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In 2016, Meghan Markle’s relationship with the ‘world’s most eligible bachelor’ stopped the news cycle in its tracks. You may assume dating and later marrying Prince Harry would give the political activist the freedom, platform and funds to promote countless causes.
Instead, public perception of the union shifted into its own beast. News commentators and ordinary citizens alike were eager to berate the successful advocate and actress, proving we live in a misogynistic society that promotes harmful media.
Jeremy Clarkson, a British journalist, recently wrote an opinion story for the Sun in response to the recent Netflix Harry and Meghan documentary, saying he hates the Duchess of Sussex on a “cellular level” and dreams of the day when she is made to “parade naked” through Britain while people throw excrement at her.
In his story, Clarkson refers to Harry as Meghan’s “ginger glove puppet.” The British public has coined Harry and Meghan’s departure from the family “Megxit,” a play on “Brexit,” Britain’s exit from the European Union. This sexist rhetoric that women are manipulative and always to blame must end; Harry is a grown man and fifth in line to the British throne—he has the power and privilege to make his own decisions, as does Meghan.
The publication removed the article and Clarkson has since apologized. However, the fact that the story made it through to publication in the first place is shameful. The fact someone even had this thought—likely bounced off editors and then published—is deeply disturbing. If this is considered ‘acceptable’ public discourse on women, what is being said behind closed doors?
I listened to people who don’t know Meghan personally say they “hate” and “despise” her. These are the same people who now claim she’s lying about the suicidal thoughts she had while battling hate from both the British media and the public during her time in the Royal Family.
The recent and popular Netflix documentary “Meghan and Harry” delved into how the British tabloids targeted Meghan, criticizing her and enabling the public to do the same.
Throughout the documentary, Meghan and Harry chronicle their experiences in the Royal Family and the cut-throat nature of the institution. I was becoming more and more understanding of their desire to pick up and leave. After all, what would you do if headlines upon headlines kept hitting your front doorstep criticizing every single thing you do, wear and eat—not to mention the violence and death threats plaguing Meghan on social media..
Meghan’s values collided with the Royal Family’s. The Royal Family is religiously anti-political. Their dark colonial past and present suggest an outspoken, divorced, mixed-race woman who doesn’t shy away from politics likely wasn’t what they wanted for ‘H,’ as Harry is affectionately called in the documentary.
Meghan, however, is no stranger to fighting misogyny. At just 11, she wrote a letter to Ivory Soap, imploring them to change the sexist sentence “women are fighting greasy pots and pans with Ivory Soap” to “people are fighting greasy pots and pans with Ivory Soap.” Meghan’s letter alone caused the company to change the commercial.
Throughout high school and university, Meghan volunteered at soup kitchens. When she started working on the show Suits, Meghan championed various causes, empowering young people and serving as the United Nations women’s advocate for women’s political participation and leadership.
Every royal woman, from Lady Louise to Princess Diana, has been subject to media and public harassment since the dawn of the modern age. As Harry explained in the documentary, the Royal Family almost saw this as a “right of passage” for newcomers to the family. The difference is the tabloids targeted towards Meghan were often racist, created to belittle, stereotype and diminish her.
I’ve always had a surface-level interest in the Royal Family; I was fascinated by the enigmatic Diana and tuned into royal TV shows and their extravagant weddings. I remember my aunt always having a copy of Hello Magazine, and my sister and I skimming through, marveling at Kate Middleton’s outfits. But that is where my interest ended due to the royal family’s rich history of misogyny, racism and colonialism.
Society may claim we’re on track to gender equality, but deep-rooted misogynistic instincts are very much alive and thriving. Clarkson’s poisonous commentary, and all the hate Meghan has received, confirms the society we live in enables and takes glee in tearing women apart, leaving them vulnerable and feeling unsafe. Once the demand for this sexist propaganda ends, so does the supply.
The main takeaway from Meghan’s takedown campaign is: Our misogynistic society promotes harmful media.
To pursue gender equality, we must put a stop to this kind of misogynistic media and think before we speak.
[Photo via King’s Church International/Unsplash]
