Most people are deeply influenced by the music, fashions, and culture they experienced in their teenage years - in fact, brain science confirms that we are particularly susceptible to influence during young adulthood.
Meghan Markle's deep attachment to the 1990s was clear this week, when her intro to the Vogue UK issue she guest-edited strongly recalled the narration Carrie Bradshaw read out at the beginning and end of each episode of "Sex in the City."
When the show premiered in 1998, Meg was either 17 or 21, depending on which of her birthdates you believe.
And until her engagement to Prince Harry, Meg was regularly sharing Carrie-Charlotte-Miranda-Samantha type images of herself and her girlfriends on exotic vacations, colorful cocktails held high.
It could also be argued that both her would-be influencer blog "The Tig" and her pseudo-anonymous blog "Working Actress" owe a lot to Carrie Bradshaw's solipsistic, confessional style.
Her passion for black and white portrait photography references the famous advertisements for Calvin Klein's Obsession perfume, particularly the 1992 Kate Moss campaign (warning, boobs) shot by Mario Sorrenti.
Meg sometimes appears to be imitating Kate's body type, hairstyle, freckles and even posture from this campaign.
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, another 1990s icon, is also clearly one of Meg's influences; Meg turned up to an event in February 2019 in a white blouse and long black skirt clearly inspired by CBK.
Vogue's circulation peaked in 2006, and if you were to ask the man or the woman on the street today to name three supermodels, they'd probably still say Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Heidi Klum.
They're now attractive women in their 50s, but they're hardly cutting edge.
Meg brought the 1990s supermodel Christy Turlington back into the spotlight for the September issue, and while Turlington is still very pretty, it's hard to argue that she's influential.
Models just aren't major cultural players at the moment, which makes it a bit archaic that Meg chose to feature so many of them on the cover of a "forces for change" issue that lacked scientists, businesswomen, and tech stars.
Of course, we're all influenced by our youthful experiences. I certainly am, if my Spotify playlist is anything to go by.
The point is, though, to use them as a basis and then grow beyond them, and reflect the culture that exists, not the one that existed 20 to 30 years ago.
I'm not sure Meghan's done that.
Meghan Markle's deep attachment to the 1990s was clear this week, when her intro to the Vogue UK issue she guest-edited strongly recalled the narration Carrie Bradshaw read out at the beginning and end of each episode of "Sex in the City."
When the show premiered in 1998, Meg was either 17 or 21, depending on which of her birthdates you believe.
Dressing like an extra
Meg dressed like an extra from "Sex in the City" for most of the following decade - short tight dresses, stiletto heels, long loose hair.And until her engagement to Prince Harry, Meg was regularly sharing Carrie-Charlotte-Miranda-Samantha type images of herself and her girlfriends on exotic vacations, colorful cocktails held high.
It could also be argued that both her would-be influencer blog "The Tig" and her pseudo-anonymous blog "Working Actress" owe a lot to Carrie Bradshaw's solipsistic, confessional style.
Kate and Carolyn as influences
But imitating Sarah Jessica Parker isn't the only way Meg reflects her 1990s influences.Her passion for black and white portrait photography references the famous advertisements for Calvin Klein's Obsession perfume, particularly the 1992 Kate Moss campaign (warning, boobs) shot by Mario Sorrenti.
Meg sometimes appears to be imitating Kate's body type, hairstyle, freckles and even posture from this campaign.
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, another 1990s icon, is also clearly one of Meg's influences; Meg turned up to an event in February 2019 in a white blouse and long black skirt clearly inspired by CBK.
Thinking Vogue is important
Even Meg's connection with Vogue Magazine is itself a bit of a throwback to the 1990s, when supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Heidi Klum were important cultural forces and Vogue ruled the fashion business.Vogue's circulation peaked in 2006, and if you were to ask the man or the woman on the street today to name three supermodels, they'd probably still say Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Heidi Klum.
They're now attractive women in their 50s, but they're hardly cutting edge.
Meg brought the 1990s supermodel Christy Turlington back into the spotlight for the September issue, and while Turlington is still very pretty, it's hard to argue that she's influential.
