I’m not going to devote an entire post to Danny Baker, the BBC radio host. He tweeted out a racist photo yesterday directed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and baby Archie Harrison. I will not post the photo because… obvious racism is obvious. We don’t have to f–king debate it. We’re not playing point-counterpoint. The BBC fired Baker and he’s tried to make a few stupid apologies, but whatever, I don’t give a sh-t. He deserved to be fired.
As I said, obvious racism is obvious. But what happens when the racism is all dog-whistles and stuffy British a–holes being stuffy? For yesterday’s “photocall” with Archie Harrison, Harry and Meghan limited the immediate access of the press pool for live images and video. As in, they didn’t want phalanx of photographers and news anchors shouting at them and taking photos. They weren’t trying to limit coverage – they gave away the photos to photos agencies and the videos were everywhere. Plus, they also “gave away” photo exclusives on Instagram.
There would have always been some angst about which media outlets got chosen to be part of the limited press scrum, but that angst was taken next-level when Meghan and Harry included Gayle King and CBS. Dickie Arbiter (that old bitch) complained on Twitter: “Choosing a U.S. Network, fiend (sic) or not, is treading on dodgy ground.” The Express and other British outlets noted that “The British press are reportedly furious while the royal household view the decision as ‘slap in the face’ to Commonwealth broadcasters such as, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.” Is it because Gayle King is American? Or were they made that a black, American duchess has a powerful American media friend… who also happens to be a black woman? Katie Nicholl has more info on how CBS/Gayle King got one of the exclusive spots:
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have invited an American broadcaster to be at today’s photo call in Windsor that will introduce Baby Sussex to the world, marking another new way of doing things for the royal couple. CBS, whose This Morning host, Gayle King, is a close friend of the couple, will join a small team of British press to capture the moment when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle present their newborn son to the world.
A palace spokesman said the decision “reflects the international interest in the story.” Tuesday’s photo call was timed to coincide with the live broadcast of the US’s morning shows. Vanity Fair has been told other U.S. broadcasters as well as broadcasters from Canada and Australia in the Commonwealth, applied for a position at the photo call but lost out to CBS. King is making a documentary about the royal baby and has had unrivaled access to the couple. In a week that has seen major shake-ups among the staff at CBS News, King’s access to the couple will be a significant boost to the This Morning brand.
A guest at the couple’s wedding and at Meghan’s baby shower, King was with the Sussexes at their Windsor home last weekend, according to one source. “She was a guest at Frogmore over the weekend before the baby arrived. I don’t believe she had cameras with her, this was a personal visit,” said the source.
I mean, do I think Gayle King has been given more access (in general) than other journalists? Of course. Is that “fair”? Probably not. Do I think that Harry and Meghan should have made an effort to include some Commonwealth broadcasters? Sure. But at the end of the day, I think they did what was comfortable for them just two days after becoming parents, and I also think that these media people would have bitched and moaned about literally ANYTHING. If Meghan hadn’t included any American outlets in the scrum, they would have claimed that there was no American interest in her or Archie. If the Sussexes had included a big group of Commonwealth outlets, the British press would have complained about the lack of British access too. And as I said, it wasn’t really about access – the deal the Sussexes made with the limited media scrum is that all of it was given away and there wasn’t just one outlet with an exclusive on photos or video.
I still say that those stuffy old British media figures are just SO SALTY that a black American duchess has black American friends in high places. They want to be able to bully Meghan and nitpick her to pieces without realizing that their headlines and racism are being seen globally now.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Danny Baker got his just desserts. Serves him right. Good riddance! I had to unfollow The Telegraph as they kept pushing negative articles written in a backhanded manner. The racism, and abuse still continues.
It didn’t take long at all for someone in the media to say something racist about the baby.
Here in Brazil racism is awful too. But at least they changed the law and people get arrested. He should be in jail.
i don’t know…why would they make an effort to include the media outlets that have been trashing the shit out of them for the last year?
I have the same question. Maybe the British media shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds them?
Agreed!
And I don’t know who that asshole from the BBC is, but he’s obviously both shockingly stupid and shockingly racist. That was the meanest, shittiest tweet I’ve ever seen; I thought the BBC was the world’s apex of broadcasting. So very very glad they dropped him immediately!
trust me… us brits were more excited by that Starbucks cup ;P
Exactly. I’m also glad that Arbiter’s gotten a lot of pushback on Twitter.
Has he really? That’s so good to hear. Such a petty, catty little man.
I saw Arbiter’s fellow out-of-touch obsolete royal commentator, Richard Kay, was whining in the Daily M. the other day about the announcement of the baby’s birth. Forensically analyzing the time line and why was it that the labor announcement was made after the baby was born already, blah blah. The part that stuck out to me though was Kay was all salty about Harry’s on camera announcement Monday being supposedly timed to be perfect for U.S. morning TV.
Do Arbiter, Kay and their ilk recognize how completely ridiculous they are? Arbiter is still coasting on his 80s era days at the Palace and Kay is still reliving his glory days when Diana would gossip to him and supposedly called him on her last day to discuss her Dodi bliss.
If I recall, Harry’s video did not come out until after 10 am eastern, which is when all the US network shows except Today have signed off for other programming.
Tourmaline, YES! And isn’t it interesting that William still runs to Kay…it actually reveals a lot about ole Willy.
All I see is a lovely little family.
The media are really trying to make themselves out to be victims.
The British media some of them have behaved atrociously, they seem to be chastising Meghan for breathing. I just shake my head at each new complaint some of the British reporters come up with to make an excuse for bashing her.
Holy effing moly. My jaw is still on the floor after reading about what was posted. Oh wow. He should be fired. What on earth was he think!?!?! Scary that he thought that was appropriately funny. My jaw dropped.
And I get Megs has African American friends in Hugh places but I have to agree this could have been handled differently. Tread softly Megs.
Nah, she doesn’t need to tread softly. The media that are pissed are the media that won’t stop attacking her with their hate and racism. They got instant access to the photos. There’s nothing that says they *have* to be the ones taking said photos. And why is it only on her? Harry is part of this decision, too.
And, I think a good deal of these decisions are approved by the Queen. I know there is a strong narrative that her courtiers don’t like Meghan, but the Queen and Meghan seem to get along just fine. I am sure the Queen was fine with how they presented the baby, and with who was there. She was certainly okay with Allerton being there and that photo of all of them being released. The Queen isn’t dumb. She knew some of the reaction would be negative, but I’m also seeing a good deal on twitter about how “the royal family is starting to look like the typical British family” and comments along those lines. The queen knew that.
Meghan likewise isn’t dumb. despite popular belief on the DM and IG and twitter, she’s not just barging in and doing things her way without any input from the royals. This was a woman who asked whether she should she get in the car before the Queen. But we think she’s all like “nah” when the queen suggests something for the post-baby photocall?
@Seraphina that’s not really directed at you, I’ve just seen a lot of the comments lately about how Meghan is just trying to prove that she doesn’t care about anything and I am not sure why people think she’s 100% in control. (I think she has a good deal of control, but I don’t think she’s flying solo.)
Absolutely amazing. What the hell was he thinking? Baker’s an idiot.
I’m sorry, I usually agree with that stance but at this point, why should she? She’s been treated horribly by the British media and they deserve nothing from either of them.
You’re absolutely right about Danny Baker. I am appalled. How was that even remotely ok in anyone’s mind?
