Meghan and Harry 6: Everything about this Is Kind of Cringe

[HerNameIsBuffy]

17 minutes ago, just_ordinary said:

Don’t get me wrong. There would have been bad headlines regardless. I don’t deny that. Naming after a family member - but they disrespected them/try to get back into the good books. Naming something else- but it’s such an ugly name/totally unbecoming of a member of the RF. But I would firmly disagree that it wouldn’t have made a difference if her name was Elizabeth or Lilibet. And by releasing quotes that they TOTALLY ASKED FOR APPROVAL and even sue about that, they make damn sure to not let the topic disappear already. Remember the last lawsuit she kind of won? I am actually not to sure and nobody really cared. Wining the lawsuit might have soothed their feeling of being unfairly treated but if nobody else takes notice, you can ask yourself if it was worth it in the long run. Both conclusions are valid. 

That's fair.  I misunderstood your point, thanks for clarifying.  

To go back to @viii 's quote I used for the thread title, the bolded (bolding mine) is what makes it cringe for me.  Not the name, but the letter from the lawyer.  I haven't seen where they mentioned getting it pre-approved except in the People article which quotes a "source close to the Sussexes" with this, not them....but the response from the lawyer was absolute yikes as far as I'm concerned.

I think they'd be better off ignoring what the press says about them unless it's actively malicious.  If it's just regular royal gossip like this then they should close their browsers and get on with their privileged lives.  Honestly, I wish my life was so devoid of problems that all I had to worry about is what a bunch of strangers think about my relationships with my family.  I kind of get why Harry is tone deaf to this, given his upbringing, to a point, but he's not a kid anymore and should be able to understand how this is coming off and change course.

 

 

 

[viii]

55 minutes ago, just_ordinary said:

they make damn sure to not let the topic disappear already. 

You know who could make the topic disappear? THE PALACE. The queen could easily release a statement saying that she was honoured at the name choice and gave her approval prior to the birth and boom - story gone. Instead, the palace is engaging in the “he said she said” game with H&M and they all look like idiots. 

But @viii! The palace doesn’t make statements like that! 

They made statements refuting claims that Kate got Botox so they could easily comment on this and shut it down. Let’s be honest here - both sides are living for the publicity because both sides have fans. UK approval of BRF is going up and US approval of H&M is going up. They’re both winning, in a sense. 

[tabitha2]

It’s like with a child throwing tantrums to get attention as in Even it’s bad it’s someone responding to and focusing on them. To do this they write twee mediocre children’s books and Sue or threaten to Sue even when it’s counterproductive and say but don’t say on talk shows and Jump on the current/become experts on  hot topic of the moment. 
 

Honestly they need to be focusing on their sweet baby girl right now and not worry about  law suits or Joe blow think about their naming choices. Crazy talk I know. 

[louisa05]

35 minutes ago, tabitha2 said:

It’s like with a child throwing tantrums to get attention as in Even it’s bad it’s someone responding to and focusing on them. To do this they write twee mediocre children’s books and Sue or threaten to Sue even when it’s counterproductive and say but don’t say on talk shows and Jump on the current/become experts on  hot topic of the moment. 
 

Honestly they need to be focusing on their sweet baby girl right now and not worry about  law suits or Joe blow think about their naming choices. Crazy talk I know. 

“Mediocre” is giving that book too much credit. It’s just bad. Terrible. Inexcusably bad. 
And I’m sure there are many wonderful and engaging children’s books out there with unknown authors who can’t find a publisher. 

[AridityOfHeaven]

They decry media attention yet aren’t willing or able to step away from it. Was it necessary, helpful, beneficial to go on Oprah? They continually stir for attention. 
 

In one breath, accuse TRF of rascism, mistreatment, toxicity but in the next name their child the personal nickname of the scion of TRF. 
 

I feel sorry for those children. Their value lies not in their presence but in how they can be used for the parent’s gain. I’ll never believe the name was for the child but for reaction and publicity.

I find it telling that so much is made of giving the children identities based on Harry. Doria deserves honor far moreso than TQ. But… that wouldn’t draw attention or criticism and frankly, H&M show racist overtones by making it all about the white ancestors with the money, power, and fame. No one would really make much of Doria Diana or Diana Doria, and by golly, H&M must have much made of their every action.

[Four is Enough]

I've been waiting, Does this mean somebody besides me thinks that stating you've named your child "after the Queen" and then calling her by the Queen's childhood diminutive is NOT actually naming the child after the Queen? If I wanted to name her after the Queen, I'd sure as hell call her Elizabeth and then use whatever diminutive I wanted.

I'm not a fan of using nicknames or diminutives for children's real names anyway, and I thought I was being stuffy. But I see this as just another bid for attention. I'm tired of these two and I wish they'd go away.

[Jackie3]

14 hours ago, SoSoNosy said:

If, in fact, H&M are down to $5 million, I can see him panicking; he has had access to his dad's almost bottomless well of cash all of his life and apparently fully expected that cash flow to keep running no matter where he went.  $5 million isn't going to go very far with all his expenses, and I don't know (have no idea) how his Netflix and other contracts are going to work when cold, hard cash is involved.   After my husband's death, I discovered that his estate was about 10% of what he had believed, and had told me.

I'm sorry that happened to you. However, your situation and Harry's are totally different.

Harry can make a lot of money, with one phone call, by selling pictures of his daughter, writing a book, offering an interview, or many other ways. He can do that over and over again, till the public is oversaturated, which would take a while. Most of us, sadly, do not have these options. I doubt he is "panicking." I suspect he is happily enjoying his new child.

[viii]

25 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

And I’m sure there are many wonderful and engaging children’s books out there with unknown authors who can’t find a publisher. 

Exactly - Meghan only got to publish a book because of who she is, not based off her talent. As a writer, I find that super irritating. It was like when Kylie and Kendall Jenner published books - absolutely infuriating. 

17 minutes ago, AridityOfHeaven said:

I find it telling that so much is made of giving the children identities based on Harry. Doria deserves honor far moreso than TQ. But… that wouldn’t draw attention or criticism and frankly, H&M show racist overtones by making it all about the white ancestors with the money, power, and fame. No one would really make much of Doria Diana or Diana Doria, and by golly, H&M must have much made of their every action.

It's more speculation. We don't know why they didn't use Doria as part of the name. For all we know, they mentioned it and she was like hard pass! Not every person wants a child named after them, especially if they're still living.  

If we're going to speculate, I think it's more likely that Harry and Meghan chose names that are from people that are important to them that are no longer around. Diana will never know her grand-daughter and that's sad. Did you judge William and Kate for using Diana in Charlotte's name? I doubt it. Lili is not going to know the Queen. By the time she is old enough to hold memories, I'm guessing the Queen is going to be passed away. The Queen has been a huge presence in Harry's life - almost a second mother (in his own words). He named his daughter for his two mothers who his daughter is never going to know. She is going to know Doria, she is going to grow up with her (bar any tragedy) and have plenty of memories with her. 

Your racist overtone theory is a stretch. 

[Jackie3]

2 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Honest to God, they couldn't have named her ANYTHING without people having a million opinions and her birth getting publicity.  There are absolutely people here who would give them shit had they used Elizabeth, or had they not used a family name at all. 

That's true. It's not about the name at all. It's about a couple who did something different, who challenged the pretty royal family, who called out (probable) dysfunction and didn't put up with it. So there's the scramble to find fault in all sorts of little things. 

People who challenge family dynamics are made scapegoats and are rejected. In this case, though, it's being played out in front of the entire world.

The level of animosity is amazing. Really, who cares if this couple wants to move to a different country, wants to talk about things that made them unhappy, and wants to make a new life for themselves? They have a right to do so, but their "audacity" makes some people furious. Really, who hasn't complained about a rude/dysfunctional family member? I am sure that the royal family has its share of mean or abusive people, just like other families.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

45 minutes ago, AridityOfHeaven said:

H&M show racist overtones by making it all about the white ancestors with the money, power, and fame.

Oh come on!  I named my daughter after my mom, it didn't mean I had anti-German sentiment because I didn't name any of them after my dad.  They're royalty but also his family and it's ridiculous to think H & M's name choice is based in racism.  

23 minutes ago, viii said:

Exactly - Meghan only got to publish a book because of who she is, not based off her talent. As a writer, I find that super irritating. It was like when Kylie and Kendall Jenner published books - absolutely infuriating. 

