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/

Hey @BemusedAmerican apologies but I have a question. You mention that kettles etc aren't used because they stay hot at plug. I've noticed on TikTok, Americans moving to the UK being surprised that our plug sockets come with an off/on switch attached to the socket. Is there a reason your plugs are permanently on?

Now, I come to think about it, I don't recall other EU countries having an on/off on plugs, so perhaps the question is why do we (I mean I understand the thinking but was there a tragic event that led to on/off in the UK?)

I never realised that electric kettles weren’t a thing in the US!

Do you guys have hot taps over there? In the UK, lots of us are getting them instead of electric kettles. Quooker taps mainly, )a bit like a pan filler but over the sink instead of the hob).

@BemusedAmerican in the UK, kettles automatically switch off when the water boils, so they are safe.

As all the products were priced at US$25, I suspect an illustrative price had been put into a mocked-up website page that was accidentally made live. Even with the ineptitude which has characterised this launch for 12 months, I doubt that there would be a uniprice policy.

I know the conversation has moved on a bit, but am I correct in thinking that Claire Waight Keller was the designer of Meghan Markle's wedding dress?

I'm not sure she has a 'staggering' amount of millions. They are very rich by normal standards, sure, but they don't aspire to normal standards. They want A list California life, and by that measure, they're really not staggeringly rich at all, and have no obvious way to earn big money.

I thought she seemed very uncomfortable and awkward in the clips I saw of her appearance with Drew Barrymore. I do think, lacking in self awareness though she is, she knows this is a massive step backwards for her. She thought she'd be flying around the world as a global philanthropist. Now she's flogging jam, sorry 'raspberry spread', on daytime TV.

Yes that's her. Went from Givenchy to Uniqlo.

My SiL in the States has a kettle as I said previously . An automatic one. I’ve used it 😆

There's a message in there somewhere.

Electric kettles are considered dangerous, like irons, because they heat up so quickly and will stay on until unplugged so we can't use them at my job.

I need to know more about this @BemusedAmerican

Just wondering why Bemused American isn't allowed to use kettles at work.
😆

Something with fire safety. We had to get an approved coffee maker, too.

At one point I had to point out that the main office actually purchased the Mr. Coffee so it had to be legit.

All our electrical devices are checked annually and stamped at work. The kettles are obviously ok, perhaps you could get a similar system to certify them safe? Just an idea. They take away any items which don't meet the standards.

Jeez, Waylon! Are you out of your fucking mind waving that Russell Hobbs around in the staff kitchen? Here, hold my Glock for me while I unwrap this Dairylea triangle.

When I was a kid I remember Cliff Barns in Dallas filling his coffee cup from the sink tap in his ‘condo’ blew my young mind!

But you can use a stove?? What do you mean kettles don't turn off like irons?

Honestly finding this out is much more exciting than the whole of Meghan's show.

😂😂

Isn't it just? I'm actually learning interesting facts about life in the USA!

The dynamics in the episode with Chef Roy Choi were very good. Obviously the fact they were cooking animals was terrible and the fact almost every episode included animal flesh or secretions was upsetting. Compared with other episodes the chef Choi was much more natural and comfortable a watch and as someone who has spent some time telling people about the racism behind the English reaction to MSG, I was glad to see him address this in the episode. I think they worked well together in this episode. The Mindy Kaling episode early on made me almost turn off because it was so odd but as the series went on, it was weirdly comforting. Just wish it was more vegan, and perhaps should have been speaking to camera rather than diluted via film crew. This was obviously intentional though but I do wonder why. I'm very team Meghan but can see why people found this a but odd - because it definitely was. Yet, I also enjoyed being allowed to not be cynical for a change and embrace absolute cheesy positivity.

Um. I just watched a couple of episodes. I hardly dare say this but I didn’t really have a problem with episode 1… her guest is a real friend. He’s a behind the scenes make up guy who is breathless with horror at a front stage role but determined to fulfil the assignment of showing how great she is. They ain’t Nigella but compared to the MIndy Kalling episode it’s bland but not awkward. They clearly know each other and the friendship is real. She’s not trying to impress him. He is trying to sell her because he hates her bad press and she lets him but it’s fine.

poor old Mindy Kalling. I mean. They don’t know each other. Meghan feels outclassed by a woman who has a current and real career in television, but also needs to be adored by her and they get on well online. Mindy has enjoyed penpalling with someone so infamous but so friendly in messages. Mindy gets the assignment and gets elbow deep. Good interviewy questions punctuated with praise. For some reason MM feels like MK is overfamiliar and the dynamic is weird. I stopped at the end of episode 2. The rainbow fruit was crap and they all knew it. Mindy did and said what she had to but they all knew by the end she was phoning it in.

It’s not as bad as I thought because ep 1 had a ring of sincerity but ep2 was squirming viewing.

i will say that the Netflix clips somehow look worse out of context and I can’t explain why. But I do think NF want to cut them loose.

Hold on - my kettle turns off automatically when boiled but my iron doesnt turn off - are irons meant to to turn off if they get too hot?!

Hold on indeed.

A iron that turned off when it was hot would be useless, but @BemusedAmerican says in the US kettles are banned as they are like irons. So now I'm a bemusedEnglander 😂

I think the poster meant, “like irons, kettles don’t turn off”. But they do.

Have we considered the difference in wattage in the US (110w) compared with the UK (220-240w)?

So Americans can be trusted with automatic weapons but not (too much) electricity.