As Ever Part 6: Definitely NOT a trad wife

[Strudie]

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5286597-as-ever-part-v-two-stunt-lemons-with-love-meghan

Carry on! Reviews from the US are trickling in, so far, not so good - https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-duchess-of-sussex-1236327469/

Genuinely, I don’t think you can blame Meghan for wanting success in an industry that she knew, when it’s one that, put it mildly, values women mostly for their sex appeal. She is allowed to choose to be an actress, and still be a feminist even if the parts on offer are not what she likely would have chosen, all things being equal.

Theres an interesting discussions to be had about how this pervades even when you’re looking at Oscar winners - following Sheryl Lee Ralph’s comments this week that sex sells, people have noted that Mikey Madison has now become the 14th actress to win an Oscar for playing a sex worker.

But she's not in Britain now. She's in California. British aristocratic traditions don't apply. Surely she's glad to have found freedom from all that stuffiness?

Of course not. However when she spends time lecturing people about how to live and sets herself up as an icon of perfection, also appearing to have no sense of humour at all, it grates.

She has done a lot of things that are hypocritical towards feminism but I do find it distasteful to include when she was beginning her career as an actress in a misogynist industry. Even today a woman is more likely to win a Oscar if the role involves some sort of sex as pointed out by the actress Sheryl Lee Ralph at the Oscars. Sex sells

As always a very true post @Serenster , however I believe it's not necessarily what Meghan did that is being criticised here , more the usual hypocritical double standards that she subjects us to constantly and excessively!

I agree. I can think of a lot of things to criticise her for, but her choice, not that she likely had much choice, of roles as a young actress in a highly competitive industry is not one of them.

Yes, you can blame her. She made the choice to take those roles. Plenty of actresses would rather wait tables and do bar work and wait for a better role than just being the obligatory cheese cake. Plus it wasn't just one role, it seemed to be the entire career.
However. This is not a person who was prepared to do repertory theatre to hone her craft, was it?

I'm still horrified reeling atunned at the audacity of someone putting a teabag in a jar of water and sitting it out to "warm" in the sun - and call it TEA!??
What in the actual clustering fuck is going on?

I've never recovered from the discovery that one way of making tea in the US is to put a teabag in a mug of water and stick it in the microwave.

I think it's to do with the fact that Americans don't have electric kettles - something to do with the voltage.

Serenster you were one of the posters and your reply was almost word for word as the one you’ve just made. I don’t agree with you about it but you half make me jump when I saw your name just now. 🙈

Always someone else’s fault and zero accountability. As ever!!! 😂

Of course, Meghan and her supporters will also blame Catherine and the RF for this! It’s all their fault! As ever!! 🤣

Yes, you can blame her. She made the choice to take those roles. Plenty of actresses would rather wait tables and do bar work and wait for a better role than just being the obligatory cheese cake. Plus it wasn't just one role, it seemed to be the entire career
However. This is not a person who was prepared to do repertory theatre to hone her craft, was it?

I agree with you.

Of course @MummyJ12 !
All par for the course, can't possibly blame poor Meghan or Harry for any of their actions, after all they are the youngest middle aged couple ever!
And it's not their fault we listened to their lies!
How were they supposed to know that people would actually pay attention!

@MissRoseDurward The answer to the tea question is in Meghan's second newsletter, 'Finding the magic in the moment'.

This is not tea as you or I would understand it. It is a new genre of tea. It is sun tea. 'Hibiscus tea that reminds me of the sun tea I made in my childhood, placing a teabag into a mason jar of water and watching it change color as it steeped in the warmth of the sun'.

I have Canadian relatives and when I stayed with them many moons ago I was horrified to see my Aunt make coffee by putting instant in a cup of water and microwaving it!

Well we know she likes to take all the advantages of being royal without being lumbered by the restrictions so I suppose hypocrisy isn't a problem for her?

You can get kettles in the US. My (British) SiL lives over there and she has one. I just don’t think their use is widespread. A bit like continental Europe

Ha! Coming at you…!

Just speaking for myself, I chose to go into a traditionally male sector despite knowing that I would likely be subject to sexism and people (men) would see me as not credible (and yes, I have experienced both). But I was damned if I was going to let other’s attitudes put me off what I wanted to do!

Completely agree. She went on her Archetypes podcast and complained about her Deal Or No Deal wardrobe - which I would have thought would be obvious to her upon applying for the job. Rather than be grateful for the opportunity, she behaved as if she was a victim of it. Other women who had been on the show were not impressed by this revisionism. They were grateful for the stepping stone it gave them. I've no problem with the roles she chose. I have a problem with her complaining about something nobody forced her to do, when the opportunities/doors this opened could be lucrative and a quick pathway to fame - which is why she chose them, rather than doing theatre or character parts that were not the "look at me" sexy girl. Millions of women have to do shit jobs and put up with all manner of crap treatment for little to no reward or future prospects. I have no time for people moaning about these types of luxury careers.

Exactly, @SpreadingJammyTodgerLove . She's always the victim. It's so tedious.

That must taste horrible. Of course I never drink tea in the US. I don't know if it's the water or what, it doesn't taste nice. No offence to our American MNers - lots of food in your country is better than here!

That will be nice for her children to see one day. I don't doubt they'll be shown it by some kid at secondary school.

So just cheap crap then bascially. Made as cheaply as possible and priced as highly as possible. I guess the selling point is supposed to be that we have the honour of it being associated with her.

What a silly comment. Take it up with Harry, who confirmed it, and Robert Jobson who wrote about it in his book on King Charles.

I think her name is whatever she decides it is at that time, the factual or legal nature wouldn't factor. Presumably she was never called Meghan until adulthood.

What happened to 'Show up, do good', Meghan? If she is doing this, she's pivoted to capitalism red in tooth and claw.