It's more speculation. We don't know why they didn't use Doria as part of the name. For all we know, they mentioned it and she was like hard pass! Not every person wants a child named after them, especially if they're still living.  

If we're going to speculate, I think it's more likely that Harry and Meghan chose names that are from people that are important to them that are no longer around. Diana will never know her grand-daughter and that's sad. Did you judge William and Kate for using Diana in Charlotte's name? I doubt it. Lili is not going to know the Queen. By the time she is old enough to hold memories, I'm guessing the Queen is going to be passed away. The Queen has been a huge presence in Harry's life - almost a second mother (in his own words). He named his daughter for his two mothers who his daughter is never going to know. She is going to know Doria, she is going to grow up with her (bar any tragedy) and have plenty of memories with her. 

Your racist overtone theory is a stretch. 

I agree so much with all of this.  When we named our daughter after my mom she was in the final throes of her battle with cancer and we knew our baby would never know her.  Her other grandmother was, and is, a healthy woman who has been a part of her life since the day she was born.  So many people talk about how Elizabeth stepped in for William and Harry after the death of their mom, so maybe he just wanted to honor someone to whom he was close who won't be around long enough for his kids to know.  

Or maybe they just liked the freaking name.  I was much closer to my dad than my mom, I adored him, and if I'd had 19 kids and counting none would have been named after him because I don't like his name...I wouldn't do that to a baby.  

Edited June 11, 2021 by HerNameIsBuffy

[IrishCarrie]

I'm going to preface this by saying I couldn't give two monkey's shits about what M&H call their children. I wasn't that interested in them before they huffed off into the sunset and I'm even less inclined to give them my attention now.

But this thread has been very enjoyable, mainly because I love listening to people with passionate opinions argue things out and I've learned quite a lot in passing while I was lurking here, so thanks y'all ?

Here's my one and only thought on the topic:

Why didn't they go with Lily Beth? Total nod to the queen without any of the drama because they're "normal" names... They're only going to address her as Lily on a day-to-day basis anyway so why not???

Edited June 11, 2021 by IrishCarrie
Typos...

[HerNameIsBuffy]

17 minutes ago, IrishCarrie said:

I'm going to preface this by saying I couldn't give two monkey's shits about what M&H call their children. I wasn't that interested in them before they huffed off into the sunset and I'm even less inclined to give them my attention now.

But this thread has been very enjoyable, mainly because I love listening to people with passionate opinions argue things out and I've learned quite a lot in passing while I was lurking here, so thanks y'all ?

Here's my one and only thought on the topic:

Why didn't they go with Lily Beth? Total nod to the queen without any of the drama because they're "normal" names... They're only going to address her as Lily on a day-to-day basis anyway so why not???

Just a guess but wanting to work Diana in there as a middle name?  American governmental forms and such are not multiple middle name nor hyphenated name friendly and since they already have a hyphenated surname if they'd given her two middle names legally the second one would likely not get used for the formal paperwork.

I had two middle names at one point and social security was fine with it, whole name printed on the card.  But when getting my drivers license, filling out kids birth certificates, financial paperwork I could just use one.  

I am trying to think of a way to say Lily Beth in my head in anything but a southern US accent and I can't!  Would have been a good idea though, and the press would have had a field day with how they disrespected the queen by alerting her nickname!

[viii]

Not to mention, it's not Beth - it's Bet. Lili Bet. Said together, it's pronounced Lil-ah-bet. 

[louisa05]

19 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Just a guess but wanting to work Diana in there as a middle name?  American governmental forms and such are not multiple middle name nor hyphenated name friendly and since they already have a hyphenated surname if they'd given her two middle names legally the second one would likely not get used for the formal paperwork.

I had two middle names at one point and social security was fine with it, whole name printed on the card.  But when getting my drivers license, filling out kids birth certificates, financial paperwork I could just use one.  

I am trying to think of a way to say Lily Beth in my head in anything but a southern US accent and I can't!  Would have been a good idea though, and the press would have had a field day with how they disrespected the queen by alerting her nickname!

Two of my cousins have two middle names. I know other people who do as well. All born in the U.S. 

