When Meghan Markle closed her lifestyle blog The Tig on April 7, 2017, all of her writing on there disappeared, including her How To Be Both article in which she discusses her charity work. But thanks to the Wayback Machine, I’ve been able to access The Tig’s archives, and I want to post some of it here for posterity and to discuss it in what I’m calling my Tig Archives series. I’m not copying everything, because that would be pointless (and I don’t care about the lifestyle stuff), but I am posting some of the articles about her charity work and stances on various causes which I like (and will be relevant to her royal work, if she marries Harry).
The first article in my Tig Archives series is Meghan’s How To Be Both article, published on October 24, 2016. An edited version of the article was published in the November 2016 issue of Elle UK – that article was published online on November 8, 2016 and can be found here. Below is Meghan’s original How To Be Both article from her website.
“I’m consistently asked how I keep a foot in two contrasting worlds one in the entertainment industry, predicated on wealth and indulgence, and the other in humanitarian work. To me, its less of a question of how can you do this, and more a question of how can you not? Below I share my candid thoughts on this very topic
“‘I don’t know, Flower. You were just born that way. This is my mom’s response to the aforementioned question, and indicative of the character traits she knows me to have so well: opinionated, driven, and with a deep desire to affect change. ‘It’s just who you are,’ she says. (And yes, she calls me, ‘Flower.’) I’m sitting in my trailer with her in Toronto where we film Suits, now in its sixth season. This in and of itself is a novelty the idea of my mom sitting in my trailer, on a show in which I am a series regular, and thats lasted more than half a decade. It’s surreal. We never would have dreamt that this would be my reality, our reality, as my mom eats the special order of scrambled eggs the production assistant just brought her from the catering truck. This is not where we come from. Yes, my hometown is Hollywood, California, but what you think of as The City of Angels, and what I know to be home, are two very different things.
“So let’s begin there.
“I was born and raised in Los Angeles, a California girl who lives by the ethos that most things can be cured with either yoga, the beach, or a few avocados. Im being cheeky, clearly, but it speaks to the temperament I grew up around. With a free-spirited clinical therapist for a mom, and the most hardworking father you can imagine (a television lighting director by trade), I always had a foot in two worlds, because their work and home environments were so vastly different. With my mom, we spent time traveling to remote places taking trips to Oaxaca, Mexico where I saw children play in the dirt roads, peddling chiclets for a few extra pesos to bring home. My mother raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities. I must have been about ten years old when we visited the slums of Jamaica. I had never seen poverty at that level and it registered in my glazed brown eyes. Don’t look scared, Flower, she said. Be aware, but don’t be afraid.
“My father was the lighting director on two television shows as I was growing up. And there I was, behind the scenes of a glossy soap opera and a TV sitcom, surrounded by famous actors and their glam teams, multi-million dollar budgets, and crew lunches that always included filet mignon and enough sweets to make you think you were at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. What I didn’t know then was that just twenty years later I would appeal to the executives on my show to ensure that our extra filet mignon and sweets aplenty were no longer thrown away, but rather donated to a soup kitchen I had been volunteering at since my arrival in Toronto. Or that they would say, Yes.
“Despite the contrast of my two worlds growing up, there was a powerful commonality: both my parents came from little, so they made a choice to give a lot buying turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving, delivering meals to patients in hospice care, donating any spare change in their pocket to those asking for it, and performing quiet acts of grace be it a hug, a smile, or a pat on the back to show ones in need that they would be alright. This is what I grew up seeing, so that is what I grew up being: a young adult with a social consciousness to do what I could, and to, at the very least, speak up when I knew something was wrong.
“I was just eleven years old when I was in my classroom at Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and a commercial came on for a popular dish washing liquid. The tagline of the campaign said, Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans. The boys in my classroom yelled out, Yeah, that’s where women belong. In the kitchen. My little freckled face became red with anger. I went home and wrote letters to powerhouse feminist attorney, Gloria Allred; to a host of a kids news program; to the soap manufacturer; and to Hilary Clinton (who was our First Lady at the time). With the exception of the soap manufacturer, they all pledged support and within a few months, the commercial was changed to, People all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.
