I've only seen the snippets, not the whole interview, but was rooting for the young couple the whole time. Piers Morgan's response genuinely shocked me--I used to think of him as reasonable and honest. Back in 2013 I posted about his interview with lunatics who think the "right to bear arms" means they can roll out tanks and shoot anything that moves. I watched him defend Susan Boyle. Why doesn't he get the difference between random hostilities like the "Waity Katie" remark and the ominous racism obvious in questions about how dark Meghan's unborn child's skin would be? Why was he ranting about Prince Philip's health as though the interview were designed to insult the ailing grandpa when he's down? What bee was buzzing inside Morgan's tight little bonnet? Why is he defending Meghan's oafish, self-centered father, whose manipulative attempts to force his daughter to sympathize are repugnant? Meghan has risen above her dreadful family, kept her head with the help of her lovely mother and attentive husband. Morgan's script is boringly familiar: "She's a bad woman!" (Like Eve--things have been going downhill ever since she handed Adam that apple.) No matter what her father did--publishing a private letter is pretty damn bad--she should forgive him. I'm sure Meghan's forgiven her father and moved on--that doesn't mean she'd want to see him again. Nobody in her right mind would want to cozy up a parent who has harmed her.
I guess Piers Morgan is typical of a bunch of mostly white, mostly males shouting, "How Dare She?" in response to the wise, resourceful, brave, vulnerable, courageous Meghan and her deeply concerned husband. I think of the end of Pretty Woman:
What happens when the prince climbs up the tower and rescues the princess? Why, she rescues him right back, she answers, and they kiss.
Harry and Meghan are no longer just surviving--they are thriving. Those who believe in the stiff upper lip and duty are those who pretend to rise above the constant insults, the invasion of privacy, that always seems to go with celebrity and--in this case--the actual presumed link, however faint it may seem, to divine right. The royal family has it worse than Hollywood celebrities, since the monarch is Head of the Church and Defender of the Faith. God's right-hand woman, ruling by His grace. The price of all that godliness is emotional numbness. No wonder Meghan longed to escape, and Harry realized that other ways were possible. He defended her and by her example she revealed that nobody has to be "trapped" as he certainly was.
How much members of the firm must wish to park their aching clay feet on a table and not be asked about podiatry, shoes, marriage, hygiene, or any other topic a tabloid can sell. Harry's feet, in the latest photo with Meghan and toddler Archie, have been scrutinized by prurient podiatrists along with everybody else. The further he walks from the royals, the less the tabloids will long to scrutinize toenail clippings. And those poor royals. They really think that exposing feelings is declassé.
The escape seems complete: Harry and Meghan are Californians now. What if Harry applied for American citizenship? Against all odds, they escaped alive from the firm, fought back, and are firming up their own plans. I salute them and can't wait to see the baby girl.
P.S. One friend's theory: Morgan has a crush on Harry. My theory: Morgan's actually got a crush on Meghan and she dared to say, "no, thanks." On the other hand, Morgan's claimed he's falling on a sword for the truth--that metaphor tips the balance toward Harry again.
P.P.S: The antidote:
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