Models just aren't major cultural players at the moment, which makes it a bit archaic that Meg chose to feature so many of them on the cover of a "forces for change" issue that lacked scientists, businesswomen, and tech stars.
More 1990s influences
We could go on and on about how Meg reproduces her 1990s influences (That Panama hat! What's next, playing the saxophone in front of light coming through Venetian blinds?), which manifest themselves not only in her look but in her larger decisions (choosing Sara Latham, a discarded Clinton factotum, as her PR advisor).Of course, we're all influenced by our youthful experiences. I certainly am, if my Spotify playlist is anything to go by.
The point is, though, to use them as a basis and then grow beyond them, and reflect the culture that exists, not the one that existed 20 to 30 years ago.
I'm not sure Meghan's done that.
Comments
Plus, there is such a thing as Ghost-writer! So someone, somewhere is actually wracking their brains, trying to expand in the given brief of 2 rescue dogs who find themselves in Buckingham Palace. The ultimate rags to riches story - but for dogs.
PS: if I remember correctly, wasn't there going to be a children's book with similar story line about HMQ's corgy?!
@SwampyWoman need some company to help avert your gaze from far, far away? I'll bring us something to imbibe and nosh on :) Chicken wings and beer or coffee/tea and donuts? :)
I have to go now. The Dalai Lama is on the horn for me, but maybe after, we can have some Contemptinis and I'll lecture you on how to breathe (make sure to bring $5K each for that one.)
Comments are scathing.
She stole this idea as well... tv cook, Pioneer Woman wrote a children's book about a stray dog that started hanging around her & husband's cattle ranch.
Comments on Daily Mail and Daily Mirror articles are scathing. Surprising thing is a commenter that called her a yacht girl and escort, and it hasn't been taken down. Paid censors off on a Saturday afternoon?
So, leaving that behind, I do believe that Markle's fans are trying to control the narrative, but to no avail. There just aren't enough of them. Stripped down Markle, sans Harry, is nothing but an aging D-list actress with few accomplishments who became (in)famous for who she slept with (Harry), not what she contributed to this world. No doubt she was a yacht girl and escort (though I'd think not the most popular one, considering her competition with models), but that was running out, too. People see Markle for what and who she is.
The pattern of today’s royal summers has changed little in the past few decades.
In early June comes the Trooping of the Colour, to mark the monarch's birthday. A few days later (while, the idea goes, affection for the monarchy is running high) the royal accounts are published, showing what the family cost and balancing that against just how tirelessly they have struggled on behalf of the nation in the preceding year.
A few days later we have Royal Ascot, the Queen’s carriage ride around her favorite racecourse, a waving of hands, a greeting of the great and the good, and then the work is nearly done.
In mid July, after Wimbledon, the Queen and the royal family at large shut up shop for a long, two-month summer holiday.
The Queen disappears off to Scotland and other royals, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince William, and Prince Harry, pare back their work commitments and cut staff in their offices to skeleton levels.
And the royals get to enjoy the summer quietly at home or behind the substantial walls of their friends’ vast estates untroubled by headlines or handshakes.
So one can imagine the sinking feeling that Meghan Markle’s decision, apparently taken without consulting Buckingham Palace, to guest-edit a controversial issue of the British style bible Vogue this summer must have engendered.
Although there had been reports that Meghan was going to be editing the issue, it was only as excerpts of the magazine began to appear on Sunday evening that the extent to which she was involved became clear. Harry’s involvement, complete with some vanilla thoughts about racism and privilege, were completely unanticipated by the wider media.
Megster really might want to get a royal taster to have a go at that special birthday cake first.
https://www.target.com/p/the-duchess-and-guy-by-nancy-furstinger-hardcover/-/A-53962694
There are already two books out in the United States about Guy the beagle. They are for sale at Target. The links are above.
Guess I will have to “woke” myself up to all this IT stuff ( bad pun I know) thank you all
for your input.Just thought you guys would like to now,MM was with Harry when he did his barefoot
Embryonic kicking for climate change!
Apparently she was a nightmare too,very demanding though you won’t here it from normal channels
(Security grapevine is working perfectly though) Haughty and rude where the words used,MethinksMM wants to watch her little self as being rude to those who look after you can be a big mistake..Huge!.