“I spoke about this in a speech I gave for International Women’s Day with UN Women just two years ago. It is a testament to the fighting spirit I had as a young girl, and the responsibility I now feel as a grown woman; and even more so as an actress. The moment Suits became successful and I realized people (especially young women) were listening to what I had to say, I knew I needed to be saying something of value. This is also, in part, why I started this website, The Tig. I knew that girls were checking the site to see fashion tips or how to get a stellar blow dry, but in reframing the beauty content to include think pieces about self-empowerment, or feature dynamic women such as Fatima Bhutto, I was hoping to integrate social consciousness and subjects of higher value than, lets sayselfies. A subtle means to pepper in what really matters.
“And don’t get me wrong the entertainment industry matters: it gives people an escape, a catalyst to laugh, to reflect, and to balance the realities of life. Plus, my gig as a working actor is the hand that feeds me. Without that hand, I could never be the hand that feeds another at this level. Were it not for my show and website, I would never have been asked to be a global ambassador for World Vision or an advocate for UN Women, both of which are honors I relish. And it makes sense that I see it that way, because while most become star struck by A-list actors, you’ll only see me gobsmacked with delight in the face of leaders affecting change. Put me in a room with Madeleine Albright or former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and for once in my life, you’ll find this girl with the gift of gab, unequivocally without words.
“It was just last year that I was in the van heading back from Gihembe refugee camp in Rwanda. I was in the country as an advocate for UN Women; I had a week of meetings with female parliamentarians in Kigali, celebrating the fact that 64 percent of their government are women the highest in the world. I was also spending time speaking with grassroots level female leadership at the refugee camp a few hours outside of the capital city. Driving back on the dusty roads that day, now back on the grid of tech and Hollywood, I received an email from my managers with a request for me to attend the BAFTAs. I had never been and had always romanticized the idea of it and per the email, a high end jewelry company was going to fly me in, get me dolled up in the fanciest of gowns, and I would travel straight from Kigali to Heathrow, to the makeup chair, and immediately onto the red carpet.
“My brain, heart, spirit couldnt shift gears that quickly from the purpose-driven work I had been doing all week in Rwanda, to the glitz and glamour of an award show plus the pomp and circumstance that comes with it. No, my heart said. And it wasnt a soft whisper to myself; it was a lions roar. Because I looked out the window, seeing a world of verdant beauty that had been riddled with genocide and unrest only 22 years prior, but having recovered with a decisive choice to be better, to overcome. The children’s magnetic smiles, the rolling fields, the goats and thump-thump of the ground as we drove..my decision was clear. My gut said, No. While my two worlds can coexist, I’ve learned that for me, being able to keep a foot in both is a delicate balance because while they are not mutually exclusive, guiding my heart though the swinging pendulum from excess to lack of access is sometimes challenging.
“When I gave the speech for International Women’s Day, and UN Secretary General Bahn-Ki Moon led the standing ovation, I thought, This right here, this is the point. To use whatever status I have managed to garner as an actress, and maximize my opportunity for impact with the moments of value that resonate far greater than an audition ever could. I’ve never wanted to be a lady who lunches I’ve always wanted to be a woman who works. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose. The degree to which I can do that both on and off camera is a direct perk of my job.
“But here’s the other thing that I think is often misconstrued: the assumption is that by doing humanitarian work, that there is some sort of savior mentality, when the truth is that the connections you make on these trips have so much reciprocity if there is an imbalance, it is most certainly the other way around. I returned to Rwanda earlier this year as Global Ambassador for World Vision, and while I was there, met a young girl named Claire whom I immediately felt drawn to. She was on the third hour of her walk to bring her father medicine a task that for most of us would be a quick Uber to the pharmacy. These small moments of perspective anchor me to whats important. And in my industry that is often riddled with superfluous demands, my barometer of whats valuable is validated on these trips. Not to mention, when I share my photos with my friends, they note that undoubtedly I never look happier than I do when I am on field missions. It’s a different smile than the one for the paparazzi it’s the one that doesn’t require any retouching.
