Something to listen to while in flight? The next episode of Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast will be released two hours early as the duchess and prince travel to Dusseldorf for the Invictus Games.
The Duchess of Sussex’s new podcast was anticipated to debut at 12.30 p.m. on Spotify.
However, it was released two hours early, at 10.30am, as Prince Harry and Meghan were leaving for Germany.
Meghan claims in a podcast that she was a ‘ugly duckling’ in elementary school due to a’massive tooth gap’
She also discusses planning her wedding at age 14 for a religious education class assignment.
Today, Spotify published the third podcast in the Duchess of Sussex’s ‘Archetypes’ series, in which she spoke with The Office actress Mindy Kaling on the’stigma’ of being a single woman.
As with last week’s edition featuring Mariah Carey, the new podcast was scheduled to be broadcast on the streaming site at 12.30 p.m. today, but was released two hours early at 10.30 a.m. due to the couple’s departure for Germany.
The synopsis for ‘The Stigma of the Singleton with Mindy Kaling’ stated: ‘Meghan chats honestly with Mindy Kaling, who opens up in an unprecedented conversation about the joys, difficulties, and stigmas of her existence as a single, unmarried woman, as well as her decision to start a family on her own.
This episode also features Rebecca Traister, a writer for New York Magazine, who unpacks the myriad tropes that have accompanied lone women for years.
During the podcast, Meghan described herself as a ‘ugly duckling’ at school, stating, ‘Maybe not conventional beauty as it… now maybe it would be considered lovely, such as large frizzy curly hair and a huge gap in my teeth. I was a genius forever and ever and ever and eternity and then merely matured.’
Kaling stated, “Now I want to say that this is a revelation to me because I’ve lived my entire life thinking that Meghan Markle was a nice, hot girl with her head on straight because her mother is probably really cool, but knowing that you were not that is news to me, and probably news to those listening.”
Mindy Kaling interviewed Meghan Markle (left, in a photo released with her Spotify podcast) (right, in Los Angeles on August 11)
And the Duchess remarked of her time at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, where she attended secondary school, “I never had someone to sit with at lunch.” I was always a bit of a loner, quite shy, and unsure of where I belonged.
Thus I have just become. I thought to myself, “Okay, I’ll be the president of the multicultural club, the president of the sophomore class, and the president of this and the French club.” And because I was always so busy, I had meetings at lunch, so I never had to worry about who I would sit with or what I would do.
For an assignment in her religious education class at Immaculate Heart, Meghan described how she planned her wedding when she was 14 years old, stating that she wanted it to be held at the five-star luxury Hotel Bel-Air with a swan lake.
She stated in the podcast that she wanted a cake from Hansen’s Cakes Bakery and a dress from a bridal magazine that she chose since she ‘took this endeavor seriously’ and received an A or A-minus grade.
However, Meghan, age 41, remarked, ‘But my grade on the paper is neither here nor there, since what strikes me from my 40-something perspective is that this project was graded at all.
Could you assert that this project never existed in the first place? The message, even at my feminist all-girls school, was as conservative as it gets: My future goal is to be single. After falling in love comes marriage.
BJ Novak portrayed Ryan Howard in the American version of The Office, while Mindy Kaling portrayed Kelly Kapoor (right)
As the next podcast from the Duchess was released today, let’s take a closer look at some of the issues discussed.
Meghan describes herself as a child with “frizzy, curly hair and a massive gap in my teeth” who “sat alone it lunch” and joined school groups to pass the time.
Meghan Markle as a young girl
Meghan Markle disclosed to The Office actress Mindy Kaling on the newest episode of her Archetypes podcast that she struggled with her appearance as a child, calling herself a “ugly duckling” at the time.
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, made the remarks in the third podcast posted on Spotify, telling Kaling that she was “not the prettiest one” as a child and frequently joined clubs so she wouldn’t have to eat alone during lunch.
In the open chat, Kaling describes how she attempts to instill confidence in her four-year-old daughter Katherine by telling her she is beautiful. However, she adds that she does not believe this is always the proper message.
