Duchess of Sussex the bullying has to stop.

There's one poster in particular on GN who talks about "optics" all the time. Maybe she'll come along and help us out.

imaround

Glorianny

imaround

Here you go

Well there you are then. What does she expect? She married into the British Royal Family and she is still speaking American, honestly she might have bothered to learn English!

You did not just say that? Americans speak English.

What the holy heck?

Not as far as optics goes. 2 different definitions.

Literally for the love of all that is holy, I have never been more angry at a post on GN before. I was amused by the disdain of Megan before. I could care less either way about her because I do not know her.

But this post just, wow. What an insult to the Americans. Apparently, we need to learn "real" English. Because American English is not up to snuff, even though her podcast and article were publish IN America and not for Queen's English speakers like yourself.

I am not even going to bother reporting your rude post. I think people should see who you are in your own words.

I am walking away before I say something that will get me banned.

I have a lot of respect for American English making much more sense phonetically.

Changing all the spellings would be the first thing I'd do too when founding my own country. Its on the bucket list.

Also I really like the way they say aluminium... makes it sound much less boring

Glorianny

imaround

Glorianny

imaround

Here you go

Well there you are then. What does she expect? She married into the British Royal Family and she is still speaking American, honestly she might have bothered to learn English!

You did not just say that? Americans speak English.

What the holy heck?

Not as far as optics goes. 2 different definitions.

And she used the North American meaning, as I pointed out with the definition. For her podcast and article published in North America.

I had read that as sarcasm?

It was sarcasm right?

glorianny?

VioletSky

I had read that as sarcasm?

It was sarcasm right?

glorianny?

So did I ?

imaround

Calm down, don't get upset- we all know that American English and American spellings are the original and correct forms of English as taken over by the Pilgrim Fathers et al!

Although I don't think optics were invented in 1620.

My rellies are Aussies, they don't speak English English either, but. ?

Elegran

There are the same reactions, but in the opposite direction, to anyone attempting to inject any fact that doesn't shed a good light onto the Sussexes. a similar echo of "If you don't believe they are ill-treated by these horrible people you are pro-abuse of coloured people" etc etc

Polarisation - if you are not for them, you are against them.

Polarisation - that's the word I was looking for in my addled brain.

There are the same reactions, but in the opposite direction, to anyone attempting to inject any fact that doesn't shed a good light onto the Sussexes.

Facts are facts. The Oprah interview is a fact. The conversation has been recorded.

My 'beef' is not with facts but with editorials like this:

Meghan Markle turned 40 yesterday and shared a video with actress Melissa McCarthy to mark the occasion. In the two-minute-long video, the Duchess of Sussex launches a new initiative, 40x40, to support women returning to the workplace by asking mentors to give 40 minutes of their time. But the concept has been branded a "publicity stunt" by a leading female mentor - with a royal expert also hitting out at Meghan for "mocking the Queen" in the clip.

A "leading female mentor" and a "royal expert" - giving a subjective opinion which is then pounced on by some, and presented as 'fact'.

The royal family itself has in the past been subjected to this kind of speculation by these various 'mentors' of something or other and the, seemingly many, 'royal experts'.

That is what I take issue with - coupled with the immature name-calling by some. Far worse of course on some other social media sites than on here.

Well there you are then. What does she expect? She married into the British Royal Family and she is still speaking American, honestly she might have bothered to learn English!

It's truly a disgrace!!! ?

VioletSky

Also I really like the way they say aluminium... makes it sound much less boring

For me, the only time aluminium isn't boring is when it's wrapped around a huge slice of Christmas or birthday cake

? ?

imaround

She uses words that mean nothing to those in the UK. Here in the US, we understand exactly what she means. Which is good since her podcast and article are released in the US on US platforms for US audiences.

I've heard the word "optics" used here in the UK during business meetings, and in presentations, on more than one occasion.

I can't believe no one else has!

Yes I did need to calm down. I have no idea why I had such an immense reaction and I can hope that she was being sarcastic. Even if she was not, it does not affect me at all

It would be easy to see how someone on GN would not be sarcastic though due to countless threads that border on xenophobia due to new Americanized words infiltrating the UK and the vitriol towards Meghan, an American.

Like I said, I could care less about Meghan because I do not know her or Harry. I did think her first podcast episode was good though. I have her second one queued up for tonight's walk, though I am hearing thunder.

Also, now I want cake. We have a company called Nothing Bundt Cakes that make mini Bundt cakes that are to die for! I may go and get me one later and do an extra walk this week.

merlotgran

^Meghan recalls a moment from the 2019 London premiere of the live-action version of The Lion King. 'I just had Archie. It was such a cruel chapter. I was scared to go out.' A cast member from South Africa pulled her aside. 'He looked at me, and he's just like light. He said, "I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison^." '

However, it now appears that the only South African cast member has said that he has never met Meghan and was not at the UK premier.

