Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary

[EilonwyWanderer]

Wow. There's so much wrong with your post I don't know where to start. So I'm just not going to touch it. But if you ever want to be schooled on race-relations let me know, I teach in the Ivy Leagues about the subject and would be happy to provide you with journal articles and books. Race and racism are VERY much alive and well in all aspects of society and VERY easy to see. Particularly when you aren't white.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

Wow. There's so much wrong with your post I don't know where to start. So I'm just not going to touch it. But if you ever want to be schooled on race-relations let me know, I teach in the Ivy Leagues about the subject. Race and racism are VERY much alive and well in all aspects of society and VERY easy to see. Particularly when you aren't white.

Teaching in the Ivy Leagues. Well that explains your posts. Thank so much for the information. Case closed.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

You mean how informative they are? You're welcome!

 

[Karin1984]

Huffpost has also published their review. One takeaway is the headline: "H&M was made for them, not for us."
I would say sympathy from the US audience as well, but also largely for themselves. Makes you think if they would watch back their unedited 15 hour of vlogs. Something they do on a Saturday night with popcorn.

Some more thoughts I had today:

- They should have left out the story about they thought their house was too small. That it was called a "palace", but it was not. In no way, especially now, is it a good look to complain about a free house.

- I wonder if they staged them packing up in Frogmore Cottage or them bringing on a glamour photographer to every aspect of their lives is just a their thing.

- If they have their staff taking candid pictures of their lives, would they have it in the job profile? "Must have a degree in photography."

- I thought they would include more about Archie and Lili's births.

- Netflix says 28 million people watched, I wonder how many of them are reporters watched it and kept going back to analyze every comma and made screenshots of every second.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

You mean how informative they are? You're welcome!

Not hardly. But I suspect I do not have to explain. The other people on this thread completely understand what I meant.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

- I wonder if they staged them packing up in Frogmore Cottage or them bringing on a glamour photographer to every aspect of their lives is just a their thing.

That's actually a very common thing celebrities do, which I do find really weird. But take a look at any Instagram and even C level actors appear to have someone there taking pictures every day. Look at me opening this brand of water I endorse, look at me in this outfit that I tag every bit of, etc, etc. I'm always SO curious how that works. Are they employees?? Friends?? Both?? Are they there starting at breakfast just...taking pictures of everything?

 

[Karin1984]

That's actually a very common thing celebrities do, which I do find really weird. But take a look at any Instagram and even C level actors appear to have someone there taking pictures every day. Look at me opening this brand of water I endorse, look at me in this outfit that I tag every bit of, etc, etc. I'm always SO curious how that works. Are they employees?? Friends?? Both?? Are they there starting at breakfast just...taking pictures of everything?

I have seen some backstage videos of influencers with small followings, it is either a good friend or boyfriend they use as a human tripod.

 

[mousefan73]

Purely my opinion -- no way stating as fact -- Beatrice sure did win "the hottest husband" sweepstakes.

Na I have to give the hottest attendee award to our favorite Equerry Johnny who was there

 

[Karin1984]

One thing that made me chuckle is this column in the Telegraph about who Meghan will go to next once her relationship with Harry is over. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columni...ld-keep-awake-harry-meghan-new-love-interest/

And it is a interesting question for sure: when you look at Meghan's previous husband and boyfriends before Harry, you can see each man is a little bit higher on the social ladder. (Producer, pro-golfer, celebrity chef)

Who is higher on the (US) social ladder than Prince Harry?

Spoiler alert: It's Tyler Perry.

 

[BayouQueen]

Huffpost has also published their review. One takeaway is the headline: "H&M was made for them, not for us."
I would say sympathy from the US audience as well, but also largely for themselves. Makes you think if they would watch back their unedited 15 hour of vlogs. Something they do on a Saturday night with popcorn.

Some more thoughts I had today:

- They should have left out the story about they thought their house was too small. That it was called a "palace", but it was not. In no way, especially now, is it a good look to complain about a free house.

- I wonder if they staged them packing up in Frogmore Cottage or them bringing on a glamour photographer to every aspect of their lives is just a their thing.

- If they have their staff taking candid pictures of their lives, would they have it in the job profile? "Must have a degree in photography."

