Harry & Meghan 12: Prodigal Prince, Immature, Paranoid, Whiner, or Fully Justified?

[DalmatianCat]

6 hours ago, noseybutt said:

The shooting and camera angles reminded me of that magazine spread Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did years ago. The one where it was a mid century modern house and they were dressed all fancy with the kids.

Hopefully their marriage won’t implode the same way Brad and Angie’s did.

So far, members of the royal family have always come to regret giving too intimate of looks into their lives: the royal family tried their hand at an early docu/reality show in the 60s/70s and had the good sense to be mortified by how they came across and tried to hide the footage; Diana started having doubts about her Martin Bashir interview before she ever gave it.
I think they’re already having mixed feelings in the present, but long-term, I think this will end up in Harry and Meghan‘s “regrets” pile.

[treehugger]

It's stuff like this that confuse me so much about Harry and Meghan.  If they legitimately wanted a life free of media invasion and media problems why, for fucks sake, do they keep pulling media stunts?  I have such a hard time feeling sorry for them at all when they do stuff like this.  They want privacy and space to heal, and then they go on Oprah and do a Netflix gig about themselves, and none of it makes sense.  It's honestly like they keep throwing themselves to the wolves, and then spend a great deal of the rest of the time crying about how much the wolves hurt.  And all I can think of is, honestly, grow up.  Take just a modicum of responsibility for yourselves and make better life choices, and if you can't do that, at least stop whining about how hard the consequences of your life choices are.  

Edited December 3, 2022 by treehugger

[viii]

They never said they wanted to retreat from public life. They want privacy on their terms and there’s a massive difference between the two. Within the royal bubble, there were obligations they had to fill with the royal rota and it didn’t sit well with them. They want to release what they want, when they want. 

I mean, they both seem dumb AF, but this doesn’t seem that hard to understand. 

[treehugger]

It's honestly sad that they keep feeling like they need to prove something to the world, and that exploiting themselves to the same media they despise is how they think that is going to happen.  

I mean, with the documentary alone, on the trailer it says they want to tell their own story, but then they make a statement distancing themselves from that because that isn't actually how they would have told it.  I find that incredibly sad.  

I don't think they can have privacy on their own terms and do this sort of thing.  That doesn't really work. 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by treehugger

[viii]

The documentary would probably have more of an impact if they hadn’t done the Oprah interview, the finding freedom book, etc. They’ve told their story so many times (and so many different ways) that it’s all starting to get a bit boring. 

[DalmatianCat]

1 hour ago, viii said:

They never said they wanted to retreat from public life. They want privacy on their terms and there’s a massive difference between the two. Within the royal bubble, there were obligations they had to fill with the royal rota and it didn’t sit well with them. They want to release what they want, when they want. 

I mean, they both seem dumb AF, but this doesn’t seem that hard to understand. 

On one hand I get it, but on the other hand, most royals live pretty private lives. We see way less photos of the Cambridge children (or are they called the Waleses now?) then the majority of the families followed on this site. We all know the layout at Carlin, Josie, Jessa, and Joy’s houses, but up until the Jubilee this summer there had never been any pictures of Kate and her kids in their kitchen. Outside of official functions they live pretty private lives.

I think Harry was hoping for a set up more like Mike and Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. He just didn’t sell it as well to the family.

[hoipolloi]

2 hours ago, treehugger said:

If they legitimately wanted a life free of media invasion and media problems why, for fucks sake, do they keep pulling media stunts?

They can make money doing it. 

Not seeing other viable sources of earning an income for them -- at least the level of income to which they're accustomed.

[Manda]

14 minutes ago, DalmatianCat said:

I think Harry was hoping for a set up more like Mike and Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. He just didn’t sell it as well to the family.

Meghan never let all her management people go when she and Harry married.  The US team had dollar signs in their eyes and pushed how much money she and Harry could make.  The US team couldn't and can't tell the difference in celebrity and royalty and did a lot to lead Meghan and Harry down this path of wanting to be royal and making their own money, IMO. 

[viii]

They’re called the Wales children now. 

And while they do have privacy, there are some things where they have zero privacy. I don’t think Meghan enjoyed having to announce when she was in labor and then had to present the baby within a certain amount of time. I mean, what woman would? 

But yes, I suspect the main reason they left wasn’t because they didn’t like the royal rota but because they wanted to do things on their terms for financial reasons. 

