Such an interesting situation with H&M, with various facets. I do think they’re helping to widen the cracks that already exist all over that particular institution. And through the cracks you can really start to sense ‘the beast’ clutching as hard as it can onto the Crown, that dreaded symbol of inauthentic leadership.
The comparison of media coverage between the 2 duchesses that H&M highlighted in their Netflix interview was, for me, really important. I think it’s helping to raise awareness of our over-reliance on the biased media to form personal views. I think Alexandra Bell’s work that you’ve shown us here is a powerful and effective way of focusing attention on this issue - particularly with regard to racism. A wake-up call.
The ability to remain critical is such an important one and fortunately can be backdated - we can question the views we were raised with as children which we unconsciously carry around with us as adults. I think Harry’s teaching us that tradition can and should be broken down where it’s become dehumanised.
Thank you for bringing this up. I was starting to roll my eyes at the drama of it all but this has saved it and put it back in the realms of education.
Thanks for your thoughts Katie, and I agree with all that you say. It absolutely amazes me how angry people get about this issue, how vitriolic, how personal it seems for many. The hatred directed at the individuals involved is astonishing. I've re-titled the post to reflect that this is not about H&M per se but about the wider issues that the case brings up, and which you've summarised here.
This type of school lesson of analyzing media and creating a counter-narrative can't be done enough! Kids (or uni students) learn from the inside out and their perspectives are still so malleable. I like the way you describe the way the media makes a simple 'good / bad' binary; it's true! It's easy to ingest news and not work with nuanced views or breakdown dichotomies if one is presented with such forms of journalism. Art works in the in between, and good journalism is art. The most dangerous thing a teacher can do is reinforce the good/bad or black/white oppositions, perhaps without meaning to, by simply presenting the other side. I haven't watched the show yet but want to and am much more interested to do so now.
Uncomfortable Truths is a great way too describe a role that many artists take upon themselves. I think Harry speaks of many uncomfortable truths but how true they are we might not ever know. I find it ridiculous how much the royals get away yet still live their privileged life. I think there's potential for a massive contemporary art piece about the royals if anyone is bothered or maybe we could wait for louis Theroux to have a crack...
I feel for Harry and Meghan. I think they've both suffered and endured a lot of what many people would classify as trauma. It seems that people are more keen to be critical of them than the systems and situations that produced them/put them in the position they're in now and I find that to be a little disappointing. In addition to race and media bias there's also the concepts of celebrity and fame at play here. This idea that they're overexposed or sharing too much countered with the media's relentless pursuit of them during their courtship suggests that the public wants to know people on their terms, to feel in control of a relationship with a famous person maybe even a sense of ownership. Once that celebrity or famous person starts acting in ways that don't fit your idea of them then that becomes the issue. People start to question if they even deserved the attention in the first place. I don't think we should ask something from artists that we wouldn't practice ourselves. Alexandra Bell's work is about looking and confronting - if you want people (like Harry and Meghan) to go away or you're sick of seeing them talked about in the media etc. you can't look or confront any larger ideas related to their presence. Whether considering Bell's work or what is currently happening with Harry and Meghan trying to bring a healthy amount of compassion in analyzing what you're witnessing is key but that's not always easy to do. At any rate I appreciate your writing and the connections you made here. Thank you!
Your observation about what is buried under the drama really stood out for me, stripping back the fact that these individuals have royal and celebrity identities, the narrative we sometimes get to hear through the sound bites is one of perspective if we choose to listen to it. In this instance different experiences are offered by one or two narrators within a family. From psychological studies we know that siblings experience the same childhood differently, not just because they can be treated differently, but because of our the individual way we make sense of experiences and then store those memories.
I think it’s sad, the narratives I’m choosing to hear are sad because their experience is fundamentally different and valid, and the evidence of racism perpetuated by the media just compounds that we have our vantage points and bias.
I think the the really interesting thing here is that we accept that artists rely on their individual perspectives and vantage points to put forward their own narratives and interpretations, why is that harder to swallow outside of art?