- I thought they would include more about Archie and Lili's births.

- Netflix says 28 million people watched, I wonder how many of them are reporters watched it and kept going back to analyze every comma and made screenshots of every second.

All good points.
I did find the comments about the small house to be particularly jarring -- and especially their citing corroboration from Oprah, who lives quite large. That bit was especially tone-deaf.

 

[Karin1984]

Na I have to give the hottest attendee award to our favorite Equerry Johnny who was there

Have you seen yesterday's Charles engagement?

The Times described him as this:
The monarch was accompanied by his handsome equerry, Major Johnny Thompson, kilted despite the shrivelling cold. Such weather can trigger hellish chaps unless you Vaseline your thighs.

#giggle

 

[Karin1984]

Ok, more reviews from non-British sources:

- Indiewire:
Yes, we understand where they are coming from, but it's one sided.
"No matter how many friends and family members agree to be interviewed — nodding along with the Duke and Duchess’ understandable complaints — and regardless of how infuriating each complaint proves to be, what you’re watching isn’t a documentary. It’s a diary entry... And absent any challenging questions from outside the couple’s tidy little love bubble, it’s a dull recap at that."

One thing Indiewire noticed, and I also saw in Huffpost's review:
Indie:
“When people say, ‘Did you Google him?'” she says, “No! But that’s your homework: Let me see what they’re about in their feed — not what someone else says about them, but what they are putting out about themselves.” Not only does this fit the series’ ethos overall a little too snugly — that other people are not to be trusted and the only way to know the truth is to hear it directly from the source — but it’s, quite frankly, unbelievable.
Huffpost:
Before Meghan Markle went on her first date with Prince Harry, she scrolled through his Instagram feed. “Let me see what they’re about in their feed, not what someone else is saying about them,” as the now Duchess of Sussex explains in the first episode of the “Harry & Meghan” docuseries. “What they’re putting out about themselves: That’s the best barometer.” It could also be a thesis statement about the series itself: Their chance to tell their story on their own terms after years (or, in Harry’s case, an entire lifetime) of a lack of control over their narrative.

Indiewire has a long piece in their review about Meghan being an actress and therefore should know that a good character has been looked at from more angles and more points of view.
A long long time ago, I studied Drama and one of the things I still remember about character studies and character development is that when you want to get to know what a character is about you look at:
A. What does the character say about himself, B. What do the character's friends say about him, C. What do the character's enemies say about him. D. What does the general public think. (And that's why the song "Belle" in Beauty and the Beast is so brilliant as in 4 minutes you have a very clear picture of both Belle and Gaston, but that's a side step).
Because the documentary it is so incredibly unbalanced, with Meghan painted as a perfect saint who ended up in a very tragic story. It's very hard to really feel for her as a character. I am not talking about the extremes, their supporters and haters, they won't change their opinion, but the casual neutral viewer who doesn't know that much about the royal family and the history. What is the neutral viewer supposed to think, I assume many will feel that there is something missing in this story. And that this cannot be the full truth.

 

[Skywalker]

Because the documentary it is so incredibly unbalanced, with Meghan painted as a perfect saint who ended up in a very tragic story. It's very hard to really feel for her as a character. I am not talking about the extremes, their supporters and haters, they won't change their opinion, but the casual neutral viewer who doesn't know that much about the royal family and the history. What is the neutral viewer supposed to think, I assume many will feel that there is something missing in this story. And that this cannot be the full truth.

I think that this is so true. A real story would have some "warts and all" moments, something real. This is just so "good vs. evil" that its nearly cartoonish.

Also saw a quote from Harry that the Royal Family were jealous of Meghan because she was so popular...but I thought the UK media and citizens were all racist neanderthals who didn't give her a chance right off the bat because she was of mixed race lol. That doesn't jibe at all with the fact that she was embraced and loved at first, The Fab Four and all that. Suddenly when she lost her luster it was because everyone's racist? Sure.

 

[Karin1984]

The Chicago Tribune has their second review up. Basically the same: Yes, we get it, and you are right to leave and you made the right decision for your family. But Garbus really dropped the ball here for directing a documentary. Without introspection what's this all about? They get close with the racism angle, but it doesn't fully tie into what their experts are saying.

