Intro: Minutes 0 to 5:30
We will be off for the next two weeks as we’re taking a break next week and the week after that is Easter. We’ll be back April 10th! I’ve been taking a Masterclass on baking bread. Chandra has been getting enough takeout to last all week. I really like the show Debris on NBC. Chandra has been dreaming about work and the royals. We talk about our life now vs. before the pandemic and whether we’ll get back to it. Chandra has been sore from walking and I complain about my ankles and knees cracking. You can listen below!
Royals: Minutes 5:30 to 39:30
Last weekend Duchess Kate visited the memorial for murdered Londoner Sarah Everard. Kate wasn’t wearing a mask and brought her own videographer. So many stories and headlines centered her the next day instead of the woman who was killed or the women there to pay their respects, many of whom got arrested. I play a segment from Zoom where Sara and Ameerah talk about this. Chandra says Kate wouldn’t have pulled this stunt if it wasn’t for Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview. She was trying to change the subject from the stories about her making Meghan cry.
Minute 9:30 We got more stories about how angry Prince William is. The palace first started centering their PR strategy around William’s rage about two years ago as the Sussexes became more popular. Robert Lacey noted in his book Battle of The Brothers that William responds to Harry with anger so often. Chandra wonders why they keep pushing this story of Prince William as the angry guy who throws tantrums.
Minute 12:30 Gayle King revealed that she spoke with Harry last weekend. Harry told her that he had talked to his father and brother, but that it was unproductive and that they did not talk to Meghan. After that we heard that William had trust issues with Harry and was worried his brother would continue to spill to American outlets. The Windsors have been so obvious in trying to smear Harry and Meghan and they’re getting outplayed every time.
Minute 14:15 Gayle also said that Sussexes wanted to heal the rift with Harry’s family. Chandra says Gayle was making the point that William and Charles needed to check in on Meghan and recognize the pain they caused her. Gayle said that Meghan has receipts. People think Meghan has written off Harry’s family and he’s still trying to reason with them. It’s like he was in a cult and needs deprogramming. Chandra thinks Meghan was the one who wanted to compromise and Harry was the one putting his foot down with his family. I play a segment from Zoom where Karen, Sara, Michelle and Alnaaze talk about this.
Everyone loved Chandra’s “engorged” title. The commenters have been calling William “Baldimort!”
Minute 20:00 The royals have also hired a law firm to supposedly investigate the “Meghan bullied staff” lie that they were pushing. They’re not going to release anything nor are they going to give Meghan access to their “evidence.” Chandra says this shows that Buckingham Palace wants to get this off their plate and don’t want a part in Kensington Palace’s smear of Meghan. Meghan contacted Buckingham Palace and asked for documentation, which was handed over to Prince Charles’ staff, Clarence House.
Minute 21:45 The Cambridges released Mother’s Day cards written by their kids to “Granny Diana,” which came across as exploitive.
Minute 24:30 Prince Charles was supposedly going to do a “point by point” rebuttal of the claims in Harry and Meghan’s interview but didn’t want to get into a “tit for tat.” It seems like The Queen isn’t really in charge and like Charles is acting as the de facto regent. Chandra wonders what his game plan is. Charles had rehabilitated his and Camilla’s image post-Diana but that all blew up after the latest season of The Crown.
Minute 26:15 Kate is still so fixated on this false narrative that Meghan made her cry. Katie Nicholl wrote that Kate found Meghan bringing up that story to Oprah “mortifying,” and that “she has been saddened, disappointed and hurt.” It’s wild how they cannot let this go.
Minute 28:15 Michelle Obama was asked for her reaction to Harry and Meghan’s interview. We were really surprised by her somewhat shady responses. Chandra wonders why she didn’t find a more diplomatic way to say “no comment.” Hillary Clinton’s comments about the interview, on the other hand, were excellent. I play a segment from Zoom where Alnaaze and Zakia talk about this. Sometimes the healthiest option is to get away from a toxic family.
