I didn't want to write about the Oprah interview. I've made it very clear I'm not a fan of Harry & Meghan. I used to be then they announced they were "stepping away" to be independent and moving to Canada. Oh, and the Canadian taxpayer was going to be on the hook to pay for their massive security bills! WTF! You want to be an adult and independent? Pay your own way like the rest of us. It's not like they were broke. After all, he inherited 40 million from his mom. It really made me instantly dislike them.
Whatever your opinion on this couple I think we can all say that the racism directed towards Meghan was wrong. End of. But as bad as the tabloids were...and boy they were bad...the idea of having to deal with racism & bigotry from your family is a whole other level of wrong. There is no explanation. No excuses. And those who say they doubt it was as bad as she very clearly made it out to be, you need to stop talking. It doesn't matter what you think. If Meghan says it was racism then it was. Whoopie Goldberg once said that while she might not be able to tell you exactly what made something racist, she certainly knew it when she saw it. Meghan Markle saw it, she knew it, believe her.
I did take exception to one part of the interview. Meghan saying that Kate made her cry and that she wasn't supportive enough. Let me just say...the inlaws do not have to like you or be supportive. Just because you are in the same family doesn't mean you are instantly best friends. Or even friends. I had a sister-in-law who disliked not only me but every single person in the family! And was quite vocal about that very fact. Like most adults we could get through a holiday meal together if we had to, or a funeral or wedding. But we were not all lovey-dovey. Not even close. So Meghan complaining about Kate seemed almost whiney to me.
Now I wanted to address two things from this interview that I think were overshadowed by the racism conversation. Both involving the entire conversation about Meghan's battle with mental illness and suicidal thoughts. When a public figure speaks about their own struggles with this whispered disease I always want it to be the sole focus. It's so important to take this out of the shadows. And it was striking that she spoke about it as calmly as if it was diabetes or heart disease. Like it was a disease that anyone could suffer from. Who knows how many people could have benefited from that being the focus. Sadly we will never know.
The other thing was something Harry said that made me sad. He has talked about and supported mental health initiatives for years. But during the interview, he told Oprah he was embarrassed to ask for help for his wife. How can that not make you sad? Someone who has spent many hours promoting mental health and taking away the stigma was a victim of the stigma. That makes me cry. But...it did show us just how real and prevalent this crisis is and no person is immune.
My dislike for this couple is still there. It's hard for me to get past the entitlement they seem to feel they deserve. But boy oh boy haven't we all missed Oprah!!
Ang
No comments:
Post a Comment