I listened to Spare a few weeks ago and I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. Being a Kiwi and, therefore, a part of the Commonwealth, I have always had a fantasy idea about the Royal family... well, sort of. I followed Diana's story and remember the horror that was her death. I don't follow celebrity gossip, I don't buy magazines or newspapers and I abhore the way real journalism is being pushed out by clickbait. And still, one hears the stories "Meghan is difficult", "Harry is causing trouble" etc. and so on. I have always been of the opinion you don't know the real story unless you were there. I have always thought the Queen was blamed unfairly for a lot of things. I still think Diana, and now Harry, has been as well. I heard Harry say in an interview with Stephen Colbert that once he started therapy he no longer had a frame of reference for talking to William because William didn't know how to talk in that way with Harry. Having experienced the same in my family, I totally get it. It is a real family with real family dynamics living in a very unusual, isolated, bubble of a situation with a whole lot of people around them more worried about "how things look" and probably their own jobs rather than worrying about whether the family is happy. Sad. For everyone.
Also, who knew Harry would write an excellent book and be such a great narrator!
I watched that interview as well. "Todger" is my new favorite British word. :)
But yes! I have found that to be interesting as well. #1, I can't believe both of those children didn't receive therapy after their mother was killed in that tragic car crash so that they could learn to be there for each other. #2 But since they didn't, Harry has had and is having a difficult time communicating with his family, and they with him.
And that brings me to another thing I liked about Spare, and what I hope is next for Harry and Meghan. They are doing the work required to become mentally healthy, I think. They know the language. They know that the world is in a mental health crisis. And it seems like they're starting to turn the work they've done on themselves around to use for good and to help others.
I find the entire situation sad. But after reading the memoir, I think anyone who's ever been lied about to another person understands what it feels like to want someone--anyone--to know the truth.
To that point, I'm going to have a quiet rant on a favourite pet peeve of mine. What has happened to real journalism?? Here in NZ we have two national tv channels that have news hours. We also have one national news website. We have other big news websites but they are Auckland-centric (our largest city). These 3 national sources of news have all, in the last 10 years, gotten rid of all of their serious news programming. It is all "infotainment" now. Gone are the 30 minute nightly serious news shows (think Anderson Cooper type style) and now they are 30 minute gossip shows (think GMA or ET). They are all also owned by the same outfit that owns Fox News. Thankfully they have not gone down that road... much.
It is so hard to find decent, in-depth, considered coverage that hasn't been spun for clickbait and I'm sick of it. To be fair I'm probably not the demographic they are after but still...
You answered your own question. Your "news" sources are owned and controlled by a single person, the only "news" person criticized by name, to put it lightly, by Harry in Spare.
I listened to Spare a few weeks ago and I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. Being a Kiwi and, therefore, a part of the Commonwealth, I have always had a fantasy idea about the Royal family... well, sort of. I followed Diana's story and remember the horror that was her death. I don't follow celebrity gossip, I don't buy magazines or newspapers and I abhore the way real journalism is being pushed out by clickbait. And still, one hears the stories "Meghan is difficult", "Harry is causing trouble" etc. and so on. I have always been of the opinion you don't know the real story unless you were there. I have always thought the Queen was blamed unfairly for a lot of things. I still think Diana, and now Harry, has been as well. I heard Harry say in an interview with Stephen Colbert that once he started therapy he no longer had a frame of reference for talking to William because William didn't know how to talk in that way with Harry. Having experienced the same in my family, I totally get it. It is a real family with real family dynamics living in a very unusual, isolated, bubble of a situation with a whole lot of people around them more worried about "how things look" and probably their own jobs rather than worrying about whether the family is happy. Sad. For everyone.
Also, who knew Harry would write an excellent book and be such a great narrator!
I watched that interview as well. "Todger" is my new favorite British word. :)
But yes! I have found that to be interesting as well. #1, I can't believe both of those children didn't receive therapy after their mother was killed in that tragic car crash so that they could learn to be there for each other. #2 But since they didn't, Harry has had and is having a difficult time communicating with his family, and they with him.
And that brings me to another thing I liked about Spare, and what I hope is next for Harry and Meghan. They are doing the work required to become mentally healthy, I think. They know the language. They know that the world is in a mental health crisis. And it seems like they're starting to turn the work they've done on themselves around to use for good and to help others.
I find the entire situation sad. But after reading the memoir, I think anyone who's ever been lied about to another person understands what it feels like to want someone--anyone--to know the truth.
To that point, I'm going to have a quiet rant on a favourite pet peeve of mine. What has happened to real journalism?? Here in NZ we have two national tv channels that have news hours. We also have one national news website. We have other big news websites but they are Auckland-centric (our largest city). These 3 national sources of news have all, in the last 10 years, gotten rid of all of their serious news programming. It is all "infotainment" now. Gone are the 30 minute nightly serious news shows (think Anderson Cooper type style) and now they are 30 minute gossip shows (think GMA or ET). They are all also owned by the same outfit that owns Fox News. Thankfully they have not gone down that road... much.
It is so hard to find decent, in-depth, considered coverage that hasn't been spun for clickbait and I'm sick of it. To be fair I'm probably not the demographic they are after but still...
Ok, rant done.
You answered your own question. Your "news" sources are owned and controlled by a single person, the only "news" person criticized by name, to put it lightly, by Harry in Spare.