Which is funny, considering how terrible with business they seem. 

[klein_roeschen]

5 hours ago, DalmatianCat said:

Hopefully their marriage won’t implode the same way Brad and Angie’s did.

So far, members of the royal family have always come to regret giving too intimate of looks into their lives: the royal family tried their hand at an early docu/reality show in the 60s/70s and had the good sense to be mortified by how they came across and tried to hide the footage; Diana started having doubts about her Martin Bashir interview before she ever gave it.
I think they’re already having mixed feelings in the present, but long-term, I think this will end up in Harry and Meghan‘s “regrets” pile.

One of the perks of living not in a country with a monarchy is that the leading politicians don't feel the need to show some kind of fairytaled homelife to the public. I don't unterstand the public "need" to know the private lifes of their heads of state. But I'm also a little cynic and don't unterstand the glorification of public people like what happened with Diana.

3 hours ago, viii said:

They never said they wanted to retreat from public life. They want privacy on their terms and there’s a massive difference between the two. Within the royal bubble, there were obligations they had to fill with the royal rota and it didn’t sit well with them. They want to release what they want, when they want. 

I mean, they both seem dumb AF, but this doesn’t seem that hard to understand. 

Harry is old enough and has enough experience with the media to know that it won't work that way. They can't have the privacy they want and still get their story out time after time after time. And if they only have the same shtick they play for the last years the public will get bored with time. Time to move on.

57 minutes ago, hoipolloi said:

They can make money doing it. 

Not seeing other viable sources of earning an income for them -- at least the level of income to which they're accustomed.

They could have gotten a decent financial adviser managing the money Harry inherited and the money Megan had and lived of the interest.

[viii]

13 minutes ago, klein_roeschen said:

Harry is old enough

He’s also dumb, though. Like really dumb. 

[SoSoNosy]

3 hours ago, viii said:

He’s also dumb, though. Like really dumb. 

That honestly can't be said enough times.

[prayawaythefundie]

3 hours ago, klein_roeschen said:

One of the perks of living not in a country with a monarchy is that the leading politicians don't feel the need to show some kind of fairytaled homelife to the public. 

Not in the form of a docu series but I do think you won‘t get elected POTUS anytime soon, if you‘re not in a heterosexual marriage with at least one kid. Wifes & children of successful candidates have been displayed during campaigns ever since I can remember.

3 hours ago, viii said:

He’s also dumb, though. Like really dumb. 

Yes, but if he was dumb and happy, he‘d be far less self-destructive. He is deeply hurt. I‘ve heard „fear is a bad advisor“ but I think pain & anger are just as bad.

Edited December 3, 2022 by prayawaythefundie

[viii]

Oh, I agree that he’s deeply hurt. He has a lot of unresolved trauma in his life. But eventually you can’t continue to use that as a crutch forever - especially when your destruction behaviour affects others. 

[tabitha2]

Harry is asshole victim   
 

 

[noseybutt]

1 hour ago, viii said:

Oh, I agree that he’s deeply hurt. He has a lot of unresolved trauma in his life. But eventually you can’t continue to use that as a crutch forever - especially when your destruction behaviour affects others. 

Harry strikes me as immature and petty and lacking purpose. But destructive? Maybe I don’t follow him closely enough but he doesn’t seem violent or addicted. He directs a lot of shade towards the BRF but those are people of high power—I’m not seeing him as a bully who lets loose on people weaker or less powerful than himself.

I admit my perspective of human nature is skewed because of work in the criminal justice system with people who do not function at all within typical society.

He strikes me as functional but not particularly talented, shrewd, or self aware. 

 

[viii]

You don’t have to be violent to be destructive. 

[noseybutt]

13 minutes ago, viii said:

You don’t have to be violent to be destructive. 

I get that. I’m just saying that in the grand of scheme of destructive people he doesn’t trip my wire in an extreme way. More like he can’t figure out how to get what he wants and he is extremely frustrated with his family of origin. Lots of youngish men entering middle age get stuck in similar loops. He’s different because of the BRF and wealth and actress wife connections. I don’t see him as all that unique in terms of pathology. Born into a different family he could have done alright as a law enforcement officer or EMT or personal trainer. Something active and goal oriented and not overly academic.