User Feedback: Minute 39:30 to 41:15
Thanks to Alyssa for leaving us a nice voicemail! She’s been listening to us for a year.
Comments of the Week: Minutes 41:30 to end
My comments of the week are from Aeren and Merricat on the post about Sharon Osbourne’s interview on ET. Chandra’s comment of the week is from Andrew’s Nemesis on the post about how long Jennifer Lopez wanted to break up with A-Rod. We remember how Jennifer Lopez used to date Drake. I remember a story where a NY madam said Drake was one of her clients. Here’s a link to photos of Drake’s mansion from Architectural Digest.
Thanks for listening bitches! Call us or leave a voicemail at 434-218-3219.
Photos credit: Avalon.red. Music credit: A.A. Alto, Meydan and via Premium Beat and Sound of Picture
You really convinced me about Michelle Obama. Last week I figured she has to be careful about what she says and didn’t think too much of it but hearing your discussion – and especially hearing what Hillary said which I hadn’t heard at the time – it’s disappointing.
Doesn’t Michelle’s overtly diplomatic approach owe much to the fact she might be running for president some day, possibly in 2024 and therefore she may be cautious not to alienate a powerful clan she will be interacting with on a professional ground? MRS Obama barely spoke as a black person here; neither did she empathize as a woman: all that came out of Michelle Obama’s mouth regarding Meghan being the victim of a racist smear campaign seems to have been dictated by the political ambitions she caresses.
Hillary’s standpoint is very different: she won’t be running for office again, which makes her entirely free to speak her mind as a beacon of wisdom and experience.
I hope my perspective as a French outsider who neither particularly likes or dislikes Michelle and Hillary helps you guys overcome the disappointment: Michelle isn’t even free to acknowledge the amount of abuse to which bi-racial and black people are confronted for fear it might backfire and be thrown at her face the next time sets foot in the UK. Hillary is more like ” I’m 70 something, my ambitions are more personal, just wondering in what world my grandchildren will grow, seen it all, so time to just cut the crap.”
Michelle speaks as a diplomatic politician, Hillary as a concerned grandmother. It’s ironic that their respective racial backgrounds had no play in their opinions, just their current status in life.
I don’t know, I would be really surprised if Michelle ever ran for office.
Pulling focus at a memorial for a murdered woman is a new low for this PR machine.
I totally agreed with the statements about MO. Also, after reading CB & Kaiser for so many years I loved hearing their last few podcasts.
CB really makes me think that’s how Kate Middleton’s demeanor would be, but then she’ll drop the F bomb. It’s great. Kaiser is a whole other post;-)
Wow did not mince words on Mrs. O. Not everyone agrees with that assessment but her comments did come across a certain way. Anyway it is what it is.
I miss Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton every day.
That woman was done so wrong.
Every single day,
Hilary’s comment regarding the Sussex interview was so good and very observant. I liked how she made it bigger than them and valued out the institutional issues. She also called out the cruelty of it, because they were unnecessarily cruel to Meghan, to punish her for daring to marry Harry and then wanting to take a fresh and impactful approach to her royal duties. Look at the impact this interview it is having on the press over there and how people are starting to call out the racism and lack of diversity. Reminds you how formidable Hilary is and she no longer minces words.
As usual, excellent job ladies! I am going to miss you the next two weeks. Not just the gossip chat, but the ‘catching up’ you do at the beginning. Have a good Easter Break!
I didn’t read the original posts on JL & AR, but I gotta say, Andrew’s Nemesis comment made me LOL this morning! Good choice!
Michelle Obama has a daughter that is dating a Aristocrat from Britain. I think that has more to do with her answer than anything else. If she said the wrong thing I think the British Press would go after her daughter.
Interesting!!
Michelle Obama has every right to address Harry and Meghan’s situation the way she did and I don’t think that she should be dragged or called out for it.