I’m not surprised at all. That’s why I kind of roll my eyes at all the folks on here who insist that Brits care less about race/skin color…. um, sure, Jan. All it takes is a mixed race woman to marry into the royal family and all the racism that maybe has been ignored previously starts to bubble up.
Tread as bloody heavily as you like, Meg! Stomp all over those wankers!! We’ve got your back!
@ becks1, yes, I forget that it must be sanctioned by the Queen but I hate seeing her crucified for every little thing she does.
And there a great deal of interest in this couple and their children here in the States. So I can see why American media was invited.
@Ader, I hear why your saying and yes I agree with your point as well. Being in Megs shoes must be difficult because to me, she can’t win. And fighting the establishment, in the past, has proven to be ill fated. She has Harry by her side which is great; but we have all seen how malicious and petty the courtiers can be
Seraphina…the thing is, though, no matter what she does…even if she puts every foot “perfectly forward” as they say Kate does…those courtiers would STILL find something to rip Meghan about.
“And I get Megs has African American friends in Hugh places but I have to agree this could have been handled differently. Tread softly Megs.”
Really?!?!
It’s called perception. Peoples’ perception is their reality. She is not playing ball in home turf. The things I have read about Megs have been spiteful, mean and unwarranted. So yes, tread lightly. Nothing she does seems to make the many of the people happy. So yes, tread lightly.
By having a friend cover it, she is showing favoritism. That doesn’t go over well with many.
But, it could be argued, Seraphina, that your philosophy just emboldens the “bad guys.” They’ll always win under your way. Letting the perceptions of sheltered, ignorant idiots define the social “norm” and treating it as something to which we must cater is not the way forward. You’re catering to their tantrums. That’s how things stay the same. We’re striving for improvement.
They picked the stations out of a hat. People need to get over it and recognize that they’re the ones peddling in bullshit; Meghan doesn’t need to “tread softly.”
Why?
Treading softly does not work with someone determined to abuse you. They will always be able to find something to strike at you with. Treading softly simply emboldens them and further circumscribes the space within which you can freely move.
I mean, it’s THEIR CHOICE.
Right? She’s an American and there is interest in them in the US. That seemed like a no brainer. No matter what they did though there would be criticism. They should just keep on doing what’s best for their family when it comes to this kind of stuff.
THIS. She is an American, get over it. If she was Italian or Peruvian or something don’t these people realize that press from her home country would probably be getting more access than they have before?
“They want to be able to bully Meghan and nitpick her to pieces without realizing that their headlines and racism are being seen globally now. ”
This, x1million.
I am so perplexed by the hate for Meghan. I’ve been following stories about her and Harry since the official confirmation that they were dating. I finally looked at the DM yesterday (for the first time) after reading several comments about it here on CB. I couldn’t believe the comments. What has she done to warrant all of this vitriol? Is it only because she is a black woman? Or did she do something heinous that I haven’t heard about? I guess I just didn’t realize how bad the racism is, I don’t read British tabloids. And yes, I know racism is alive and well everywhere and as vile as it has ever been. But why is it so bad for Meghan? Because she is now in the monarchy? This poor woman, I feel so bad for her. To be so vilified for just breathing.
When I look at her and Harry I see a very beautiful, graceful woman madly in love with her husband, and now her son. In Harry I see a man so smitten with his wife and child he can’t stop grinning. I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around why that is a problem. It seems to me that that kind of love and devotion and stability would be viewed as a good thing for the monarchy.
It’s the norm for the majority of black and black-biracial women. We all experience it on our, for lack of a better term, own “levels.” Since she is one of the most famous people in the world, she has to deal with it on a global, public scale.
It is the norm. It is everyday life. We’re socialized into a society that is, at it’s core, racist; but many White folks don’t understand that and refuse to believe that they, too, may be a little more racist than they think. And it’s a domino effect. Little subconscious biases beget overt racism.
(I don’t care that I sound like a broken record about this. Get mad. It’s an important issue, and people really need to wake up on this front — INCLUDING liberals and progressives. If not, right-wingers will keep using it like a cudgel to win elections. And White people need to start speaking to other White people about it.)
Book Recs
Blindspot: The Hidden Biases of Good People – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J4WJUC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – https://www.amazon.com/White-Fragility-People-About-Racism-ebook/dp/B07638ZFN1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23IM1PQ51YGVN&keywords=white+fragility&qid=1557410096&s=digital-text&sprefix=White+fra%2Cdigital-text%2C-1&sr=1-1
Adler, thank you. That’s a well articulated educational reply for me, a white woman. I will never to pretend to understand what it’s like for people subjected to it. But I can learn. Thank you for the book recs.
@ader- spot on. The fact that people are surprised at the hate for Meghan is surprising to me and shows how out of touch with the realities of being Black. Whether Meghan identifies as Black or not, that is what people see and that is how she is treated.
Lol at your response being ‘well articulated’. Lol
Awesome, Deb. (And to be clear, my “Get Mad” wasn’t directed at you — it was just a general flippant remark, because some people like to whine about how so very hard it is for them to have to listen to overly sensitive black women discuss racism — and the ones who think this site is “racist against White people.” The “Get Mad” was directed at those folks. 🙂 )
@NewKay – Right back at ya. Agree with everything you say. (And yes, I did have to giggle at that. 🙂 )
Great book recommendations thank you!
Thanks Ader, I didn’t take it that way at all. And sorry for messing up your name in my first comment. Autocorrect got me and I didn’t notice until the comment was posted.
I grew up in a liberal, white wasp family, and thought I knew what racism looked like. I was confident that I was strongly anti-racist. When I went to University I was introduced to the concept of white privilege, specifically through the “knapsack of white privilege” article by Peggy McIntosh . My mind was totally blown by how much white privilege and internal bias I really needed to unlearn. A few examples:
– clutching my purse more tightly when passing a group of young men of color with hoodies on
– basic things like finding makeup or Band-Aids with my skin color in the drug store and not noticing the lack of hair products, makeup or Band-Aids for people of color
– being able to find several pictures in the daily news that have a positive representation of someone in power who looked like me. I wouldn’t consciously notice the absence of these photos for people of color, or the fact that most of the photos would be negative representations (exception- athletes and entertainers, which only reinforces other stereotypes)
– taking for granted that I would be judged as an individual for my actions, not as a representative of whiteness. I wouldn’t be asked in a group to explain the “white perspective” on any issue. I was completely oblivious to the fact that racial group identity trumps individual actions when individuals of color are judged by white people.
– no one ever questions whether I can be objective when it comes to having opinions on the actions of other white people. (Remember Donald Trump assuming the American judge with Mexican heritage would be biased because of Trump’s anti-Mexico statements).
I think those are examples of the sort of subtle racism or white privilege bias that are totally denied by liberals and conservatives alike. People assume racism is limited to KKK members and get very defensive at comments saying if you’re a white person you definitely have internal biases about race and identity. If you’re white you grew up being oblivious to the normalization of your own racial identity and the stereotyping and othering of all non-white racial and ethnic groups.
Super comment, Zazu! And yes, Peggy McIntosh’s article is a great one! (Here, for anyone who hasn’t read it: https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf )
And yes, you hit the nail on the head. So many white folks still think of racism as “conscious, individual acts of meanness.” That couldn’t be more wrong. For me, it’s the small, subtle, daily differences in the way I’m treated. It’s the double standards that people don’t even realize they have.
These days we’re more open about mental health. The damage that implicit bias racism has done to my mental health has deeply affected my life in myriad ways. And it’s so hard for white people to understand because they have no frame of reference, and therefore a limited capacity for compassion when “racial stress” mental health issues rear their ugly head. In my twenties I used to flake out on plans with white “friends” all the time because some (nah, most) days I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t have the energy to deal with the implicit bias; it was soul-sucking and difficult! (I have always lived in very white spaces.) My point: It’s the little things that often hurt the most.
Anyway….really lovely to read that there are white folks out there doing their best to wrap their heads around the issue and can admit they’re not perfect on this front. Super refreshing.
Thanks for the book recs, Ader! Ordered.
Amazing, Daisy! Good on ya! Woot, woot! 🙂
I’m not really surprised with the hate, but I am surprised at how much of it is from British people and seems to be racist hate. I kind of thought Britain wasn’t as bad as the US as our attitude still has a lot to do with our slavery past. I realize Britain had slaves, but it was not the same as the US plus the varying civil rights issues. Still not sure the British hate is the same, and that most of us, Americans, are putting our bias on the stories, but the racism is obviously strong in the UK too. It is what I learned from this.
Ah, Ader, my own racism has been exposed to me, as I learn more and more about white privilege. Stuff we never even ever thought to think about. So you just stay strong and true to what you know is righteous truth, please, so we can all continue to learn, to grow and to remove the unconscious biases
Wonderful comment, @Ader.
Very well said @Ader. Even though it hurts my heart to see Megan go experience this hatefulness I’m not surprised because I’ve experienced it myself (on a much smaller scale). I don’t know a Black woman who hasn’t. So when someone says ‘they don’t see colour’ to my face, I want to scream ‘LIAR’ because they’re looking RIGHT AT ME. If they don’t see colour, they don’t see ME. And what is it about my colour that makes them feel they have to overlook it.
Megan’s crime is that she’s a Black woman who got ‘chosen’ by a prince. That’s not supposed to happen to us. Fairytales weren’t written for Black girls.
Word is that the majority of the hateful comments online come from American women. These seem to think that Megan stole something from THEM and if that ‘dusky Jezebel’ hadn’t thrown herself at Prince Harry, THEY would still have a shot. It’s pathetic and delusional.
I hope the Queen has heard about this BBC outrage and realizes just how deep it goes. Her great-grandchild has been in the world for three days and someone has compared him to a monkey. It’s time Her Majesty gets off her throne and makes some noise.
I can’t imagine what Harry must be feeling right now. The attack against Baby Archie is part of the reason why I don’t have children. I didn’t have the courage to bring a Black child into the world.
Awww, thanks everyone for the nice comments.
@Kerwood: I hear ya. My husband and I waited to have kids and I had some miscarriages. So when we were financially “ready” to get medical help to address issues, we had to think long and hard if we wanted to go through IVF and likely bed rest only to bring a child into a world where so many people still have a tenuous grasp on how racism — and in our case antisemitism since my husband is culturally Jewish — is still a huge problem and worsening.
Around that time, we met a couple who were public school teachers. And while they presented themselves as ultra liberal, they had pronounced implicit bias baggage (not threat-level read Republican racist, but lousy-with-implicit-bias white-savior racist…lol). As a result, we thought: Ya know what? Nah. Why put our kid through this? I went through it, and it was hell; why put someone else through it?
So, we are child free. (Well, there is the exceptionally spoiled cat…… 🙂 )
Whenever I look on the Dim, I try to comment and point out that Meghan’s done nothing at all to deserve the criticism.
Most of the hate in the Dailyfail is from American middle age white women from the South.
Well, I’m an American middle aged white woman from the South. I think many of the haters are actually paid trolls.
Nah, Himmiefan. Having lived south of the Mason Dixon for too long, I have no doubt that many of the Daily Mail commenters are white, middle-class women from the south. None whatsoever.
But to keep it 100, a lot of them are probably from the North too. Shameful is the number of times I’ve heard people say something dumb like “I’m not racist, I live in New York!”
I feel the same as you Deb. We have an actual white supremacist sitting in the White House doing unimaginable things on a daily basis with the help of many others and here are all these people getting absolutely hysterical about this women living her life. She’s done absolutely nothing to deserve any of it except exist being a divorced biracial American. The only conclusion you can come to is that the racists feel so emboldened these days that they have zero hesitation voicing their hate and feel threatened by progress making its way to the royal family.
Mel, agree with you about the prez. I guess the conclusion I have to draw is that it’s because she’s biracial AND in the monarchy. I don’t remember ever hearing things like this about her when she was on Suits. As I said before, I’m well aware racism is alive and well. And that continues to baffle me in this, the modern world. I just see no place for it.
@Deb, YOU may not have heard about it directed toward her when she was on Suits, but she has talked about how much hate mail she suddenly started getting when her father (on the show) was revealed to be a black man and she/her character was therefore mixed/black. Before that people could (somehow, because she’s clearly mixed to me!) assume she was white or racially ambiguous or Latina or whatever else people were making up in their minds. My point, I guess, is that it’s not new, it’s only new to yours and other people’s radar…
I appreciate your trying to learn more and broaden your understanding though. And I would encourage you to talk to your white (I’m assuming you’re white?) friends and call out racism and injustice and take action too. We need action as well as understanding.
Royalwatcher, you’re correct. I missed those stories about the hate mail she got on Suits. I was just trying to say that I don’t know everything and I’m looking for ways to correct that ignorance on my part. Yes, I am white. That’s primarily why I’m trying to learn more about institutionalized racism. For me, it’s not enough to know it exists. I’m trying to understand the why. And your last statement is spot on. Understanding alone is not enough. When I take action to confront racists, I want to be armed with more I have now.
My only question about this is could a portion of this be that she is American too. The Brits and especially upper class Brits think us Yankees are all uncouth, and honestly Trump doesn’t help there. Now the crazy BBC fired guy did say he would have put that picture up for Boris Johnson’s kid too, and his mind didn’t go to it’s racist. I’m not sure I believe him, but I guess it could be true. Still think he needed to be fired. I mean a long time anchor in Baltimore just got fired when she said the last 3 mayors of Baltimore were all African American Women do we need a change? She claims she didn’t realize how that sounded, and yes that is possible. But when you imply that their race and sex has something to do with their ability to govern, or use an old racist image on a biracial woman’s child you have to realize you will probably lose your job
As you’ve said before, Kaiser, they are going to find any reason to crawl up Meghan’s a$$. No matter what she does, the British press will always let her know that she will never be good enough and she doesn’t belong in that space.
I think if I were a woc in a very high visibility, very white space, my guess is that I’d really want some other woc as friends/morale support.
I agree! I hope she finds comfort in knowing she’s not alone in this. Oprah and Michelle Obama are powerful people to have in your corner.
Meghan isn’t a “black American duchess”. She’s biracial.
When people say things like this, I always think back to the classic show that is The Golden Girls.
Sophia was sick and they were stuck in a tropical storm waiting for the doctor. When the doctor finally arrived they were having a conversation and Sophia asked why are all doctors jewish and the doctor answered, ‘Because their mother’s are’.
@Tiffany,
I guess though with that example, Jewish ancestry is actually passed on through the mother. So Matthew Broderick, whose mother is Jewish and father is Irish is Jewish, while Sarah Jessica Parker, who considers herself to be culturally Jewish and has a Jewish father, isn’t. Technically, their kids aren’t either unless they convert.
I have heard people comment that Black/biracial people who identify as Black usually have a Black mother who has raised them to do so. While I think that part of the reason why people push back against identifying Megan as Black is because she is white passing but also she does not identify herself as such. She is very adamant about identifying herself as a feminist, and to align herself with feminist causes but she is affiliated with “multicultural” initiatives rather than anything that specifically has to do with Black communities or anti-racism. Of course, the latter would be deemed necessary to political for a member of the BRF.
Personally, I think that identifying as Black is a personal and political choice, although with my appearance people would side eye me if I were to state that I do not choose to be Black, lol. At the same time, I’m not rushing to claim anyone who does not want to identify as such. I’ll just go revel in my Blackness with others who know what’s what.
@Renee. What I was going for is not that. It is not what you identify as, it is what people identify you as, which Wisca pointed out below.
It’s my understanding she identifies as ‘bi-racial’. Both black and white. Does she have to be either/or. One or the Other? Not both?
ITA it’s a really important distinction to make
Is it, though?
Biologically, I’m biracial. However, my white biological mother “didn’t want a black kid,” gave me up for adoption, and I was adopted by a black family. In other words: I’m black, from a black family. Yes, technically I’m biracial, but it’s not an important distinction for me at all.
Ader, are you as white passing as Meghan? Anyway questions regarding adoption and ethnicity are obviously much more complex and hard for outsiders to say. But in general with mixed raced people who have appearances of both races being labeled only as black often goes close to one drop theory.
Hey Kendra — I’m actually a bit lighter-skinned than Meghan, but I don’t relax my hair…so….
Obama is biracial. Frederick Douglass was biracial. Cory Booker, genetically, like many African Americans is multiracial. The reason people are calling the DOS black is because she is being treated as BLACK. (As was Obama.)
Danny Baker called ArchieHarrison a MONKEY, the oldest racist trope in the book, in 2019. This precious, days-old infant has one multiracial (most black Americans are somewhat mixed race) grandparent. In other words, it is white people who tell non white people that any “polluted” white blood makes you non-white. And anti-blackness is a profound and deep hate & white supremacy is a hell of a drug.
Thomas Jefferson enslaved his own children with his wife’s biracial sister. This means Jefferson’s children were enslaved and had one black grandparent &. So that’s why people are calling the DOS black. Because History. Because her royal child with light skin has already been deemed a monkey.
British anti-blackness is real and very old, which black Americans know because the vast majority of the American elite who enslaved African Americans were British descended and carried a particular way of seeing black people from that background. (Obviously, once American, these white people developed a specific American anti blackness grounded in American slavery).
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 A million claps for you!!
“British anti-blackness is real and very old, which black Americans know because the vast majority of the American elite who enslaved African Americans were British descended and carried a particular way of seeing black people from that background” – bollocks. and if you want to get technical the British elite are nothing to do with the rest of the people, they are descended from Normans, who are descended from Vikings, so you ought to be blaming the Norwegians and Swedish for everything. Own your own crap, don’t try and blame other people for it when it is distasteful.
@Grumpy: Are you trying to say that Brits aren’t racist?
Grumpy is blaming the Vikings and telling other to own their crap! Amazing!
Oh, FFS. The British elites’ (whatever that means to some or all) ancestors came from all over Europe and Russia. (And, BTW, American elites’s ancestors came from mostly Western Europe, not just England). I can’t even entertain the rest of the OP’s comments. Too absurd and ill-informed for words.
Yes @katashee- let’s emphasize that biracial label because you know when the racist troll and people respond to her, they pause to say- let me only be half as racist cause she’s only half Black. Biracial can be an identity people choose to take on, it you get treated as you appear.
Given that she is bi-racial and many states still observe the “one drop rule” by law, she would be designated black by many. I think black folk in America will claim her. 😉
I think you might be surprised. Biracial is not always considered a good thing in the black community. Some are angry the biracial people don’t get treated the same, and others just think they aren’t black enough. This is most likely a direct correlation to white privilege and the one drop rule. Race in the US is and has been a hot mess for way too long. I thought with Obama, who I didn’t think could get elected, we were getting better, then we had Trump. Now I’m back to using Zanax.
Well, idk. My husband is multi racial. His mom is African American and Native American, his dad Caucasian and Filipino. From what he tells me, it has its up and down. He says he knows he gets opportunities darker skinned men wouldn’t. But he also had to put up with a lot of jealousy from his friends and family members. He would be given preferential treatment from other people because he was “pretty” and they would get jealous. It’s not all roses according to him. He also gets shit because he’s not “black enough.” They mean he doesn’t use African American slang, he acts too white. To me, it seems like a lot of mixed people feel like they don’t belong on either side. People make them feel less they have to choose. For example, a co worker of my husband’s told him it was a white only bathroom. My husband tried to play it off as a joke and said I’m part white, the guy told him not enough. But his darker skinned family will tease him about acting white. So it’s like many can’t win. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t sort of thing.
Of course Meghan is black. I am biracial but I am black , I am of African American heritage by one parent, so yes, black, biracial.
Saying biracial doesn’t mean she is still not black or of African American heritage.
But on the subject of some of the British press, they are just plain racist, and petty and losing the game in a new world of social media and other ways to broadcast the news of the day.
They young royals and royals period are no longer dependent solely on the old press bastions to put out news for them.
I think some of the British reporters have truly lost the plot and I have wondered why some of them still have a job.
Same. Biracial here but I consider myself to be black. 🤷🏽♀️
The 1 drop rule is racist! It’s a rule that was made up by racist Southerners. Somehow a racist rule made-up by racist Southerners became the law of the land to determine race….how dumb is that!
I totally agree, we need to move away from the racist one drop rule, it’s terrible. Having said that so many biracial people identify as black because the black community accepts them unconditionally unlike the white community.
I am sure that Meghan is feeling much more in solidarity with the black community these days as a result of the despicable racism she has received from the media and right wing sections of society.
It is dumb. And horrible.
Piers Morgan should be next.
From your lips to God’s ears Rojas!!
^^^^^^^^ yes, please
Yes please a day without hearing from Piers is a good day!
But Gayle King wasn’t actually at the photocall, right? Wasn’t it just the PA reporter, the photographers (Lipinski and then Allerton), and then there was a British camera and an American camera? I read that CBS was pulled out of a hat, same way that Sky News was pulled out of a hat. I don’t think they needed CBS there at all, but if they decided they wanted an American news org, and CBS “won,” then…..would the complaints be the same if it was NBC?
But if I’m wrong about how that went down, someone let me know. Those were the twitter responses I was seeing after some of the RRs started flipping out.
Yep that is exactly it, there was a cameraman from CBS and it was pulled out of a hat – they requested someone from an American network because of the interested from her home country and their international appeal.
This is just the RR’s being pissy queens. The Fail had 2 hatchet job pieces on her new PR person.
The Fail had only two hatchet job pieces??? I would have predicted at least four hatchet job pieces from The Daily Fail.
Thank you Becks for spreading the truth!!!! Those RRs are the most sensitive (while being majorly offensive/racist to others), whinging, thin-skinned, ill-informed, empty threat-making bunch of babies I’ve ever seen. Good gracious!!
And when will they understand that technology has changed and therefore their relationship with the royals has/will/should change. They – especially those further from the crown – do not need the RRs. The RRs need the royals but are so stupid they continue to burn bridges left and right.
Probably Becks as Meghan worked for NBC Universal for years and there were NBCU executives in the Quire ate the wedding . If they had picked ABC it would have because the photocall would be going out on GMA and Jessica works there , her BFF and fellow Anglo/American Lindsey Roth worked for CNN so that would be out as well .Leaving you with FOX NEWS and could you imagine the row if both of the camera crews were from the Murdoch
I might be wrong but was the photo call for the engagement also not at 1pm GMT/8 EST
Goodness me!
People are going on as if it were a human right to know and approve of every step and move they take! Well, it’s not! Even royals are entitled to some privacy!
Give them a break! Gosh!
Man, don’t these people have anything else to worry about? WHO CARES.
First I am glad that man was fired- that is truly the most horrific and vile thing.
Second I get why Meghan and Harry would want to include American journalist- I mean Meghan and Archie (worst name sorry horrible) are Americans and there is interest. That being said I do see the complaints from common wealth journalists. Correct me if I am wrong but don’t members of the common wealth have to give tax money to support the royal family? If that is true then regardless of Meghan and Harry’s relationship with Gayle or Meghan’s nationality the tax paying country should get first spots.
Third- I don’t think the British papers should be bent out of shape- what did they think would happen. Harry is not the future king so he has fewer obligations to them so if they play these horrible games like they have he has more room to cut them out and you can’t blame him.
Commonwealth countries do not pay taxes to the UK generally or to the Crown.
I think it makes sense to choose CBS over say a broadcaster in Canada or Australia. The US is going to make this British couple the most popular couple in history. Duchess Meghan is American so obviously they will be included in all major announcements and decisions! The UK needs to just chill.
Yes to all of that… But even as an american she is a british duchess FOUNDED by british tax-payers,regarding that she should have been more attentive to reach out to the british public (not the british media… but the people who found her lifestyle, even through british media)
I think that this was very disrespectful to the british tax payers who are the very reason why she even has a title and lifestyle.
of course a backlash is coming. This wasn’t very bright.(sometimes you have to just comply with things)
ps: that racist tweet was the worst ! glad the guy was fired. I am appalled that it was even a thing
I don’t think it was disrespectful to the British tax payers AT ALL. Everyone got more than what they would normally get in these royal baby presentations. Like an actual interview with the father on the day of delivery and two days later another interview with the whole family. Plus the amazing picture with the Queen. I would say that how they presented the baby was actually more intimate and more personable. Meghan also personally said on camera how thankful she was for the support and kindness of the people. If that’s not reaching out to the public, then I don’t know what else people want.
The only people who feel disrespected were the British reporters. They are the only ones bellyaching and whining over this because they didn’t get their exclusives. They still got everything else that everyone else got but they just have to find something to complain about. The public is just happy for the family and are actually very happy with what we got in terms of presentation of the baby.
I don’t get why every decision they make is attributed to her and her alone by the racist reporters. (I mean, I do get it, but still) What about Harry’s role? Why is he always excused from all of their decisions? He’s the British Prince who knows the protocols and precedents, not her.
I think the photo call was messed up, and I’m blaming their white communications director. Who messed up the announcement of Meghan in labor and the birth announcement then gave a lame excuse about email delay-(honestly they would have been better served not saying we are announcing the labor) , who gave the reporters the wrong place for the photo call and was seen running out of the video feed shot, who also had a hand in the typo of saying Archie’s parents were Will and Kate, doesn’t invite other commonwealth reporters to the photo call, and invites the one US network whose anchor is friendly with the Duchess. It’s not good communications or PR.
Still none of this is Meghan’s or Harry’s fault. They’ve been busy. Yes they hired the woman, but I would have thought she would be good too. (she worked for Clinton and Blair) In the scheme of things none of this matters much, but their communications director better get her act together. Her job might be saved cause the people who hired her are sleep deprived new parents who are just so happy they have a cute baby boy.
@ Truthful
“I think that this was very disrespectful to the british tax payers who are the very reason why she even has a title and lifestyle.”
Truthful, can you please explain to me how their inclusion of an American network was disrespectful truly to British taxpayers? I genuinely don’t understand this train of thought. Did their inclusion delay the dissemination of the pictures within the UK? Did it cost British taxpayers money? Does CBS have a history of anti- British rhetoric?
I’m genuinely asking because I find it such a baffling thing to say/think. Please help me see how you reached that conclusion.
Thanks in advance! 🙏
Oh please, enough of this crap about being disrespectful to the British public, of which (75%) said the Sussexes’ were entitled to their privacy.
The British media is pissed because they can’t dictate what Meghan and Harry does.
Spying at all the exits for Frogmore Cottage, and yet nothing but crickets.
@noway: I think that makes much more sense indeed !!
That person did a big mistake, and hope is fired !
@Truthful
Fired!? Are you kidding me!? FIRED!?!?
People freaked the eff out when Meghan allegedly texted people at 5:00am. She went into labor at, like, 1:00am, when the UK was asleep. If their team had woken everyone up, Meghan (and only Meghan) would be accused of being rude for waking people up. You’d all be yelling: “She should have been respectful and just announced in the MORNING!!! I pay for her! Raaaaa!!!!!!”
Pfft.
Nobody lied about anything. The original messaging, that came out with the start of the workday, said she went into labor in the early hours.
Please, explain how that messed with anything? At all. People act like a murder of hissing honeybadgers when it comes to the most inconsequential things. Seriously, how was your life negatively effected because Meghan went into labor when you were likely sleeping and they didn’t tell you right away?
FOUNDED? VERY disrespectful? What on earth are you talking about?
Do you really think that Megan should have been on the phone, contacting the press, while she was in labour? Maybe she should have been washing some clothes and frying up a batch of chicken too.
Any ‘mistakes’ that Megan and Harry (funny that Harry NEVER gets blamed) have made regarding the press have been made by their EMPLOYEES. Megan and Harry might tell them what they want to happen but they’re the ones who carry out the orders.
Personally, I don’t think Megan and Harry have made any mistakes. And the money that the taxpayers give them isn’t a bill of sale. The British people don’t own them. I’ll be willing to bet that Megan and Harry have given better value for money than the rest of the RF combined. Have button sales gone up thanks to Kate? Considering that Brexit STILL hasn’t been resolved, the British taxpayer should be grateful that Megan and Harry are ensuring that at least SOME good news is coming out of Blighty.
It has been pointed out over and over again that the labor announcement was not intended for the public. It was intended for the press, and the press only. The photocall was well done and produced some lovely pictures and gave those who don’t despise Meghan a memorable and happy moment that she and Harry didn’t have to share with them. Why continue to echo the ignorant and unprofessional RRs who spin this sh*t about messed up, chaotic birth announcements and photocalls? I know most of you are smarter than that and if you don’t already have irrational negative opinions about Meghan, why let the RRs’ negatively influence your thinking?
@Bella:
The thinking is : as their very existence rely on an unfair privilege founded by the british taxpayers, british press and public should be their very first target in this circonstance.
Sure they are extremely popular all over the world but at the end of the day they are british royals (hence the “british”).
Yes Meghan is an american citizen… who entered the BRF, her status and her role depends solely on that, her clothes, security, occupation, activities are in Britain, financed by british taxes, of course she would have had Gayle King over, but after the British press I think. (As would do Mary of Denmark, as did Grace Kelly… when you enter a Royal family, your birth citizenship becomes the second one)
I think this is a big mistake, you cannot have a privilege and roll over the ones who finance it, or maybe then renounce BRF privilege and just live as commoners , and then have all the rules privacy, and ways you want… But then we won’t be having this discussion 🙂 and Gayle King won’t be travelling either.
It’s like celebrities complaining about fame: certain things come with certain privileges.
You aren’t british, so why do you care? You have no skin in this tax game.
That makes no sense because British taxpayers didn’t get “rolled over”. You’re making it sound as if including CBS meant that the British press was shut out of the announcement. The British press was absolutely included in the announcement. Are you forgetting that Britain’s Sky was there too?
@ anon and tiffany 🙂
sure 🙂
Why is Gayle King mentioned like 205024820 times in this post? CBS was randomly chosen from American networks, and Gayle was in New York as always on the morning show?
Because she was mentioned that many times in the tabloids. Two powerful black women together makes racists heads explode, even if they are not on the same continent when the interview happens. Because the racist tabloids can’t diminish Meghan or dim her light and they are plenty mad about it. First, they hate that she exists. Then on top of that, they hate that they have no power over her.
This especially your last part. She doesn’t give them access like they want and she has powerful friends that have a bigger reach than them. They don’t believe they have done anything wrong in their coverage of her and expect her to play along. They have said and done everything to incite hate and to embarrass her and she’s still not budging.
Yes, I get why she was mentioned by the racist British tabloids, but this post, right here on this site, is also written as though Gayle was involved.
Also, For your YEARS the Daily Fail has run a hate campaign against Michelle Obama (supposedly because QEII really liked her) and Oprah (supposedly because she represents everything the British Press hated most about the USA) by using paid troll posters that copy and paste the same pre-written comments from article to article. I have actually seen this as I read the comment section in the Daily Fail more than I should.
For what it is worth, the Daily Fail also seems to dislike Beatrice & Eugenie by singling them out for comments/stories that make absolutely no sense.
Bea and Eug get sexist hate, not racist hate. Because neither looks like a Disney pwetty pwetty pwincess (stick thin, child-like, blandly pretty–quite frankly, no adult woman looks like this) it would be open season on them even if they didn’t have problematic parents.
@lanne, you are right about sexist hate regarding B&E, but the Daily Fail seems to actively promote hate of all types for the simple reason of click-bate $$$$.
As usual it was much ado about nothing.There was only a PA journalist in there, the same one that interviewed Harry on Monday. This old guard are just bent out of shape they can’t control this mixed race woman.
Dickie first said Meghan was only a fling for Harry, when Harry proved him wrong and proposed, he said the Queen will never give Meghan HRH because she is American and what do you know, the Queen conferred her with HRH title. A lot of those butt hurt old white men that are or were part of the old guard don’t want to get used to the idea of Duchess Meghan.
These whiny journalists need to stop complaining before they find themselves out of a job. One is already gone. They need to remember they can be replaced. Nothing Harry & Megan did here was wrong-nothing.
Obviously I’m glad Baker was fired, but it is gross to me that that’s what it took for any of these people to face consequences.
Richard Palmer and Camilla Tominey aren’t as “outright” about their racism as that tweet was, but they have the most crazy, damaging people commenting, with no rebuke from them.
Just yesterday alone I saw their followers claiming that: there’s no way that was a newborn, and that it was actually a two-week-old baby via a surrogate; that it wasn’t a real baby at all and posting links to sites where you can buy a fake, sleeping baby; saying this shows the Queen is not fit to rule and M&H are taking advantage of her old age…it goes on and on. That sh!t is just as harmful, especially on a constant daily basis, as Baker’s tweet, IMO, but there are never any repercussions for old-school RRs like that.
The surrogate thing is so dumb. Look at Meghan’s face! Do they think she’s wearing prosthetics so that it looks like she was pregnant? And you know what, why is it some terrible thing to have a surrogate? That’s not a shameful secret.
Yes, they do believe she’s still wearing a moon bump and had hormone injections in her face and chest. Idiots and psychos.
They’re just mad because those two are taking control. The cookbook and people story was the first blow to them but now they’re even more upset because with the US and international media present, the RR aren’t needed.They keep going on about their Instagram as well like it’s somehow a bad thing that they’re using it. Basically, they’re feeling shunned, frustrated and not needed. Meghan is a different beast and came with connections and they weren’t expecting that. Those reporters need to get with the times and stop blaming Harry and Meghan for evolving. It’s 2019, not 1980.
That’s Master Archie Harrison to you celebitchy
It’s not only racist, there is also a misogyny (it’s a woman who had her own career that did not wait for 8 years for a prince) and xenophy (she not an English rose).
It’s was the same medias that constantly reminds her that she was just an mediocre actress before she married into royalty , is the same medias who excited when there were rumors of a relationship between Emma Watson and Prince Harry or Jenna Coleman and Prince Harry .The photo of this journalist is just awful, I do not know how it happens in the UK but in France The Sussex could sue against him, because his instagram post was completely racism.
But Gayle wasn’t in London yesterday. CBS News had a special correspondent for the coverage. Harry & Meghan chose a black PA reporter for direct questions. I can’t remember his name, but he was interviewed about being chosen. The British media got what they deserved. I’m loving the ways in which Harry & Meghan are making things more inclusive and diverse. Suck it, Dickie!
What is PA? Please forgive my ignorance as I am older than dirt.
Press Association
Thanks for the question and the explanation; I’m a bit up there in age too lol. Glad someone asked; I was thinking Public Affairs but that didn’t make sense.
In the USA it would have been PC for Press Core.
I read that the PA reporter was the one who got the most votes from other PA association reporters to go.
I think I read that on a news Report comment.
And, I think the fact that he is a person of color has pissed the tabloid RRs off to no end.
Danny Baker should have been fired, he’s human trash.
They should not allow anyone from his former company access for 6 months to set the tone for future non tolerance. Disgusting
You’re correct on every single issue. The point on the American media, ie CBS. The U.S. has the biggest economy in the world! If there is any country the Brits should want to entice with the “magic” and allure of the RF would be the Americans…..tourist money! It comes down to the fact that the British Media can’t stand the fact that Meghan doesn’t need them! Before Meghan the Royals needed the Royal reporters. They never learned how to maximize social media. So they had a co-dependent relationship…… Now things have clearly changed. What you see now is pure fear. They have ZERO control over the Sussexs! After 2 years of throwing everything at Meghan including the kitchen sink she is still standing strong..they have nothing left and they’re desperate!
On behalf of the Brits, I just want to say I’m equally as fed up and appalled with the media and, unfortunately, many very bitter people (mostly women TBH) that I see being awful to Meghan. She does not deserve it. Her son definitely does not deserve it.
The one who DID deserve what he got was that asshole Danny. Bye.
The one who DID deserve what he got was that asshole ?????
Rose who?
@RAE I’m with you on this one. I’m so very saddened about the way our media has been treating Meghan. They just don’t want her or Harry to be happy and are obviously upset that he didn’t end up with a blonde aristo.
And that Danny Baker has always been an arsehole, so this is not surprising.
I’m glad Danny Baker was fired, and his excuse was simply crap. He’s a football reporter. He knows the abuse that players like Raheem Sterling and others have suffered. Not thinking about that image for one second was simply unconscionable. And I’m really upset that Dara O Briain seems to be defending him, or at least saying he shouldn’t have been fired.
Hmmmm racist Brits??
@Casey, that’s not fair. As Americans I don’t think we would want to be judged by the racist tweets of some asshole at Fox News. This guy does not represent all of the UK. Come on.
It hurts to be called racist just because I’m British. I wouldn’t dream of judging you all based on the pronouncements of your so-called-president.
Danny Baker: WTF? I mean really WTF? Every time I’ve heard this on the news today my jaw has dropped afresh. & his lame excuse for an apology has to be the absolute worst I’ve ever heard. Despicable behaviour but PLEASE don’t judge us all by this & the repulsive gutter press. We’re depressed enough about how life is going in the UK at the moment without being judged racist.
Sorry but the comment was for Tina………have an ongoing discussion/banter. It’s with the up most respect on my part to Tina. Don’t tell her but I like hearing her point of view, even when it’s wrong (tone in jest)
@Pip — It’s also frustrating — and materially impactful — when white people spend time complaining about being called racist but don’t take the time to understand how implicit bias works.
If, when the topic of racism comes up, your first instinct is to say: “Not ALL white people” or “not all Brits” or “not me” or “It’s so hurtful to be called a racist” — you’re centering whiteness and yourself, which props up the racist status quo. It’s a deflection. It’s the crazy glue that keeps racism in place. If you can’t say to yourself, “Shit, our society is fundamentally racist, and as someone who was socialized into it, there’s no way I didn’t inadvertently adopt some biases without realizing it” — then there is a 100% chance that you’re more racist then you realize.
As black women try to explain all the time on this site: Racism isn’t only about conscious, individual acts of meanness, it’s much more complicated than that.
Ader makes an excellent point. There has to be an honest discussion in order for things to move forward. Often those who aren’t racist spend time defending themselves vs calling out the Racist. Take in what POC are saying on this site. Just read, digest, learn and STOP being defensive!
@Ader, you make a good point. I have been guilty of this in the past. I am certainly not perfect in this respect, no white person is, and need to keep listening and learning about these issues and critically evaluating my own behaviour.
(That said, it is bloody galling to be told your entire country’s population is racist by white American women, who are doing it for kicks rather than any desire to educate).
I’m baffled by my biracial husband basically taking Dara O’Brien’s position – that Baker most likely didn’t realise his tweet would be racist, he deleted it and apologised so it should’ve been left at that. My husband’s been subject to racism and monkey insults and has called out this kind of crap before, so for him to think like this now is mind boggling. Apparently it’s because Baker has form for tweeting ‘satire’. I can’t see this as anything other than a despicable racist slur, flung at a 4 day old baby and a woman who’s just given birth.
Anitas…a lot of black and biracial men don’t care about racism when it is aimed at their female counterparts. Many are also against IRR for black and biracial women and hate when they date and marry white men. In their minds, only biracial/black men are allowed to be in IRR.
Needless to say, I am not surprised by your husbands reaction.
Anitas: As humans, we have instinctual urges to “fit in.” More so than we may realize. To satiate this urge, sometimes black and black-biracial people internalize racism and take the “side” of bigotry. It’s a way to signal: “See! I’m not like the REST of them! I’m cool and not over-sensitive! Please accept me!”
A lot of Black folks go through this stage at some point in their lives. I did. It’s normal. But, I do hope he snaps out of it — because existing in a pit of internalized racism is no way to live. I was basically in that state for over 20 GD years — in other words, I existed in a near perpetually manic state for over 20 years.
Good luck!
I agree, I am British and am ashamed of the treatment of beautiful Meghan. Why on earth hateful RRs continue to expect preferential treatment from H&M beggars belief. Danny Baker got what he deserved, if only the others (eg Piers Morgan, Dickie Arbiter) received the same treatment…
Boo hoo. The British media, and mainly I mean royal reporters because I think actual working journalists dont care, can go suck eggs. They deserve nothing. And nothing they have done has stopped Meghan and harry from being popular. And with Instagram and Twitter they dont need the royal reporters.
100 percent True.
Excellent comment & wholeheartedly agree.
Well 3 days on Earth before someone is horribly racist towards you has to be some kind of new record. This man is disgusting and deserved to be fired, ~it was a joke~ is not excuse for being racist towards a baby!
People misunderstand racism and white supremacy for the most part. It’s not strengthened by neckbeard nazis on reddit (though they play a part) It is reinforced through every day jokes and comments that white people find harmless and dismiss. It is an insidious system that makes white people assume POC are being hysterical and overly sensitive when it’s pointed out. Which makes it harder to point out. Shameful
Yeah his “it was a joke” excuse doesn’t really fly. He said that he was poking fun at the circus of a royal birth. I asked the many people who tried to excuse his behaviour on twitter, if that was his excuse then where were his tweets during Kate’s Lindo wing presentations? Where was this joke during the birth of other royal babies? Someone also tried to defend him by saying it was an “accident”. How is googling an image of a monkey, saving it, uploading it on twitter, typing the comment, and pressing send, an accident? Smdh. The fact that so many people were contorting themselves trying to excuse his behaviour is just as appalling.
Yes exactly! His backpedaling was doubly pathetic, especially because once he was fired he started telling people to eff off like they were the crazy ones. People were bending over backwards with their excuses smh
That was a disgusting picture and there’s no excuse for it. The allusion was quite clear and he got what he deserved.
@chimney
Yes! He actually said that it was the people calling him out who have the “diseased mind” for thinking his post was racist. WTAF? He should have just apologized and kept his mouth shut.
That excuse was absolutely pathetic. He exactly knew what he was tweeting and the obvious racist implications. How he thought he would have not faced any consequence is the real question. Glad that they took immediate action.
He’s RACIST.
He didn’t tweet that for William and Kate’s children. He is racist.
He knew Exactly what he was saying. He was being a Racist Jerk!
Anybody with a brain bigger than a pea can see this is/was very clearly racist. To top it off, his defiant “ I told them to eff off” lie let’s us know that he not only knew what he was doing, he’s also not the least bit sorry for it.
He should be completely toxic to any brands moving forward, hopefully.
They are why she needs Gayle they can thank themselves and shove everything they dislike about it up their tight racist arses
The way I look at it is Meghan is American so why the hell would you not include a US network. Are they not supposed to report the news or does it have to come second hand from the BBC or whoever got the initial photos/mini interview. God, I hate this damned country and the racist p.o.s that reside within it.
Glad that Danny Baker guy was fired; there’s no way his story about comparing the royal family to a circus and not realizing the racism in his post was true. FFS, man, who is going to buy that.
I also don’t understand why the British media care who took the photos as long as they got immediate access to them, as they did. Wasn’t is raining and gross is Windsor that day? I would much rather NOT have to be there. They will complain about everything.
Someone on Twitter said it best: the continued hostility from the British press simply leaves extra space for American and other international media outlets to occupy. The RRs brought this on themselves.
hear hear. They are making themselves irrelevant as we speak.
International outlets’ involvement is reserved for big events and they may cover some initiatives or highlithing of their trips,using the British material available.
But let’s be honest. None of these outlets is going to cover their daily engagements or be two steps behind them all the time during their tours.