[SoSoNosy]

When they got engaged, I said here that he was making a big mistake; he was looking at her and she was looking at the camera.  I got roundly pounded into the dirt, but I never changed my mind.  My only question is, before Megan when he had his military ranks and his Games, he *seemed* to be happy and well-rounded.   Was he living a lie then?  This is a sincere question, I've been around long enough now that everybody should know I don't ask manipulative questions.  He fell hard for her, that was obvious.  I just can't figure out the situation now.  Not that it's any of my business, but I have always had a soft spot for Harry and I hate to see the unhappiness in his eyes now.

 

[noseybutt]

I have a hard time thinking his unhappiness is just Meghan though. It’s also his family and the business of the BRF and yada yada yada.

[KnittingOwl]

1 hour ago, noseybutt said:

I have a hard time thinking his unhappiness is just Meghan though. It’s also his family and the business of the BRF and yada yada yada.

I think Harry has been deeply unhappy for awhile. In the words of the great RuPaul Charles, “if you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love anyone else?” He spends a lot of time talking about mental health and therapy, but it does still seem like he is fundamentally unhappy with himself and his life. I think he would have preferred the life where he was allowed to be a soldier and not forced to be in the spotlight. 

[prayawaythefundie]

Harry had probably been unhappy for years and hid it behind the jokester / prankster facade (I don‘t believe it to be just a facade though. It‘s part of his personality and it was useful here).

I think he has inherited a tendency towards unstableness from his mom more than his brother has. He was also younger when she died and he was definitely made feel less important as he is not the heir but the spare. Imagine being allowed to fight in a war while your brother would never be. Yes, he wanted to go to Afghanistan but he must have read the underlying message: We can put you at greater risks than we can your brother. That has to **** with one‘s mind.

Meghan is not the root of his trouble at all, she helped provide a quicker way out. He would have found one anyway. Later and maybe less dramatic.

Edited December 4, 2022 by prayawaythefundie

[klein_roeschen]

13 hours ago, prayawaythefundie said:

Not in the form of a docu series but I do think you won‘t get elected POTUS anytime soon, if you‘re not in a heterosexual marriage with at least one kid. Wifes & children of successful candidates have been displayed during campaigns ever since I can remember.

While german politics can be a total shitshow, at least we don't get this perfomative "family value" crap. I don't even know if the current Chancellor is married and has children and we had at least 2 gay Ministerpräsidenten (the german aquivalent to State governors in the US).

4 hours ago, prayawaythefundie said:

Harry had probably been unhappy for years and hid it behind the jokester / prankster facade (I don‘t believe it to be just a facade though. It‘s part of his personality and it was useful here).

I think he has inherited a tendency towards unstableness from his mom more than his brother has. He was also younger when she died and he was definitely made feel less important as he is not the heir but the spare. Imagine being allowed to fight in a war while your brother would never be. Yes, he wanted to go to Afghanistan but he must have read the underlying message: We can put you at greater risks than we can your brother. That has to **** with one‘s mind.

Meghan is not the root of his trouble at all, she helped provide a quicker way out. He would have found one anyway. Later and maybe less dramatic.

Instead of thinking about that he is less "valuable" than his older brother, he could see the freedom that brings him. His brothers way was written in stone the moment of his birth, while his was not. He has way less expectations on him than William and by that far greater freedom to choose his path in life. Yes, being less important can fuck with someones mind, but in can also free the mind if you look at the perks.

[prayawaythefundie]

4 hours ago, klein_roeschen said:

Instead of thinking about that he is less "valuable" than his older brother, he could see the freedom that brings him. His brothers way was written in stone the moment of his birth, while his was not. He has way less expectations on him than William and by that far greater freedom to choose his path in life. Yes, being less important can fuck with someones mind, but in can also free the mind if you look at the perks.

He could feel both though, relief about not having the burden and resentment about being less important. I know I would.

From the top of my head, I think Scholz is married but his wife wants to be able to walk the streets more or less unbothered. So she won’t show her face a lot, as is pretty common and accepted here. Google says they don‘t have kids but yes, I had to look it up. Like you, I‘m happy to not know this as a citizen. His family life doesn‘t matter to me. Hi there from Munich. 😊

Edited December 4, 2022 by prayawaythefundie

[prayawaythefundie]

Turns out we just didn‘t get the Netflix trailer, you guys: