Harry & Meghan 17: St Meghan's Hagiography

[TN-peach]

16 minutes ago, viii said:

He needs to be like Elsa and let it go. 

But we all did read about how the cold did bother him anyway

[viii]

Meghan has returned to Instagram, under the username American Riviera Orchard. Judging from the story that's posted, this is going to be The Tig 2.0 

[louisa05]

3 hours ago, viii said:

Meghan has returned to Instagram, under the username American Riviera Orchard. Judging from the story that's posted, this is going to be The Tig 2.0 

That name is a choice. 

Love her or hate her or feel indifferent to her...I feel like you have to admit that she tends toward the pretentious. 

[Loveday]

2 hours ago, louisa05 said:

That name is a choice. 

Love her or hate her or feel indifferent to her...I feel like you have to admit that she tends toward the pretentious. 

Just a bit.🤣

[viii]

She should have picked either Riviera or orchard. Both of them sound clunky together. 

Also LOL @ the title being American yet she uses her British titles. 

[Father Son Holy Goat]

Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long to launch a Tig 2.0

[treehugger]

10 hours ago, viii said:

She should have picked either Riviera or orchard. Both of them sound clunky together. 

Also LOL @ the title being American yet she uses her British titles. 

Them using their British titles in the US is the biggest reason why I have a hard time believing everything they’ve said about the BRF.  If I felt so strongly about an institution being as toxic and horrible as they said it was, I sure as hell wouldn’t be referring to myself in the titles of that institution at every chance I got. 

For the record, I do think the BRF is probably quite toxic and definitely problematic, but I don’t think Harry is any better (and Megan either if she wants to tie herself to the institution via titles so badly and all the time).  Pretentious is definitely the word. 

Edited March 15 by treehugger

[QuiverFullofBooks]

10 hours ago, viii said:

She should have picked either Riviera or orchard. Both of them sound clunky together. 

Also LOL @ the title being American yet she uses her British titles. 

I think the idea is that Montecito is the “American Riviera,” where they live and have an orchard. 

[TN-peach]

6 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

I think the idea is that Montecito is the “American Riviera,” where they live and have an orchard. 

1. I had no idea that America had a "Riviera."

2. Is it really an orchard? or just a few trees?  I grew up near a fruit tree orchard so admittedly my perspective is off a bit. 

3. It is so pretentious, it can't be real, can it?!

 

Goop is a weird, but it is short and catchy and memorable.  If Meghan is trying to copy Goop (down to the lemon chicken recipe) then this is strange. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

23 minutes ago, TN-peach said:

1. I had no idea that America had a "Riviera."

2. Is it really an orchard? or just a few trees?  I grew up near a fruit tree orchard so admittedly my perspective is off a bit. 

3. It is so pretentious, it can't be real, can it?!

 

Goop is a weird, but it is short and catchy and memorable.  If Meghan is trying to copy Goop (down to the lemon chicken recipe) then this is strange. 

1. It’s overpriced houses near water, so, sure.

2. Just some fruit trees, I expect. Meghan tends to exaggerate.

3. You’d think it couldn’t be real, but the Sussexes are an endless source of self-parody.

[noseybutt]

49 minutes ago, TN-peach said:

1. I had no idea that America had a "Riviera."

2. Is it really an orchard? or just a few trees?  I grew up near a fruit tree orchard so admittedly my perspective is off a bit. 

3. It is so pretentious, it can't be real, can it?!

 

Goop is a weird, but it is short and catchy and memorable.  If Meghan is trying to copy Goop (down to the lemon chicken recipe) then this is strange. 

It is hard to explain how easily certain fruit trees grow in the SoCal climate. Citrus is the most obvious, but also fig, pomegranate, avocado, etc. I have no idea the percentage, but many backyards have fruit trees because, if you are going to need to irrigate during the early growing years, might as well irrigate something productive and easy to grow.

 

ETA Although I am sure M&H have formal landscaping than most. More, more, more.

Edited March 15 by noseybutt

[Mama Mia]

13 hours ago, TN-peach said:

1. I had no idea that America had a "Riviera."

2. Is it really an orchard? or just a few trees?  I grew up near a fruit tree orchard so admittedly my perspective is off a bit. 

3. It is so pretentious, it can't be real, can it?!

 

Goop is a weird, but it is short and catchy and memorable.  If Meghan is trying to copy Goop (down to the lemon chicken recipe) then this is strange. 

1. Apparently according to the internet, Santa Barbara - the county they live in - is known as the American Riviera. It’s something they market themselves as due to similar architecture, climate, food and wine, music, culture - in this case I assume “culture” is code for “stinking rich”  - the official Santa Barbara website even has the term registered lol.
Anecdotal side tangent - Personally I’ve never heard anyone in California refer to anything as “the American x good thing”  You might say something is the “California x good thing” . But IME, the primary identifier is the state, not the country. Unless you’re saying x in California is first in the United States or the world in whatever.  
 

2. They very well might own an orchard. Santa Barbara is one of the top 10 agriculture producing counties in the country. They grow a large variety of fruit. Strawberries, grapes, apples, peaches, grapefruit, citrus, avocado etc Just skimming, there’s lots of descriptions of orchards, and they have a big property, plus $$$ to buy an orchard there or elsewhere. Jam seems to be a product she intends to sell. 
 

3. Very pretentious, but the kind of pretentious that often sells. If she just keeps it to cooking /food type products there’s a lot of companies that are similar, but also lots of people who will splurge on a good jam or hand soap. 
 

The name is horrible. So jarring. I’ve already seen use of ARO instead. She should jump on that. 
 

 

[TN-peach]

Well, Kinsey Milhone never called it the American Rivera. But she did display quite some disdain for the wealthy. 
 

I don’t think she did. I need to reread those books. They are so good. I wish Sue Grafton could have written the last one. 
 

My childhood home was near a family owned but successful orchard. It was and still is huge. Mainly peaches but you can go there and pick strawberries. They also have a farmers market type stand on two major highways. We used to cut through the cotton and soybean fields to get to the orchard to pick some fresh peaches off the tree. 

[louisa05]

9 hours ago, Mama Mia said:

1. Apparently according to the internet, Santa Barbara - the county they live in - is known as the American Riviera. It’s something they market themselves as due to similar architecture, climate, food and wine, music, culture - in this case I assume “culture” is code for “stinking rich”  - the official Santa Barbara website even has the term registered lol.
Anecdotal side tangent - Personally I’ve never heard anyone in California refer to anything as “the American x good thing”  You might say something is the “California x good thing” . But IME, the primary identifier is the state, not the country. Unless you’re saying x in California is first in the United States or the world in whatever.  
 

2. They very well might own an orchard. Santa Barbara is one of the top 10 agriculture producing counties in the country. They grow a large variety of fruit. Strawberries, grapes, apples, peaches, grapefruit, citrus, avocado etc Just skimming, there’s lots of descriptions of orchards, and they have a big property, plus $$$ to buy an orchard there or elsewhere. Jam seems to be a product she intends to sell. 
 

3. Very pretentious, but the kind of pretentious that often sells. If she just keeps it to cooking /food type products there’s a lot of companies that are similar, but also lots of people who will splurge on a good jam or hand soap. 
 

The name is horrible. So jarring. I’ve already seen use of ARO instead. She should jump on that. 
 

 

Someone already found a toilet cleaner called "Aro". So....

[sndral]

9 hours ago, Mama Mia said:

1. Apparently according to the internet, Santa Barbara - the county they live in - is known as the American Riviera. It’s something they market themselves as due to similar architecture, climate, food and wine, music, culture - in this case I assume “culture” is code for “stinking rich”  - the official Santa Barbara website even has the term registered lol.
Anecdotal side tangent - Personally I’ve never heard anyone in California refer to anything as “the American x good thing”  You might say something is the “California x good thing” . But IME, the primary identifier is the state, not the country. Unless you’re saying x in California is first in the United States or the world in whatever.  
 

2. They very well might own an orchard. Santa Barbara is one of the top 10 agriculture producing counties in the country. They grow a large variety of fruit. Strawberries, grapes, apples, peaches, grapefruit, citrus, avocado etc Just skimming, there’s lots of descriptions of orchards, and they have a big property, plus $$$ to buy an orchard there or elsewhere. Jam seems to be a product she intends to sell. 
 

3. Very pretentious, but the kind of pretentious that often sells. If she just keeps it to cooking /food type products there’s a lot of companies that are similar, but also lots of people who will splurge on a good jam or hand soap. 
 

The name is horrible. So jarring. I’ve already seen use of ARO instead. She should jump on that. 
 

 

My niece’s in laws have an avocado orchard in Santa Barbara, my brother & my ex attended UC Santa Barbara, through the years I attended several seminars for work there. IME it’s a nice area w/ a relaxed vibe. I’ve only visited the Riviera in Europe a couple of times, but when there I did not think, oh this reminds me of Santa Barbara 😂.

[SoSoNosy]

My family moved when I was in high school and the town we moved to had several peach orchards.  My parents lived there after I graduated and moved away for college, and a few years later one of the big orchards was razed for a fancy subdivision.  My mother never realized that those peaches weren't being sold on the side of the road; she would stop and question if they were and the vendors always said yes so she would buy a few and they would both be happy.  I never burst her bubble.

[louisa05]

GB News is reporting that Meghan is seeking a CEO for American Riviera Orchard. 
 

So she launched a business website with no trademarks, no products and no staff. 
 

Can we be done with brilliant highly educated business woman as a narrative now??

[viii]

She has a lot of good ideas but seems terrible at executing them. 

[Coconut Flan]

Copying Flamingo Farms without a proper foundation should last maybe 3 months?

I think Flamingo Farms is the name of the place in LA.

[treehugger]

Honestly, the ideas aren’t even that good. Another influencer lifestyle brand? With no passions or expertise that we know of to back it up? If I’m going to fork out $$$ for home stuff, you’d better believe I’m going to buy it from an artist, artisan or local farmers market. If I’m looking for good candles, there are hundred of niche perfumeries with actual passion behind them. If I’m forking out a lot of money for bedding I’m going to be sticking with something tried and true, like Matouk or Sferra or something like that. Jams? That would be my local farmers market. Decor? Charish, 1stDibs, Antique stores, art galleries. If I don’t have the budget for that I’m buying from Etsy or the local artisan fairs. 
 

If she started any sort of project with the idea of helping local talent market their wares, and made that a focus, she would have a market. But a lifestyle brand? Really? Based on nothing but her name? I’m not expecting much, and it definitely does not scream wildly brilliant business person to me. 

Edited March 25 by treehugger

[viii]

it worked well enough for Jillian Harris! You'd be surprised at what bored women will buy. 

[treehugger]

Oh I’m not saying she won’t have customers. I’m saying it’s not brilliant. It’s not creative. It’s boring, predictable and absolutely unoriginal. 
Also, these are different times. Social causes matter more to people.  Money is tight for a lot of people. And the extremely wealthy who could afford her products are not the target market for a lifestyle brand like that. 

[treehugger]

Then again, I had to look up Jillian Harris to see who she was, so maybe I’m just not the target audience 😂

I guess she can thank the BRF for the title and name recognition to launch a housewares brand based on fame alone. If it works it will be because of that, not any business prowess that I can see

[klein_roeschen]

23 hours ago, treehugger said:

Then again, I had to look up Jillian Harris to see who she was, so maybe I’m just not the target audience 😂

I guess she can thank the BRF for the title and name recognition to launch a housewares brand based on fame alone. If it works it will be because of that, not any business prowess that I can see

One of the last things I will bought is a houseware line "designed" by a rich duchess. Their whole lifestyle doesn't scream I stand in the kitchen several times a day and make food.

[just_ordinary]

I think it’s hilarious all around. They will definitely make money from it and I am sure there are people out there falling for the classic „years in the world“, „testing till the formular was just right“, „from the bottom if my heart“….. phrases all influencers spout when they come up with their own product line. Some people will believe she made 200 jams till the taste was just right, meticulously writing down notes to have them off for production, and that she of course calligraphied all the names on the product. 

on a personal Note- if it’s not at least 25 trees it’s not an orchard. Less is just „some fruit trees“. It’s probably semantics. Orchard would be seen as the size of of a small plantation with fruit trees not raspberries etc. But here ordinary properties even in the countryside are small. So having 25+ full grown fruit trees in your garden makes you either pretty rich or having a big farm. In the countryside some people have garden parcels outside the town. But without those underlining meanings, having two apple trees or some raspberries on your property can probably be called an orchard just fine.