 🤓

Well yes - self-evidently, in order to cut seamlessly between takes, you need to have done more than one take!