The fifth episode of the Spotify series opens with the Duchess of Sussex issuing a warning advising anyone to “tune out” if they find the content “too heavy”, before slamming Hollywood for stereotyping “crazy, hot” women. Meghan describes being called ‘crazy’ and ‘hysterical’ before revealing the moment – at her ‘worst point’ – Prince Harry got her a referral to a therapist. He says the anecdote shows the need to “be really honest about what you need and not be afraid to come to terms with it to ask for it.” The 41-year-old also talks about feeling “lonely” and “like I didn’t fit in” at school, before describing how – as an adult – she often wants to “feel so deep it’s like an Adele album”, but believes she has been conditioned to don’t show strong emotions in public. Today’s 55-minute installment, titled The Decoding of Crazy, begins with Meghan addressing the audience. “Raise your hand if you’ve ever been called crazy or hysterical or what about nuts? Crazy out of your mind, totally irrational, okay? You get the point,” he says. The duchess then continues: “Now, if we were all in the same room and could see each other, I think it would be very easy to see. How many of us have our hands up? Me too by the way. And it’s no wonder when you consider how prevalent these labels are in our culture.” Meghan then acts out a series of quotes, including one from US sitcom How I Met Your Mother, where Neil Patrick Harris’ character Barney says: “If she’s that crazy, she must be that hot.” Next comes conservative philosopher Jordan Peterson, who says, “I don’t think men can control crazy women.” The third segment comes from another American sitcom, Scrubs, in which the fictional female doctor Elliot (Sarah Chalke) comments: “I can’t stand it, Carla! I can’t hide the crazy one more minute! It’s just that this big mountain of cuckoos is about to explode and spew molten crazy all over him and he’s going to die like that.’ After watching the episodes, Meghan says: “Calling someone crazy or hysterical completely dismisses their experience and minimizes what they’re feeling. It keeps going to the point where anyone who has been pointed out to it enough times can be confused into thinking it’s actually a malaise or sometimes worse, to the point where real issues of all kinds are ignored. Well, that’s not happening today.” At the end of the podcast, Meghan read from a poem, Breathe by Becky Hemsley, which she said was sent to her by a friend and has served as her “north star” during Archetypes. The strikingly personal quote describes a woman facing conflicting expectations who continues to find solace in nature. Ultimately, she decides “one day” to “ask what was best for herself”… “instead of trying to please everyone else.” The new release is described as an “in-depth and vulnerable conversation” with Indian actress Deepika Padukone, American comedian Jenny Slate and American actress Constance Wu, who bravely revealed how she once tried to kill herself. Among his revelations –
Meghan says she has been called ‘crazy’, ‘hysterical’, ‘insane’ and ‘insane’ – although she won’t reveal who did it. He says he feels “very strongly” about the word “crazy” and that families have been “shattered” by its use. He knows Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother, as well as conservative philosopher Jordan Peterson. He says the “stigma” around the word crazy has a “silencing effect” – especially for those with “genuine mental health problems”. She describes calling a therapist after Harry found her on a referral while she had reached “my lowest point”. She talks about times in high school when she was “alone or I didn’t fit in or there was a rumor about me.” She says: “I want to like to feel so deeply that it’s like an Adele album… such an intense feeling and you just get it out.” He talked about not being on social media in “a long time.” Actress Constance Wu describes how she attempted suicide and her feelings of “shame” afterwards.
The new release is described as an “in-depth and vulnerable conversation” and features actresses Deepika Padukone, Jenny Slate and Constance Wu
Meghan says in the intro: “Raise your hand if you’ve ever been called crazy or hysterical or what about nuts?”
In the podcast, Meghan plays a number of quotes, including one from US sitcom How I Met Your Mother in which the character Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris, centre) says: “If she’s that crazy, she must be so hot”.
The third segment comes from another American sitcom, Scrubs, in which the fictional female doctor Elliot comments: “I can’t take it, Carla! I can’t hide the madman one more minute!’
The Duchess says the “stigma surrounding the word ‘crazy’ has a ‘silencing effect’ – particularly for those with ‘genuine mental health issues’.
“They’re scared,” Megan says. “They’ve been quiet, internalized and repressed for too long.”
At no point in the discussion about being called “crazy” does Meghan reveal who did this to her, but she has previously spoken about killing herself while working as a member of the royal family.
During her chat with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess said her mental health battle left her feeling like she “didn’t want to be alive anymore” – but she was never offered support as it “wouldn’t be good for the foundation ».
At one point on today’s podcast, Meghan talks about the “damage” that calling women “crazy” can cause.
“I feel very strongly about that word, that label crazy, the way it’s thrown around so casually and the damage — it’s rotten (to) society and women, frankly everywhere,” she says.
“From relationships to families being destroyed, reputations are ruined and careers are ruined. The stigma surrounding the word also has this silencing effect. As a result, women who have real mental health issues are afraid, quiet, internalized and repressed for far too long.”
She also said that she finds it difficult to cry as she is “wired” to have a certain “kind of temper” but wants to “let it out”.
The Duchess cited the word hysteria as being derived from the Greek womb, saying: “Plato himself was actually among the Greek philosophers, who believed that the womb would travel around the body adding pressure to other organs, which would lead to then to erratic and unreliable behavior. .
“By the way, the DSM – the diagnostic manual for mental disorders – hysteria was an actual medical diagnosis until 1980.”
Slate said: “Hysteria, madness, as if it were a disease of people with wombs as much as people with feelings.
“It is a definition created by a man. It’s a definition meant to shame and limit a certain kind of experience.”
Meghan is said to have been inspired by her podcast to launch a fund to ’empower young adults’ with a multi-million dollar (£896,000) scheme to support women in need.
It was announced last week that she and the Duke of Sussex were taking part in the charity project which invited 14 to 18-year-olds in the US to give a $1,000 (£896) grant to a woman of their choice.
The program, in partnership with The Ving Project, aims to ignite the next generation of philanthropists.
During today’s episode, Meghan discussed the uses of the word ‘crazy’ with American actresses Constance Wu and Jenny Slate.
She was also joined by Indian actress Deepika Padukone, pictured at her wedding reception in Mumbai
Towards the end of today’s podcast, Meghan mentioned how Harry has worked with wounded veterans through initiatives such as the Invictus Games.
The Duke made his own public appearance yesterday in a video call with the winners of the WellChild 2022 awards.
During the debate, she told nurses and doctors that the UK needs more people like them “to step up and help” as it is “going through a lot at the moment”.
“The UK is going through a lot at the moment. And it takes people like you to keep doing what you’re doing and inspire other people to step up and help where they can,” he said.
“The feeling I’ve always had, certainly in the UK, is that the general population, they all get it, they all want to come in and help each other no matter what.
“There are certain other fractions that make this difficult for people, but the way I’m constantly inspired every day is by you guys.
“You don’t have to do what you do, you choose to do it… I’ll say thank you.”
Prince Harry appeared to take the call from his and Meghan’s shared office at their Southern California home, which features “two luxurious club chairs placed side by side behind a single desk, facing the room like thrones,” according to the Cut. .
Meghan’s podcast quotes comments from conservative philosopher Jordan Peterson, who said: “I don’t think men can control crazy women.”