“With fame comes opportunity, but in my opinion, it also includes responsibility to advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings, and if I’m lucky enough then to inspire. A truly impactful moment for me was when a teenage girl, Emily, who follows me on social media, shared a letter saying my aid work inspired her to do a humanitarian trip to Costa Rica; she happens to be on the trip as I write this piece, and I check her Twitter updates grinning widely seeing myself in her, and remembering my days volunteering on LA’s impoverished Skid Row when I was her age. I see what Emily is doing and I think, YES. Whatever Ive said and shared has landed somewhere, and this incredible young woman has decided to #bethechange she wishes to see in the world. Whatever small part I had to do with that is the most affirming and humbling part of my life.
“So be it an Instagram post that tags #adoptdontshop with a photo of my rescue pups, a speech advocating for women’s rights, a trip to a refugee camp in Rwanda, or traveling to Afghanistan to support our troops overseas, these are facets of my life that I share with as much gusto as I do behind the scenes photos with my cast; perhaps more so. And while my life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist. And for me, they must. My eleven year old self would be proud, because while I may not have realized it at the time, I, in fact, have always had a foot in the world of entertainment as well as the world of public service; my life now is simply a more heightened version of the very reality in which I grew up. And, truth be told, its the most beautiful gift I never knew I always had.”
[The Tig via the Wayback Machine]
I like what she said about getting the production team on her show to donate leftover food. I don’t know why more restaurants and such don’t donate their leftover food – they are wasting money by just throwing it out, so why not feed people who need it by donating the food?
I like that Meghan talked about how her acting job is why she has her advocate jobs with World Vision and UN Women. There are so many celebs who refuse to acknowledge how their acting jobs, even the ones they dislike, helped them be where they are now.
I was a bit put off by this line: “while most become star struck by A-list actors, you’ll only see me gobsmacked with delight in the face of leaders affecting change.” I think there is a better way to say that sentiment, because it comes off as dismissive of people who do become star struck by actors, and that comes off as rude to her fans since her fans would probably become star struck when meeting her. The most off-putting thing a celeb can do, IMO, is insult their fans for liking them. Like, your fans are the reason you are where you are, be nice to them.
I don’t know Meghan’s intention here, but if she didn’t intend to be dismissive of or insult people who do become starstruck by actors, then her sentiment wasn’t worded well. A simple change to “I don’t get star struck by A-list actors…” would have made all the difference. Because then she is just talking about herself rather than comparing herself to other people.
I enjoyed this post. It sounds like her humanitarian side is real, not just a PR spin, mainly because of her parents’ behavior and the lessons they taught her. I hope she does marry Prince Harry, because not only will she look glam, which is always fun to see, but it will be great to follow what she does on the humanitarian side. She sounds like she could really fit into that position and push a lot of great causes.
I don’t know how I really feel. Part of me is very skeptical. I think her blog was ghost-written, or coached. I do believe that she has the desire to help others, but I also see it as rather self-promoting. I don’t like being so jaded, but that’s how it comes across to me. I am glad she had parents who taught her kindness and ways to help the less fortunate. Many of us had similar lessons from ours and still try to do good when we can.
I keep seeing this as a way to Prince Harry’s heart. Through the service and kindness of his beloved mother. I want to believe that Meghan is so selfless, but there is still a big part of me that sees her as self-promoting. Her words just smack of very carefully scripted PR.
Others may feel differently. All I wish is that Harry and she are really in love and will be happy and will do things that make a difference in the world. So, maybe, he’s found his soul mate.
It could always just be PR spin. I think she started it before she met him though, so I don’t think it’s just for Harry. It could have been for her career earlier. However there are many stars that don’t do that sort of thing and still have great careers. If it is just spin, that will come out in time. That would be a big disappointment.
I’m glad I read this. I think she is trying to make a difference, but she is definitely pushing it a bit. She also doesn’t seem to realize that the anti-feminist commercial and some of the roles she has played both objectify women. She separates television from her “causes” when it suits her agenda. She’s making an effort though, and I’ll give her that.
Awhile back restaurants couldn’t donate food becuase of regulations/liability concerns but I now see more donating. FYI john Oliver did an excellent bit on foot waste. I’ve seen several different Starbucks donate to soup kitchens.
Didn’t some one on one of your KMR pages debunk the ivory dish soap story? I mean I wrote the WH about a bill I wanted them to support and got a response. SOP.
And I hate the comment about SG bahn ki-moon leading the standing ovation
I’m on the fence about some of her actions
I know nothing about regulations, but I know some restaurants do donate food. Recently, I walked into Panera right as they opened and they had two giant bags of food they were throwing out. And on top of that, I went to a Panera at 9:30 and they had already pulled all of the bakery items. They pulled their food 30 minutes before they closed so that they could just throw all of it out the next morning? When a) people would still want to buy food between 9:30-10:00, and b) people in shelters or homeless would happily eat day old bagels? Just doesn’t seem right to me.
Re the soap story being debunked: I don’t remember. But I think her point stands either way. I don’t read her story as her saying she was the catalyst for the change or that the relevant part was that she got letters back, but rather it’s a personal story of her first experience with gender inequality and why she decided to fight for equality. So whether she was the catalyst for the commercial change doesn’t matter, the fact that she got letters back doesn’t matter, the story is there to say why Meghan chose to care about gender equality and show that she’s cared from a young age. The fact that gender inequality has touched her from a young age, and the fact that she, from a young age, has been the type of person to take action about things she cares about is the relevant part.
The Bahn-Ki Moon sentence is worded poorly and is not clear because of the word “this”. Is the point that the SG gave a standing ovation, or is the point that Meghan can make a difference by speaking out? It’s not very clear.
“The fact that gender inequality has touched her from a young age, and the fact that she, from a young age, has been the type of person to take action about things she cares about is the relevant part.”
-> agreed. To be honet it is a pity all her entries got deleted when she shut the website down because those posts paint a much better and clearer picture of herself. I was not familiar with her thus didn’t know that her activism and advocacy spans decade (obviously the more successful / visible one become the more we learn about the journey but said journey often start years before. It is nice to see that hers come from the heart)
first, I don’t know about this school that’s watching tv??! But the comment about our education system shall be for another day. 2 those letters “pledging support” are usually form/rote responses.
Dear mr/Mrs/miss
Thank you for taking the time to write. Thanks for your interest in changing the wording of the soap commercial blah blah blah
Electronic signature.
Yet her article reads they were all championing her (makebelieve?) campaign and maybe the 11 yr thought that.
What I think is as an actress she’s in the business of self promotion and her articles read as such.
but whatever the reasons or motivation at least she is trying
One day during a class in HS we sat and watched a marathon of Whose Line Is It Anyway.
I haven’t quite figure out this new set up but see my response below.
And to prove my point about embellishing there seem to be different versions of the same story😉This is the one I referenced
To recap, in 2015 Meghan Markle gave a speech in front of the UN as part of the He for She program and said:
“I was eleven years old when the LA riots broke out in ’92 – littering my hometown with fires and looting, with curfews and recklessness. I happened to be at school when the mayhem began, keeping me and my classmates on lockdown until it was safe for our parents to pick us up. We didn’t fully understand what was going on, so to distract us from the soundtrack of sirens outside of our little red school house, they turned on the TV to “The Price is Right.” A smart choice, seeing as Bob Barker was just talking about microwaves and sofa sets. No real controversy there unless you happen to be offended by polyester paisley print. But during the commercial break an ad for the clear Ivory dishwashing liquid came on including a tagline that said “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.” The boys in my class (Michael & Joey to be specific) said “Yeah, that’s where women belong – in the kitchen.” I remember feeling confused – feeling angry and annoyed, knowing they were wrong – and yet knowing that I felt small – too small to say anything in that moment. When I got home, the lemon tree in my front yard charred from passing rioters, I decided to write some letters: to First Lady Hillary Clinton, to Linda Ellerbee (a TV commentator who hosted a kids news program on Nickelodeon), to powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred, and to Procter & Gamble. I put pen to paper, telling them what happened and that I thought the commercial should be changed. I didn’t realize it then, but it was on this day – this dramatic day clouded in smoke and confusion, where ashes fell like snowflakes in the Southern California sky – that I became a feminist.Everyone responded to my letters except for Procter & Gamble. First Lady Clinton encouraged my taking a stand, Ms. Allred offered her help and commended my trying to effect change, and Linda Ellerbee sent a TV crew to feature me on her show. By the time the episode aired, and with this tremendous support, Procter & Gamble, in fact, changed the commercial to “People all over America
IMO she comes off as disingenuous in this article, but she’s very good at selling/marketing herself. It makes me a little suspicious of her true motives but she would be an interesting addition to the Royal family and both Meghan & Harry make a handsome couple.
So I went and read her ivory soap story in it’s entirety and several things don’t add up but the tv part is explained.
It was the beginning of the LA riots so they turned on tv to distract from the sirens and other noise going on until parents could come pick them up.
Here’s what doesn’t up. I just watched a documentary on the LA riots. They started in April (or may) of 92. Clinton didn’t become president until 93. So HRC wasn’t FLOTUS yet, it would’ve been Barbara bush. Unless she didn’t write these letters until 8 months after the initial event.
You’re city is burning and rioting and this is the most important thing to an 11 yr old??
So either her timeline is off or there has been some embellishing to fit the narrative.
She can still be a champion for women’s rights but this story doesn’t add up
Excellent insight, Sarah. When I read that story of the letter to Hillary, I thought it sounded off. Like she was writing about it from her wide-eyed 11 year old perspective, not from a sophisticated grown up perspective. There’s something too calulating about her self narrative and as a reader I feel she’s trying a little too hard to impress to self promote.
I don’t have an answer. I tried to find the commercials and couldn’t – granted, I only looked for about 5 minutes. So who knows. It may be complete BS. It may be she’s remembered it incorrectly – it was from over 20 years ago. Or it may be that she lied on purpose to make herself look better. I just don’t know.
ETA: If Meghan did outright lie, though, I wonder what Hillary Clinton thought of the story, since she was in the audience when Meghan told the story in the UN speech.
First your new site is much more mobile friendly!
Second who knows what the real story is but even your UN speech has a different version. Has her referencing the Beijing conference and the remark that it was a little over 20 yrs ago. That makes me think it was the 1995 women’s conference so yes HRC would’ve been FLOTUS but that puts 11 yr old Meghan as a 14 ( I googled bday) yr old Meghan (unless lying about her age) also, do you really think HRC remembers all the peeps who have written to her over her lifetime??
And if all these amazing women write back championing her cause, did she save the letters and if so, why not show them on her blog?
Who knows why I’m fixated on this aspect except for the fact that all the pieces don’t add up for me and I like puzzles.
I agree with Indiana, it’s almost as it 11 yr Meghan has been re-envisioned by 30 +yr Meghan to fit the narrative of a young activist.
I transcribed the speech from the video of her speech. I don’t know why there would be a different version of her speech unless either she or someone else edited the transcript. I like having the exact words, including the filler words, because that gives more accurate data on the speech.
In terms of the commercial story, she’s used it in several writings and speeches, so there are probably different versions of it because she was highlighting certain aspects of the story and/or she didn’t want to write the same exact words over again. I’ve done that over on KMR, especially when I’m describing one of Kate’s patronages or annual events. I’ll copy what I wrote about the patronage or event previously, and then change some of the wording or leave out or include some things, that way it’s not the exact same wording I’ve used before.
So I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to different wording of the same story, but I agree that the timeline of the story doesn’t seem to make total sense. And I can’t find evidence of the commercial she was talking about.
Ha the only thing that stays the same is her age! 😉And of course the commercial
Unless she’s shaving yrs off she can’t be 11 in 92 and 95
92 la riots vs 95 Beijing women’s conference
11 vs 14 er 11
The price is right vs whose line is it anyway (which didn’t aire until 1998)
One of life’s great mysteries I’ll have to let go =)
Oh the Whose Line thing was my own, not Meghan’s. When I was in HS (in the mid-00s), in one class (I can’t remember which one), we sat and watched Whose Line for the entire class. I did not attribute that to Meghan. I apologize if I was not clear.
I think the commercial MM references when 11 wasn’t actually running at the time she was 11.
Meghan would have been 10 years old during the L.A. riots, as her birthday is not until August.
Wasn’t the Ivory Soap ad MM referenced also off? In that it was an ad from a generation or so earlier so wouldn’t be on TV at the time of her youth? Someone checked it out on another site and the ad MM mentioned wasn’t running in the ’90’s.
That’s what’s so frustrating-when you look into the actual details, things don’t add up!
Nick news didn’t start up until the middle of April 92
I thought I could find the episode she was in ( too much time so on another day when I’m procrastinating, maybe)
Would an 11 yr old (if you go with 92 timeline)even know who Gloria Allred is? I think she was really just coming into her “power house” lawyer figure in the early 90s -maybe an LA child would know who she was but still, questionable.
I’m more apt to go with the 95 narrative but why push 11 in every story.
It’s baffling and I need to let it go but I just finished my bk and needed to pack so I let this enthrall me
Sarah, we all get worked up about something – a simple statement triggers our curiosity and we turn into Miss Marple. As you point out, there are several inconsistencies to this story. I imagine the blog was part of her PR agency’s strategy in profile building, where dates and facts would not be closely scrutinized. No problem… until you do come under minute scrutiny for being linked to a prince. We all embellish here and there, or remember things differently, but this is not that. And if MM wants to do something for others, just do it, not use the suffering of others to elevate her profile. That’s just rank. Love Lola wrote a particularly moving piece on the late George Michael who gave of himself to causes with not a drop of publicity: http://lovelolaheart.com/?p=3925
I really hope,she and Harry will marry,she seems a person who works hard and really cares about other people unlike the Cambridges , so she will be a welcome asset for RBF.
I’m glad you’re informing us about her, as the only thing I’ve read is herTime article (excellent) and the pictures from your KMR site from places like the DM (not a fan of her personal style so far).
My impressions so far? I love how she praises her parents for instilling her values. I do think she comes across as “look at me!” with all her stories about how she is the one who got Suits to donate food, she is the one to write a letter to change minds about advertising, she is the one to etc, etc. but, that might be simply because the blog is supposed to promote herself in her career. She does seem ambitious and excited about charity work which is wonderful.
Her wording/grammar seems a bit poor. Reading through her essay, I’m by no means a writing judge, it seems the typical hodge podge that someone in her position would write. It seems verbose, flowery, and like something I’ve written before when trying to BS a subject.
Weren’t she and Harry already an item when this was written? That makes me wonder how real her words are or if she was trying to construct a certain image.
She does need some edits. She is a bit wordy and unclear in places.
This article was published in October 2016, so after she and Harry started dating. And it came out just a week before the Express broke the story that they were an item. The timing is a bit odd, but since it was written for Elle, I would think it was commissioned months prior to that – potentially even before she got with Harry. Or it may have been a planned thing: release the article, then let slip to the press that they are together. Who knows.
Not bad. But she needs an editor. There’s too much description about what *she’s* done; it’s not a bad thing, but needs to be reduced to single sentences and take the focus off her. This is the kind of stuff I would write in my journal.