Another delusion to add to her list? ?

That Mandela quote has angered a lot of people. She is a very clever woman who knows these comments will be picked up by the press, and yet she doesn't seem to realise how desperate and daft they sound. She is losing her grip and the cracks in her public profile are beginning to show.

Now it seems her bubble has burst. The USA are getting fed up with her whinging about her worries from a huge mansion with 16 bathroom, and then about being a victim of the Royal Family, when most of them are struggling with fuel bills and cost of living.

Farzanah

It amazes me that such interest and emotion is stirred, by a couple whom most of us will never meet and have only very superficial knowledge of, mostly secondhand from often unreliable sources.

The latest “news” came directly out of Meghan’s mouth even down to likening her situation to Nelson Mandela’s. It was a 50 minute talk about the evil Brits and Royal Family and about 8 minutes on Selena and the trials of motherhood.

Harry did pop in to tell Selena her hair looked nice apparently.

Did you listen to the podcast? it was not 50 minute talk about evil Brits and the RF.

And all this poop hitting the fan on the 25th anniversary of Diana's death, when I'm sure Harry (and the rest of us) would rather remember in a quiet and reflective way. But no, Meghan has to compete with Diana for the headlines, even today. Her timing is always precise, and intended to knock the royals off the front page. It happens every time.

Lexisgranny

Calendargirl neither do I, not Meghan alone, she is not important enough, but there seems to be more criticism now of the Royal Family in general than there has been for a while. Then think about the economic state that the country is in, and how bad it is likely to become for many people who are already struggling, and how soon before comparisons are made with the comfortable existence of the Royals, including Meghan and Harry. Republicans will have their arguments strengthened.

I agree with your comments about Harry, he obviously seems to love Meghan very much, but I don’t think things are panning out the way he had hoped, he just doesn’t look happy.

If the couple are managing to do anything - they are shoring up support for the Queen and the tradition of Monarchy, which is obvious from comments from so many who feel protective of it.

I am a Republican - a languid one, we are not necessarily a homogenous group. I've no desire to see them suddenly or violently 'toppled'. We've had periods of economic stability and a Monarchy existing together. I am quite happy to let 'nature' take its course and for the Monarchy to dissolve in an 'organic' way, and Charles has taken the first step by slimming down The Firm.

The institution is representative of hierarchy and privilege, however I believe the anger and resentment felt by so many (and I bet not a few are Monarchists also) will be directed at oil producers / suppliers, and a government who - whilst not responsible for the huge price hike in the gas market - have done precious little to mitigate the effects, and it is within their remit to do so, and who, indeed, are absent from their posts at a time of looming national crisis.

Meghan and Harry have most definitely not strengthened my argument as a Republican in any way - they are, as you say, not important enough. Flawed and immature as I personally think they both are, I really don't bear them ill will.

As for Harry - sometimes he looks happy, sometimes he doesn't And sometimes, he just looks 'serious'. He's now a married man and I think that's just how it works, expectations are not always met.

I like that front page, Chestnut. Very nasty but well deserved. Imagine the comments if one of the British papers had issued it !

Chestnut

Now it seems her bubble has burst. The USA are getting fed up with her whinging about her worries from a huge mansion with 16 bathroom, and then about being a victim of the Royal Family, when most of them are struggling with fuel bills and cost of living.

I wouldn’t use the NY Post of all “publications” to use as an example of the USA being “fed up” with Meghan. She is generally well liked here, and the Post is a right-wing tabloid that is basically amongst the least reputable sources of “news” in the States. It’s a Rupert Murdoch owned, Trump-supporting, Republican loving, frequently racist, xenophobic waste of tree.

The New York post is considered a rag magazine. I would liken it to the tabloids in the UK. We in the US do not take their journalism seriously.

Not sure on her popularity in the US. I rarely speak of her in my circles to be honest. No one I know is gushing. One thing is certain we could care less if she is royal or not. We had a tea party years ago what started us down a path of no Monarchy.

Can I ask a serious question though? If the Royal family is not marking Diana's death and William and Harry are not marking her death, why is the timing of her podcast such an affront?

She did not pick the release date for her podcast. Spotify gets to do all that. It is very likely that Spotify did so because it coincides with Diana's death, but no one really knows for sure.

imaround

Also, now I want cake. We have a company called Nothing Bundt Cakes that make mini Bundt cakes that are to die for! I may go and get me one later and do an extra walk this week.

Oddly, I was looking at recipes for doing Bundt cake in the microwave (in a mug!) earlier today!

How about a 'Snickerdoodle' flavour ? Nothing But Bundt is online!