Harry & Meghan 17: St Meghan's Hagiography

[treehugger]

https://people.com/meghan-markle-first-product-american-riviera-orchard-revealed-8634056
 

It’s pretentious jam, y’all. Complete with scraps of linen and tied with twine.  

[tabitha2]

It’s a  truth universally known: String and fancy burlap= Extra Boushie. Like the engraved  25 dollar Williams&Sonoma Cherry pitters and garlic presses:) 

[Loveday]

1 hour ago, treehugger said:

https://people.com/meghan-markle-first-product-american-riviera-orchard-revealed-8634056
 

It’s pretentious jam, y’all. Complete with scraps of linen and tied with twine.  

"17 of 50."

[viii]

It's what I expected. This kitschy thing seems like her jam (haha get what I did there)

[just_ordinary]

While I do think pretentious jam has a market the brand name is still confusing. American Orchard? Sure. American Riviera? Yes. Riviera Orchard. Hmmmm

All together- the beige/gold sticker, the monogram, the long name- it looks like a pretentious brand from the early 2000. I don’t know if that look would work here. 
It will be interesting if every new product drop will see 50 freebies to friends with online presence/influencers. 
Let’s hope it works. Harry’s court bills won’t pay themselves.

[treehugger]

I still think launching without any product or videos or regular social media presence and then waiting this long with nothing was very strange.  There was hype and then nothing, and now some blurbs from other people…. It’s weird. I follow several high end lifestyle brands started by women (Julia Amory for example), and the amount of work those women put into their social media is insane. But they know that engagement is what is going to sell their products. This all seems terribly half-assed in comparison. 

[AmazonGrace]

Well I think the jam and Charlotte Collins are like two peas in a pod:

Spoiler

 

 

[AmazonGrace]

15 hours ago, Loveday said:

"17 of 50."

At first I thought that was the rating. "For the sheer jamminess, I give it 17 out of 50."

[SoSoNosy]

I am one of those people who could live forever without strawberry jam, but I personally have never seen a strawberry orchard.   I had some thriving strawberry plants for a few years in a small bed, until the ornamental tree that was also in that bed hogged all the sunlight.  

They have spent one heck of a lot of money in the few years they have been in the US; Harry's inheritance from his grandmother would have to be huge, because if he told the truth the $11m he inherited from his mother doesn't last all that long with their lifestyle.

All to say, I want to see the American Riviera, and the strawberry orchard that grows there.

 

[klein_roeschen]

33 minutes ago, SoSoNosy said:

I am one of those people who could live forever without strawberry jam, but I personally have never seen a strawberry orchard.   I had some thriving strawberry plants for a few years in a small bed, until the ornamental tree that was also in that bed hogged all the sunlight.  

They have spent one heck of a lot of money in the few years they have been in the US; Harry's inheritance from his grandmother would have to be huge, because if he told the truth the $11m he inherited from his mother doesn't last all that long with their lifestyle.

All to say, I want to see the American Riviera, and the strawberry orchard that grows there.

 

I love strawberries and strawberry jam. But I only get them at strawberry time here and are freshly harvested on the strawberry farms around my town. But that jar looks like they put more thought into the design of the jar and label than in the jam themselfes. I bet it doesn't taste that different than the Bonne Maman jam I buy (and that feels fancy for me).

And the whole project seems like something some bored rich people get themselfes to that they are not as bored and to kill some time in their big ass mansion.

[FrumperedCat]

Hilariously the strawberry jam sold by Highgrove (private home of Charles and somewhat of a pioneer with organic, sustainable gardens), has now sold out. Along with quite a few other products from Highgrove. Though there is still strawberry jam with champagne which sounds very nice. 

[SoSoNosy]

I have read on two sources that Harry has "renounced GB" and considers USA home now.  When does Charles get to take away the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles?  I think I read that the Prince thing can't be taken away.

 

[viii]

37 minutes ago, SoSoNosy said:

I have read on two sources that Harry has "renounced GB" and considers USA home now.  When does Charles get to take away the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles?  I think I read that the Prince thing can't be taken away.

 

He can’t take away their titles. Only parliament can do that. The only thing this would really affect is the Counsellors of State. 

[klein_roeschen]

14 hours ago, SoSoNosy said:

I have read on two sources that Harry has "renounced GB" and considers USA home now.  When does Charles get to take away the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles?  I think I read that the Prince thing can't be taken away.

 

Their dukedom and titles aren't that important anymore. They don't carry large amounts of land or power anymore like they did in the past. Their percived importance and fame comes with Harry being the son of the british king. That doesn't change with taking away their titles and would give them more fodder to whine about. And honestly, if Harry has expressed that he considers the US his home now, who cares. He quiet his royal job, isn't on the public payroll anymore and moved out of his home country. So far so boring. He is still a british citizen and isn't activily harming his country of birth, so taking away the titles would be an act of a petty family feud.

[AmazonGrace]

The Empire Strikes Back https://www.tatler.com/article/jam-wars-buckingham-palace-strawberry-jam-film-ahead-of-meghans-american-riviera-orchard-jam-drop

[Coconut Flan]

I will quibble with them over Meghan sending a "hamper" and the lemons being lavish.  

[Ozlsn]

I was amused by the quote:

"She has released a video, which saw her doing various wholesome things, including baking, plucking flowers and twirling in a black dress."

How is twirling in a black dress wholesome? Is it more or less wholesome if the dress is green? How about purple? 

I feel like I need to investigate wholesome twirling, heh.

[Coconut Flan]

The overblown prose used by Sussex supporters is usually amusing.

[klein_roeschen]

On 4/28/2024 at 8:51 AM, Ozlsn said:

I was amused by the quote:

"She has released a video, which saw her doing various wholesome things, including baking, plucking flowers and twirling in a black dress."

How is twirling in a black dress wholesome? Is it more or less wholesome if the dress is green? How about purple? 

I feel like I need to investigate wholesome twirling, heh.

I would like to see her wholesomely twirling in a black dress cleaning her kitchen after baking and jam making or wholesomely dancing with the vacuum while cleaning.

Sorry, I need to get my cynicsm in check when reading that about a rich adult woman doing a Disney princess routine to sell her lifestyle brand

[just_ordinary]

Do we think we will see her being a tradwife/bossbabe mix? All about embracing her divine feminine and being in sync with her cycle and nature, homesteading and homemaking while also heading her charitable entity/production firm and starring in tv productions? Because that’s the message I get. SEE, I CAN HAVE AND DO IT ALL!!!!!

Nothing wrong with any of this. As long as it’s YOUR choice. But it sounds utterly exhausting…..

[klein_roeschen]

55 minutes ago, just_ordinary said:

Do we think we will see her being a tradwife/bossbabe mix? All about embracing her divine feminine and being in sync with her cycle and nature, homesteading and homemaking while also heading her charitable entity/production firm and starring in tv productions? Because that’s the message I get. SEE, I CAN HAVE AND DO IT ALL!!!!!

Nothing wrong with any of this. As long as it’s YOUR choice. But it sounds utterly exhausting…..

I can't see Megan activly hopping on the tradwife train, the movement's message isn't something she promoted herself with in any kind in the past. And I can't see her starting now, no matter how publicity hungry they are. The tradwife movement gets to much negative press right now.
And homesteading, well they live in a California mega mansion in the greater LA area. That would invite to much snarkers from the press to pull that off. But if they should choose to try that angle, could they please invite Marty Rainy from Homestead Rescue to help them with their "homestead" and film it? That would be highly enteraining.

My guess here is that Megan (and Harry) are still trying to desperatly finding their niche to stay relevant. They look what is trending now and use that with a hefty dose of copying the royals to create something "unique". My prediction for her lifestyle brand will be that in a few years, that thing will be history because it won't be very successfull and they will try the next big hit. They overestimate their importance. And I put Harry here in brackets because I can get what Megan wants, but not if Harry is on par with her. I guess he have less of an idea what he wants to spend his time on or to earn money besides selling his royal connections.

[Giraffe]

1 hour ago, klein_roeschen said:

My guess here is that Megan (and Harry) are still trying to desperatly finding their niche to stay relevant. 

This is why I snark on them. All of their branding and jam making etc feels so over the top performative as to prove just how relevant & important they are. Neither one is in the category of "famous for being famous," but to me that's how they come across now.