Kaling explains, “I grew up always feeling unattractive, overweight, and “othered”; so, with my kid, I’m constantly telling her she’s gorgeous, to the point that my friend BJ is like, “You can give her other compliments!”
The actress stated that while she received the compliment “clever,” which gave her confidence in her academic pursuits, she was never told she was beautiful.
The Duchess then shared her own experiences, surprising her interviewee by admitting she could relate to not being the ‘beautiful one’ in school.
“Were you not the most attractive child?” Kaling asks incredulously. Markle exclaims, “No, oh God, no!” and adds, “Ugly duckling.”
She clarified that her appearance may have been deemed unconventionally attractive by stating that she had “big frizzy, curly hair and a massive gap in my teeth.” I used to be the smartest person forever and ever and ever and ever, but then I grew up.
Kaling responds that she anticipated Markle to be “the hot girl who, like, has her head on straight” at school, “because her mom is probably, like, really awesome.”
While attending the Hollywood Schoolhouse and later the all-girls Catholic school Immaculate Heart in Los Angeles, the bride of Prince Harry struggled to blend in with her friends.
She explains, “I’ve never had a lunch companion.” I was always a bit of a loner, quite shy, and unsure of where I belonged.
“Therefore, I have just become the president of the multi-cultural club, the president of the sophomore class, and the president of this… and the French club. And because I was always so busy, I had meetings at lunch, so I never had to worry about who I would sit with or what I would do.
Planning her own wedding aged 14
Meghan began the new podcast by stating, “When I was 14, I planned my wedding.” Not my actual wedding, which would have been more difficult to envision.
The duchess explained that it was a religious studies assignment at her Catholic high school and that she wanted her wedding to be at the Bel Air hotel, with a ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘oh my gosh, the dress was strapless and puffy, and I had seen it in a bridal magazine.
I took this assignment seriously since I wanted an A. And I did. Maybe I earned an A minus,’ Meghan added.
She questioned the purpose of the task, stating, “At no time can you say “Nope.” My future aspiration is to be single.
Even in my feminist all-girls school, the message was as conservative as it gets. Love comes first. Then comes the wedding.
Meghan and Mindy Kaling discuss the benefits, difficulties, and stigmas of being a single, unmarried woman.
Conversations about marriage and singleness
Regarding marriage, Meghan said, “What was and is so alarming about women who live independently?”
She continued, “The associations that culture makes with unmarried women feel so archaic, and I wished to update them.”
The duchess introduced Mindy Kaling by stating, “Mindy and I are discussing how her decision to bear children as a single, unmarried woman taught her the value of choosing one’s own path.”
Favorite books as a youngster
The duo discussed their favorite novels as children, with Meghan revealing that she like the Archie comics but insisting that they did not inspire the name of her baby.
The duchess explained how she was “alone so much as a child” and a “latchkey kid,” stating that she romanticized the Archie comics because she desired a “cookie-cutter beautiful life.”
Meghan pondered, “Will I get the guy one day?” before adding, “I’m the smart one, not the gorgeous one.”
The duchess stated, “As a child, I spent a great deal of time alone, was a latchkey kid, and I believe I ironically read a great deal of Archie comics.”
My son is not named after the Archie comic books, but I enjoyed them much. I accumulated them.
She continued, “I believe for me in particular, my parents divorced when I was around two or three years old, and I always wanted this kind of cookie-cutter-looking perfect existence, and when you looked at that, you saw a boy in a letterman jacket.”
“I idealized that. All of these factors contribute to your conception of what you want your adult life to look like.
I’ve always considered myself to be a lot more Betty than Veronica; will I ever get the guy? And I was the intelligent one, not the attractive one. All of this was wrapped up in reading Archie comics and, in some respects, was merely aspirational.’
Kaling stated that she enjoyed the Harriet the Spy series.
Meghan has fun with Archie comics.
The protagonist of the American Archie comics has red hair, just like the Duke of Sussex.