Also,sometimes people forget how much the whole British media system matters for the royal family,and how the UK tabloids (and media in general) have surely decades of well-documented “dirt” about this family. They are the ones who have shaped the narrative around them,and their respectable image depends on what they decide to make public. From the outside it’s just difficult to understand the unwritten dynamics in place between the royal household and them.
Having said that,it’s understandable there may have been logistical issues with the timeline of the announcementsit and all,but this is a non problem. Meghan is American,so it was normal to choose an American broadcaster too. The fact that it was CBS doesn’t even matter because they didn’t have additional access either. All the videos and photos were also immediately available for everyone.
Gayle King is Oprah’s BFF, of course CBS got the exclusive. I do not and will not believe CBS got pulled out of a hat.
What does Oprah have to do with CBS? She quit 60 Minutes (and not on good terms, I might add) plus she has her own network. And assuming Fox and Friends is totally off the table, there are only 3 mainstream TV networks that do stories like this. So it was a 33% chance of picking CBS. Not like there were 200 other choices, lo and behold, CBS was picked.
Yeah same, people really believe Gayle who was at the NY baby shower got pulled out of a hat for this exclusive ?
Gayle did not do the interview. People assume it was her because she took a trip to England prior to the birth. It was CBS with a totally different reporter who did the interview. As I said, the odds were 1 in 3 that CBS would be one of the US networks. That’s not the same as 1 in a million.
Gayle was not there!
If NBC had got it would it have been that Meghan was their employee for the best part of a decade ?
If it had been ABC would it have been because Jessica Mulroney works for them ?
As it is FOX is the only network she doesn’t have ties to and SKY were already doing the coverage on behalf of PA and that would have meant both Murdoch news networks doing it .
I can’t believe he tweeted that :-O
Last I checked that baby isn’t half-Canadian or half-Kiwi. This baby is half-American and not titled. It makes sense to have an American outlet there. This isn’t the next King of England, give them privacy.
I’m bored by the bad behavior of the British press, worry about your Brexit position you tw*ts, not something you have no control over such as a baby’s skin color or name.
Just another day of entitled vultures crying that they didn’t get to peck at a newborn.
I think the Sussexes limited the press so there would not be gotcha questions about Thomas Markle and the half sibs.
Your statement makes total sense even more than the place of birth as that will be public record on the birth certificate Does the BRF actually take questions from a pack of reporters?
I totally don’t get this at all. Meghan is American. Why would American press not be invited or expected to be there above commonwealth nations?
This is what I was going to say. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I am biracial and married to a white man, like Meghan. I had a baby late last year. It is painful to read about the racism that still occurs in our society today, and it is painful to experience it first hand. I CANNOT IMAGINE a constant barrage of racism directed at my baby. It makes me feel like crying.
For those here who like to play both sides-ism with the criticism of Meghan and Kate: PLEASE STOP. On this site it’s possible that between the two, commenters prefer Meghan (if they have a preference at all). However this is a celebrity gossip site. Meghan has been the recipient of horribly racist attacks in the (mostly British) media the whole time she’s been with Harry. From outright racist sh*t like this to the dog whistles that those of us who are not white know ONLY TOO WELL. Kate does not get anywhere near the level of criticism in the British press, and she is obviously not a recipient of racist attacks. If you are white, please listen to people of color when we talk about what this feels like, and when we recognize it happening to someone else. You may like Kate better but it is definitely not the same. If you feel indignant that someone here doesn’t think Kate is very articulate, or that she doesn’t seem to want to work that much, please resist the urge to defend her under the guise of “see, Kate gets it too!” NOT. THE. SAME.
@Green Desert Well said! 👍
Green Desert
Exactly.
I’ve followed Kate and William from the beginning and she mostly got fawning praise from the British press for doing very little except vacationing, shopping, waiting for Wiliam, living off her parents.
Kate was fawned over by the press in the UK for YEARS!
The U.K. press Calling her Waity Katey doesn’t come close to what the UK press have done to Meghan.
William once took a Avocado for Kate at a outing and said she’d love it. The UK press adored it.
Meghan eats avocado on toast and the same press accuses her of a worldwide travesty.
Yes, Green Desert! It is not the same!
Hear, hear! Well said.
what that guy tweet was sickening and disgusting he knew exactly what he was doing im not buying his excuses that he would have done this to any of royal babies is a lie . If Meghan was as white passing as some one claim earlier she and her child would not be getting any of the racist abuse she been subject and now unfortunately her son I can’t help but blame the palace if they would have put a stop to this earlier no one would have been so bold to compare little Archie to ape . Where all the people swore up down all royals get this kinds treatment Kate was also treated horribly that Cambridge kids were also subject to abuse by strangers . Cause best believe no Royal report no sport anchor would have ever tweet a picture of a ape to describe one the Cambridge kids that would have never happen . It’s because Meghan is biracial woman she doesn’t look white passing as a poster said earlier she looks black racist people don’t go oh she half and half so I’m only going to attack the black side of her they see her as a black woman . That’s why the British press went so far as saying in their articles about her straight out Compton or why people keep insisting that Doria lives in a poor neighborhood even though she middle class and she live in a middle class area where their a lot other middle classes black people . The British media also loves to accused Meghan of lying or been sneaky that another racist coded language that is use against black people a lot that we are not trustworthy.
Dickie should be more concerned about that racist Baker from the BBC, instead of complaining about CBS!
Would he have complained if it was CNN doing it seeing as his daughter Victoria is their Royal commentator ?
Well, let’s not forget Russell Myers and his black cab comment, which I’m sure he had to know that was not going to go over well with Americans. Some of these RRs like this one, Eden and Tominey are down-right spiteful. Even Jobson pretty much admitted to another RR that the Sussexes don’t need them.
https://twitter.com/rjmyers/status/1126164028542390273
It seems that land-speed records were broken to commit a hate-crime against a newborn. They must be so proud.
I only have a minute but I had to say that picture shocked the hell out of me, I actually gasped, what a lowlife, glad he got fired
The outrage on Gayle King and this photo call is similar to the freak outs over Oprah supposedly interviewing Doria. Still waiting to watch that interview. It’s like they have an issue with black women using their power in the same way white men do.
The faux outrageous is beyond stupid the British media is just looking for reason to trash Meghan . The royal reporters counted on the people who hate Meghan so much that they wouldn’t use reasonable logical when it comes to Meghan . Meghan and Harry choose a British station and American station that’s all everyone got their footages and their pictures at the same time I swear half the time the royal reporters spend their time looking for allegedly crimes that Meghan has committed they sit around all day looking for things to make scandalous out of . The reason they have a problem with gayle and Oprah is because they both have spoken out about the treatment of Meghan the royal reporters think that because Meghan married into the royal family they owed her so they can say whatever they want about her . Their shook because for the first time in decades they are getting push back the public and the duchess friends in the media won’t allowed them to continue to bully defamed her any longer. For too long the royals has depended on those royal reporters and they are no longer being unbiased in their reporting on their royals . Some of them have been actively working with and paddles in conspiracy theories about Megan and her baby . They have become unhinged it’s scary too to see a group of people who have decades follow the royal been in contact with royal family in some shape of way act in such a nasty manner because prince Harry didn’t marry a English Rose I swear those royals reporters are more entitled and enlist and more snobby than any other royal .
Wasn’t Gayle in in New York during the reveal? She was commenting on the feed that was being streamed just like the other US networks.She is supposed to have an one year anniversary special on CBS. British press has their panties and boxers al twisted in a wad.