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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/29/meghan-markle-wacky-relatives-prince-harry
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| Version 9 | Version 10 |
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| Meghan Markle, where are your wacky relatives? | Meghan Markle, where are your wacky relatives? |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| When someone new is catapulted into a position of public prominence, either through democratic success or a royal wedding, it is traditional for their wacky relatives to be publicised in a spirit of mischief. Jimmy Carter’s embarrassing brother Billy became famous, and so did John Major’s Pooterish sibling, Terry. During the last royal wedding, Kate Middleton’s sister Pippa was complimented on her figure in the most indelicate and impertinent way, and afterwards her party planning business was mocked. | When someone new is catapulted into a position of public prominence, either through democratic success or a royal wedding, it is traditional for their wacky relatives to be publicised in a spirit of mischief. Jimmy Carter’s embarrassing brother Billy became famous, and so did John Major’s Pooterish sibling, Terry. During the last royal wedding, Kate Middleton’s sister Pippa was complimented on her figure in the most indelicate and impertinent way, and afterwards her party planning business was mocked. |
| So what of Meghan? The obvious candidate here is her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr, who was arrested in January after a drunken row during which he is alleged to have brandished a gun. But then Meghan Markle isn’t thought to be particularly close to Thomas, so nothing can be read into him not getting a stiff white envelope through the post. | So what of Meghan? The obvious candidate here is her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr, who was arrested in January after a drunken row during which he is alleged to have brandished a gun. But then Meghan Markle isn’t thought to be particularly close to Thomas, so nothing can be read into him not getting a stiff white envelope through the post. |
| As an actor, Meghan Markle comes from a long line of trailblazing women | Rebecca Rideal | As an actor, Meghan Markle comes from a long line of trailblazing women | Rebecca Rideal |
| Perhaps the wedding of Meghan and Harry will finally mean the end of this tradition and all the sly giggling, because she’s preempted it by being that non-stereotypical figure that makes reactionary bores uncomfortable: vivacious, glamorous, informal and relaxed. | Perhaps the wedding of Meghan and Harry will finally mean the end of this tradition and all the sly giggling, because she’s preempted it by being that non-stereotypical figure that makes reactionary bores uncomfortable: vivacious, glamorous, informal and relaxed. |
| She may not convert anyone away from republicanism. But it’s worth pointing out that Donald Trump has still not tweeted any congratulations to her, evidently not caring for something in Markle or her politics. And that makes her all right in my book. | She may not convert anyone away from republicanism. But it’s worth pointing out that Donald Trump has still not tweeted any congratulations to her, evidently not caring for something in Markle or her politics. And that makes her all right in my book. |
| Weapons of mass discussion | Weapons of mass discussion |
| The word of the year has been announced by dictionary.com. It is “complicit”. Good choice. In April, Saturday Night Live ran a spoof television advertisement for a fragrance marketed by Ivanka Trump named Complicit – because everything she did was perfumed by nepotism and promoted the sinister politics of her husband and father. | The word of the year has been announced by dictionary.com. It is “complicit”. Good choice. In April, Saturday Night Live ran a spoof television advertisement for a fragrance marketed by Ivanka Trump named Complicit – because everything she did was perfumed by nepotism and promoted the sinister politics of her husband and father. |
| Word of the year 2017: Dictionary.com says 'complicit' topped 'totality' | Word of the year 2017: Dictionary.com says 'complicit' topped 'totality' |
| Since the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal and the #MeToo campaign, the idea of complicity has spread like a miasma among those preeningly prestigious showbiz males whose careers were advanced by the film producer and who kept quiet about what they knew. I have a runner-up choice, however. | Since the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal and the #MeToo campaign, the idea of complicity has spread like a miasma among those preeningly prestigious showbiz males whose careers were advanced by the film producer and who kept quiet about what they knew. I have a runner-up choice, however. |
| A silver medal word of the year: “weaponise”. It’s become a cliche, and I have to admit to using it in reviews. But it’s become a very tricky form of argument in febrile social media debate. If you think something is causing suffering, and someone disagrees, that someone can accuse you of “weaponising” the suffering. Adducing something in debate, referring to it, drawing on it as evidence, can be recast as “weaponising” it. The word itself has become – well, weaponised. We have to speak out against this tendency, or we will end up being … what’s the word I’m looking for? | A silver medal word of the year: “weaponise”. It’s become a cliche, and I have to admit to using it in reviews. But it’s become a very tricky form of argument in febrile social media debate. If you think something is causing suffering, and someone disagrees, that someone can accuse you of “weaponising” the suffering. Adducing something in debate, referring to it, drawing on it as evidence, can be recast as “weaponising” it. The word itself has become – well, weaponised. We have to speak out against this tendency, or we will end up being … what’s the word I’m looking for? |
| A Whish and a Wizzard | A Whish and a Wizzard |
| A Russell Whish recently had a meal at The Man Behind the Curtain restaurant in Leeds; he declared it to be bland and salty and demanded his money back. The restaurant’s Michelin-starred chef, Michael O’Hare, emailed him haughtily: “You didn’t like the food but plenty do. I do, I love it, I’m very proud of it and my palate is about 10 million times better than yours! Remember, Led Zeppelin didn’t write songs that everyone liked, they left that to the Beatles.” Whish emailed back: “We paid for a Led Zeppelin concert and got Wizzard.” At this point, O’Hare’s reply included a brutal monosyllable. Being compared to Wizzard was evidently too much for him, despite the fact Wizzard are held in affectionate esteem. These are people who badly need the yuletide spirit. A re-release of Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is surely in order. | A Russell Whish recently had a meal at The Man Behind the Curtain restaurant in Leeds; he declared it to be bland and salty and demanded his money back. The restaurant’s Michelin-starred chef, Michael O’Hare, emailed him haughtily: “You didn’t like the food but plenty do. I do, I love it, I’m very proud of it and my palate is about 10 million times better than yours! Remember, Led Zeppelin didn’t write songs that everyone liked, they left that to the Beatles.” Whish emailed back: “We paid for a Led Zeppelin concert and got Wizzard.” At this point, O’Hare’s reply included a brutal monosyllable. Being compared to Wizzard was evidently too much for him, despite the fact Wizzard are held in affectionate esteem. These are people who badly need the yuletide spirit. A re-release of Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is surely in order. |
| • Peter Bradshaw is a Guardian columnist | • Peter Bradshaw is a Guardian columnist |
| Duchess of Sussex | Duchess of Sussex |
| Notebook | Notebook |
| Prince Harry | Prince Harry |
| Monarchy | Monarchy |
| Christmas | Christmas |
| Jimmy Carter | Jimmy Carter |
| Pippa Middleton | Pippa Middleton |
| Food | Food |
| comment | comment |
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