Archie Andrews is known as “America’s average teenager,” and he and his companions have been updated for a contemporary audience in Riverdale, an American teen drama series available on Netflix.
Meghan was informed by Kaling that the comics “never got too erotic,” and Kaling replied, “Well, you like redheads.”
Meghan chuckled and responded, “Yes, and I also like the name Archie,” describing the situation as “coming full circle.”
Last night in Manchester, the Duchess of Sussex spoke at the One Young World 2022 meeting.
The engagement to Harry
Meghan claims that the Archie Comics she read as a child influenced her desire for a “perfect, cookie-cutter existence,” and she joked that the character also influenced her “love of red heads and the name.”
Meghan Markle mentioned on her most recent podcast Archetypes that she “read a lot of Archie Comics” as a child and that she “loves red heads and the name.”
During the program, Meghan discussed how she ‘romanticized’ the lifestyle depicted in the publications, stating, ‘My son is not named after the comic books, but I adored them. I accumulated them.
After Archie Mountbatten Windsor was born on May 7, 2019, fans of the comic books and Riverdale, a CW teen drama based on the novels, were ecstatic to discover that he shares a name with the red-headed protagonist Archie Andrews.
Meghan stated, “I spent so much time alone as a child that I read many Archie Comics.”
She added, ‘I’ve always desired a cookie-cutter ideal existence – and you saw that, and the boy in the letterman jacket…
I romanticized the situation. It’s all part of what gives you this notion of what you want to do when you grow up.
The Duchess went on to compare herself to the comic book character Betty Cooper, who was Archie’s love interest.
The character was depicted as popular, with a desire to assist the homeless, read to the elderly, and save injured animals and birds.
She was also one of the most intelligent characters in the comic book series and enjoyed cooking.
Meghan stated, “I’m far more Betty than Veronica, and I’m the clever one, not the gorgeous one. Will I ever get the guy?” All of this was derived from reading Archie comic books, and it is in some ways aspirational.
She continued to giggle as she admitted, “I prefer redheads, and I really enjoy the name Archie!” Complete circle!’
Meghan stated, “When I began dating my husband, we became engaged. Everyone said, “Oh my god, you’re so fortunate that he chose you!”
“At some point, after hearing it a million times, you think, ‘Well, I choose him too.’
“But, happily, I had a partner who countered that narrative for me by stating, “They have it all wrong. I am fortunate because you chose me.
“However, it is gendered, stereotypical, and archetypal that you’re so lucky, and it feeds into the notion that you’re waiting for someone to tell you that you’re good enough as opposed to knowing that you’re good enough on your own.”
Her remarks were mixed with archival audio from the day of the royal wedding, with crowds cheering and a commentator from the United States stating, “The happy couple has enthralled the globe with their real-life fairy tale.”
Meghan describes herself as a “ugly duckling”
Meghan was asked by Kaling, “Were you not the most beautiful child?”
Meghan responded, “No.” Oh, God, no.’
Kaling remarked: ‘What? That is new information to me.
Meghan said: ‘Ugly Duckling. No, I do not possess conventional beauty; but, I do have enormously frizzy hair and a gaping hole between my teeth. I was the smartest person forever and ever and ever and ever until I grew up.
She added, ‘It was quite difficult… I never had somebody to eat lunch with. I was always a bit of a loner, quite shy, and unsure of where I belonged.
I believed that I would become president of the multicultural club. I had lunchtime meetings as the president of the sophomore class, the president of this organization, and the president of the French club.
Meghan, according to Mindy Kaling, has her “s**t together.”
Kaling stated to the duchess, ‘You are indeed intimidating. Your life is in order, and you are so lovely.
And even the Oprah thing is like, “Oh my gosh, she has chickens! Who has their sh*t together enough to raise chickens and children?” It’s wonderful to know that you were a lonely child who didn’t necessarily enjoy being that way.
“I’m glad I now know that because I did not previously.”
Yes, I’m delighted we both got to sh
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