Great post, Victoria! In a week of revelations all over the media, I have begun to lose interest. But your post reminded me of a bigger issue at play in this couple's story. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and especially for the compelling art of Alexandra Bell.
I don't really want to talk about Harry and Megs anymore. As a Canadian, I see things differently. But abstract art is a whole new ball game. I really liked that piece you put up. It's the same when people look at Jackson Pollock. You look into the painting and see other things. I'm not about to look at a square piece of canvas with a red triangle and say it's an amazing piece of art. But if I can stand in my shower and look at the tiles and see figures and characters, isn't that art? It's all interpretive, I know. And while I will always adore Monet and the Abstract movement, as well as the Romantics, modern art is more of a challenge to me.
BTW, I did read the Harry and Meghan piece, but, like I said, being a Canadian we see the monarchy different over here. If you say you want to leave and just want to live a private live, then for Christ's sake, shut up and stop whining about everything. The racial thing is fine, for a while, but don't get on your high horse about it. It's not just here and there, it's everywhere. Every race is the same. The blacks hate the white, the whites hate the blacks, the browns hate the Chinese, the Chinese hate the Japanese. It's just the way it is. And being in an interracial marriage, I see it myself. That doesn't mean I will love my fellow man any less. There is more love in the world than there is hate.
thanks for your thoughts Ben. Glad that the abstract art segment spoke to you. I'm not so interested in the story of H+M per se either. But I am interested in the wider issues of media bias and the role of artists in helping to communicate issues that people find hard to face in a way that effectively connects.
Brilliant post. Whatever you think of Meghan and Harry (and I know that it has raised a lot of strong emotions about the monarchy in the UK) you cannot deny that some of the coverage about her has been beyond acceptable. Even if it is unconscious bias, we all still have a responsibility to check ourselves and constantly question why we think what we think. Alexandra Bell's work is really interesting, particularly as she has the vantage point of journalistic training plus and is viewing the media as a black woman. Thanks for introducing her, she's really interesting in the video.
Such an interesting situation with H&M, with various facets. I do think they’re helping to widen the cracks that already exist all over that particular institution. And through the cracks you can really start to sense ‘the beast’ clutching as hard as it can onto the Crown, that dreaded symbol of inauthentic leadership.
The comparison of media coverage between the 2 duchesses that H&M highlighted in their Netflix interview was, for me, really important. I think it’s helping to raise awareness of our over-reliance on the biased media to form personal views. I think Alexandra Bell’s work that you’ve shown us here is a powerful and effective way of focusing attention on this issue - particularly with regard to racism. A wake-up call.
The ability to remain critical is such an important one and fortunately can be backdated - we can question the views we were raised with as children which we unconsciously carry around with us as adults. I think Harry’s teaching us that tradition can and should be broken down where it’s become dehumanised.
Thank you for bringing this up. I was starting to roll my eyes at the drama of it all but this has saved it and put it back in the realms of education.
Thanks for your thoughts Katie, and I agree with all that you say. It absolutely amazes me how angry people get about this issue, how vitriolic, how personal it seems for many. The hatred directed at the individuals involved is astonishing. I've re-titled the post to reflect that this is not about H&M per se but about the wider issues that the case brings up, and which you've summarised here.
This type of school lesson of analyzing media and creating a counter-narrative can't be done enough! Kids (or uni students) learn from the inside out and their perspectives are still so malleable. I like the way you describe the way the media makes a simple 'good / bad' binary; it's true! It's easy to ingest news and not work with nuanced views or breakdown dichotomies if one is presented with such forms of journalism. Art works in the in between, and good journalism is art. The most dangerous thing a teacher can do is reinforce the good/bad or black/white oppositions, perhaps without meaning to, by simply presenting the other side. I haven't watched the show yet but want to and am much more interested to do so now.
'Art works in the in-between'. Yes! Totally agree.
Uncomfortable Truths is a great way too describe a role that many artists take upon themselves. I think Harry speaks of many uncomfortable truths but how true they are we might not ever know. I find it ridiculous how much the royals get away yet still live their privileged life. I think there's potential for a massive contemporary art piece about the royals if anyone is bothered or maybe we could wait for louis Theroux to have a crack...