The most interesting thing to me is her parents’ respective occupations and passions. It seems to me she’s had a good grounding in how to be human and in how to be tough and she seems well travelled and quite articulate. I’m rather confused now that people suspect her of being fake as I don’t know her at all. I guess time will tell as to how substantial she really is. It’s clear though, she has been raised in privilege.
You’re right, Maven. Her original Tig “More than other” article was very poorly written, poorly edited and slightly banal. The Elle version had the advantage of excellent editing and was much more readable.
I find her claim to be talented in so many areas slightly ridiculous. She is overcompensating for something.
I agree that the Elle edited versions of Meghan’s writing are better edited. But to get a better sense of who Meghan is, I think it’s better to read the full, non-Elle edited versions.
But it’s an article about her charity work, why should she not focus on herself? The focus is supposed to be on her, since that’s the point of writing an article about her charity work.
Hi KMR (I think it’s MMR here), great to know you are bringing your balanced opinions to another blog.
I have to say this article is so eye-rolling to me. It was the first thing I read about Meghan, and the fact that she’s trying to convince me how awesome she is kind of put me off. What bothers me the most is how she doesn’t mention any work from before she became a working actress. There’s nothing wrong in starting charity work later in life, but it’s contradictory, since she begins her text by saying how she was always like that. And it makes me question if her humanitarism is authentic of just part of a brand she’s trying to build.
It would be interesting to know if she followed up on the projects she mentions (for example the Rwanda one where she took pics with the kids). Since we’ll never know what her actual contribution was, it’s a good indicative if she’s actually involved in those causes or just in it for the PR.
All that being said, her work on behalf of women’s rights seems solid, and the idea of having a lifestyle site with feminist content is pretty good (although I hate lifestyle blogs, blame Goop on that). Hope you bring some of those articles so we can discuss them.
I would like to know how much effort she puts into her charity work aside from the trips she takes and the articles she writes. Like how much time exactly is she putting into her charity work.
Do you mean you want me to quote some of her lifestyle articles? Because I can look those up if you want.
Not the lifestyle articles, but maybe what she describes as self-empowerment content and the times she featured dynamic women. I’m just curious if it lives up to what she’s trying to sell.
As you said, I’d also like to know how much time she spends doing charity and if she has any record of regularly volunteering. IMO this article would have been much more impactful and inspiring if she also mentioned the work she did locally, out of the spotlight (if she actually did any). And I really dislike when she says that these trips are what give her a reality check. Like, she has to go to Africa and talk to poor kids to realise how privileged she is.
I know I’m being cinical and nitpicky, it’s just that I hate this romanticized idea of charity work that celebs try to sell us, and this is the vibe I get from this article.
Ah, okay. I’ll see what I can find about Meghan’s past Tig articles. I found several that were interesting, but they were all about her. So I’ll go back and look to see other ones where she discussed other stuff.
I agree with you that it’s annoying to me that celebs talk about doing charity work overseas, and how there are so many underprivileged people in foreign countries, like we don’t also have people in need here in America. And it would be nice to know how much charity work Meghan has actually done.
I second Paula’s request re. sorting out the PR charity work from the real, ongoing charity work (if there is any). MM’s PR company also set up charity events under some name to funnel their clients through; can’t recall its name. I agree with others’ observations that MM forces her self-serving altruism too hard; it comes across as calculated. But then, so does BRF PR.
This is the kind of feature article you hope someone writes about you–it is NOT the kind of thing you write about yourself, if you have any kind of awareness. She comes across as incredibly self-aggrandizing here. The thesis of this piece appears to be “why am I so awesome?” It sounds like her parents did not teach her how unbecoming it is to blow her own horn. That will not go down well with the Brits. I hope, for Harry’s sake, that she truly loves him, but this piece, and all of her charity stories that she shares, are all about HER, and not about the people she says she wants to help. Even the bit about the little girl who wrote her a letter–I would be waaaay more focused on “wow, look at what this girl is doing” and NOT “wow, I have inspired this girl” (because I am so inspirational and awesome). This blog post is deluded, and points to Media Meg being fake, fake, fake.