"But on the whole, the series contains almost no introspection on some of the thorniest questions that aren’t about others’ choices, but their own.
Does Harry realize how empty it is to leave the royal family but maintain its overall outlook on places like Africa?
Looking back, how does Meghan feel about her belief that the monarchy’s documented history of racism didn’t apply to her? Why wasn’t she more concerned about marrying into that environment and aligning herself with it?
Why was she so willing to represent it?
The tragedy isn’t that they left, but that they wanted to be part of the institution in the first place."

 

[Karin1984]

Not doing all website reviews, but Slate seems like a website with a larger reach.
This one is interesting. The reviewer is definitely #teamsussex, but also admits, they are annoying and cringy at the same time.

 

[Karin1984]

Forbes also has updated their article and they remark that after the second volume, the scoring on Rotten Tomatoes have dropped even more. That with currently 4,000 reviews only reaching a 12% approval score, it's clear there are not enough supporters to off-set the haters.

The review itself is kind of neutral. More describing what the responses than actually reviewing the documentary.

"What happens from here is anyone’s guess, but it feels like the fallout from this documentary would probably be enough for...a second season of the documentary, given what’s likely to be happening now within the palace. It’s unclear if Harry has heard from his family in the wake of this airing, but if so, he seems likely to speak publicly about it, given what we’re seeing here. As for Harry and Meghan’s working relationship with Netflix, review-bombing aside, they’re getting the viewership, so the streaming service may want to continue on with them in some form or another."

 

[Skywalker]

"What happens from here is anyone’s guess, but it feels like the fallout from this documentary would probably be enough for...a second season of the documentary, given what’s likely to be happening now within the palace. It’s unclear if Harry has heard from his family in the wake of this airing, but if so, he seems likely to speak publicly about it, given what we’re seeing here. As for Harry and Meghan’s working relationship with Netflix, review-bombing aside, they’re getting the viewership, so the streaming service may want to continue on with them in some form or another."

They might be getting the viewership now, but they are kind of a one-trick pony aren't they? All they have is slagging on the Royal Family. What else do they have to offer?

 

[Karin1984]

Next claim disputed: Meghan's lawyer implies that Jason Knauf testified against Meghan on William's request.

The reply:
a representative for Mr Knauf made clear yesterday that he had been a less-than-willing participant in the case, having been approached by both parties to give evidence, and only agreed to submit a statement to the court on legal advice.

They said: ‘These claims are entirely false. Mr Knauf was asked to provide evidence by both the Duchess of Sussex and Associated Newspapers.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Well...I finished the final three episodes, because I was in for a penny..... I just come away thinking it's all quite sad. It's a family blown to pieces. There's no going back....no going home. I think H&M did receive a really unfair trouncing in the press, and I also believe there's quite a bit of racism against Meghan.

But again, I don't want to say that I see the "other side" of the argument, because I don't really think that there is one. I think that the Royals that remain in the institution will just carry on. They're certainly not all bad....they most definitely do a lot of good in my opinion. The part of the H&M story that is "ehhh" to me is that there's a sense of entitlement. They want to carry on and "do the work" in helping to advance the causes that they care about. That's essentially what they see themselves doing as full-time careers. But....even after the money made from the Netflix/Spotify deals...and the 10-20-ish million dollars Harry got as an inheritance....it's not enough to fund that work. With the lifestyle/security that they require...well, it's quite a burn rate.

Meghan talks about the "glaring microscope" that they have on them at all times, and that they want to use that to highlight the causes they care about. That's all great, but that "microscope" spotlight is going to fade. Sure, there's talk now...because of this documentary. But it will fade, and unless they can create "content" that is unrelated to Royal gossip....not sure how they avoid getting some kind of job...like the rest of us.

 

[TLSnell1981]

That is so twisted. Race is not a thing among the vast majority of people. Also, there are fringe racists that target every race. There are stupid people who hate whites, blacks, Latinos, orientals, Native Americans, and on and on. Uyghurs, Russians, Ukrainians, Americans, Kurds, … there is no end to the insanity of hating people in groups.

A non-response or a single statement by William does not validate your theory of racism. You have been spoon-fed a lie. Unfortunately, it is a lie that can make money, but repeating it does not make it true.

Many a folk make a living on that theory.