Ha! yes, I can see Louis Theroux doing a documentary about this.
I feel for Harry and Meghan. I think they've both suffered and endured a lot of what many people would classify as trauma. It seems that people are more keen to be critical of them than the systems and situations that produced them/put them in the position they're in now and I find that to be a little disappointing. In addition to race and media bias there's also the concepts of celebrity and fame at play here. This idea that they're overexposed or sharing too much countered with the media's relentless pursuit of them during their courtship suggests that the public wants to know people on their terms, to feel in control of a relationship with a famous person maybe even a sense of ownership. Once that celebrity or famous person starts acting in ways that don't fit your idea of them then that becomes the issue. People start to question if they even deserved the attention in the first place. I don't think we should ask something from artists that we wouldn't practice ourselves. Alexandra Bell's work is about looking and confronting - if you want people (like Harry and Meghan) to go away or you're sick of seeing them talked about in the media etc. you can't look or confront any larger ideas related to their presence. Whether considering Bell's work or what is currently happening with Harry and Meghan trying to bring a healthy amount of compassion in analyzing what you're witnessing is key but that's not always easy to do. At any rate I appreciate your writing and the connections you made here. Thank you!
Your observation about what is buried under the drama really stood out for me, stripping back the fact that these individuals have royal and celebrity identities, the narrative we sometimes get to hear through the sound bites is one of perspective if we choose to listen to it. In this instance different experiences are offered by one or two narrators within a family. From psychological studies we know that siblings experience the same childhood differently, not just because they can be treated differently, but because of our the individual way we make sense of experiences and then store those memories.
I think it’s sad, the narratives I’m choosing to hear are sad because their experience is fundamentally different and valid, and the evidence of racism perpetuated by the media just compounds that we have our vantage points and bias.
I think the the really interesting thing here is that we accept that artists rely on their individual perspectives and vantage points to put forward their own narratives and interpretations, why is that harder to swallow outside of art?
Great post, Victoria! In a week of revelations all over the media, I have begun to lose interest. But your post reminded me of a bigger issue at play in this couple's story. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and especially for the compelling art of Alexandra Bell.
Thanks Kate
I don't really want to talk about Harry and Megs anymore. As a Canadian, I see things differently. But abstract art is a whole new ball game. I really liked that piece you put up. It's the same when people look at Jackson Pollock. You look into the painting and see other things. I'm not about to look at a square piece of canvas with a red triangle and say it's an amazing piece of art. But if I can stand in my shower and look at the tiles and see figures and characters, isn't that art? It's all interpretive, I know. And while I will always adore Monet and the Abstract movement, as well as the Romantics, modern art is more of a challenge to me.
BTW, I did read the Harry and Meghan piece, but, like I said, being a Canadian we see the monarchy different over here. If you say you want to leave and just want to live a private live, then for Christ's sake, shut up and stop whining about everything. The racial thing is fine, for a while, but don't get on your high horse about it. It's not just here and there, it's everywhere. Every race is the same. The blacks hate the white, the whites hate the blacks, the browns hate the Chinese, the Chinese hate the Japanese. It's just the way it is. And being in an interracial marriage, I see it myself. That doesn't mean I will love my fellow man any less. There is more love in the world than there is hate.
thanks for your thoughts Ben. Glad that the abstract art segment spoke to you. I'm not so interested in the story of H+M per se either. But I am interested in the wider issues of media bias and the role of artists in helping to communicate issues that people find hard to face in a way that effectively connects.
Brilliant post. Whatever you think of Meghan and Harry (and I know that it has raised a lot of strong emotions about the monarchy in the UK) you cannot deny that some of the coverage about her has been beyond acceptable. Even if it is unconscious bias, we all still have a responsibility to check ourselves and constantly question why we think what we think. Alexandra Bell's work is really interesting, particularly as she has the vantage point of journalistic training plus and is viewing the media as a black woman. Thanks for introducing her, she's really interesting in the video.
thanks Helen, and agree with what you say about checking ourselves, what we're thinking and why
re Clarkson, the mind boggles. I agree with you about Mary Jo's work. She's so talented.