[nausicaa]

1 hour ago, louisa05 said:

And I’m sure there are many wonderful and engaging children’s books out there with unknown authors who can’t find a publisher. 

And this is why I hate when celebrities write childrens' books. They're universally bad and they limit opportunities for aspiring, serious, talented writers. 

Also, libraries have to buy copies because there is interest from all the inevitable publicity, thereby forcing them to pass on buying copies of better quality children's books from authors who could actually use the money. 

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

3 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

Two of my cousins have two middle names. I know other people who do as well. All born in the U.S. 

I know, I had two also, but a lot of government forms aren't set up to use both which makes it pain when asked for full legal name.

[louisa05]

14 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

And this is why I hate when celebrities write childrens' books. They're universally bad and they limit opportunities for aspiring, serious, talented writers. 

Also, libraries have to buy copies because there is interest from all the inevitable publicity, thereby forcing them to pass on buying copies of better quality children's books from authors who could actually use the money. 

 

This is literally the worst celebrity children’s book I’ve seen. No story. No characters. No imagination.  Mediocre drawings. And terrible trite rhymes. It’s the Seinfeld of children’s books: it’s about nothing.
  I sub in primary a lot and I cannot see this book engaging kids at all.  Mostly, a lot of benches.  Including a whole bunch on the inside cover.  

[tabitha2]

Damn tell us how you really feel! 
 

Now ,Now. You might get a warning from the lawyers if they find you criticize her book! Only blind sheeplike adoration allowed! 
 

8 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

This is literally the worst celebrity children’s book I’ve seen. No story. No characters. No imagination.  Mediocre drawings. And terrible trite rhymes. It’s the Seinfeld of children’s books: it’s about nothing.
  I sub in primary a lot and I cannot see this book engaging kids at all.  Mostly, a lot of benches.  Including a whole bunch on the inside cover.  

 

[louisa05]

1 minute ago, tabitha2 said:

Damn tell us how you really feel! 
 

Now ,Now. You might get a warning from the lawyers if they find you criticize her book! Only blind sheeplike adoration allowed! 
 

 

I’m not a MM fan but I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it is. I figured it would be saccharine and over the top but at least reasonably literate. She has a college degree and a decent vocabulary. But it’s terrible. It doesn’t even hit the saccharine parent-child buttons it’s trying to hit. Because it’s just bad. 

[viii]

I want to read it but I don't want to buy it, lol. 

[louisa05]

Just now, viii said:

I want to read it but I don't want to buy it, lol. 

I was at a bookstore to pick up something else and spotted it. It is also absurdly brief—took 90 seconds to read including laughing, cringing and ensuring my legally blind mother who was with me that those were really the words on the page. 

[viii]

I'm not surprised. Every essay that Meghan has written has been polished and pretentious. I'm surprised it took her this long to do a children's book, tbh. I feel like she thinks she is a better writer than she actually is. Even her stuff from the Tig is a bit cringe worthy. 

Edited June 11, 2021 by viii

[viii]

https://people.com/royals/kate-middleton-reacts-lilibet-diana-birth-cant-wait-to-meet-her/

I think it’s super shitty of reporters to also try and catch Kate into the drama while she’s working an event  

 

[EmCatlyn]

26 minutes ago, viii said:

I'm not surprised. Every essay that Meghan has written has been polished and pretentious. I'm surprised it took her this long to do a children's book, tbh. I feel like she thinks she is a better writer than she actually is. Even her stuff from the Tig is a bit cringe worthy. 

My impression is that Meghan may be one of those people who thinks she is better at everything than everyone around her.  She seems unable to see herself as others might see her, hence her anger when the press is not admiring and supportive.  This isn’t just a thin skin, it’s the inability to consider that anything she does or say might be open to criticism.

 

[tabitha2]

56 minutes ago, EmCatlyn said:

My impression is that Meghan may be one of those people who thinks she is better at everything than everyone around her.  She seems unable to see herself as others might see her, hence her anger when the press is not admiring and supportive.  This isn’t just a thin skin, it’s the inability to consider that anything she does or say might be open to criticism.

 

Talk about mental health! If what you say happens to be true I feel absolutely terrible for Archie and Lili with both their parents combined issues to grow up with. It’s going to fuck them  up to some degree or other.