Current:Home > NewsDuchess Meghan talks inaccurate portrayals of women on screen, praises 'incredible' Harry -FutureProof Finance
Duchess Meghan talks inaccurate portrayals of women on screen, praises 'incredible' Harry
View
Date:2025-04-16 23:04:22
AUSTIN, Texas — Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry celebrated International Women’s Day at the SXSW festival.
As her husband watched from the audience, the Duchess of Sussex joined Katie Couric, Brooke Shields and sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen Friday for the festival’s keynote, “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead on and Off the Screen," moderated by journalist Errin Haines.
Upon the Duke of Sussex's arrival, attendees in the Austin Convention Center ballroom flocked to take snaps and see the royal, who got a shoutout from his wife.
During the converstaion, Meghan spoke to a study funded by her and Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation, which was done in partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and titled "Rewriting Motherhood: How TV Represents Mom and What We Want to See Next."
Among its conclusions, the report found “Moms on TV are mostly white, young, and thin” and “the realities of childcare are invisible on TV.”
“Oftentimes as women, the way that we see ourselves is reflected back to us sometimes accurately and sometimes much to our disservice, inaccurately in what we see in media,” Meghan said. “To be able to have the findings to uncover what we can do to propel that to make sure women are really feeling seen in a way that is reflective of who and how we are and how we move through the world felt important.”
Meghan said she wanted paid leave for moms and commented on the gender wage gap: “One of the findings actually said that working moms are paid $0.62 to the dollar for what working dads, are and it’s almost feeling punitive at a certain point.”
'The time to make necessary change':Duchess Meghan, Prince Harry share emotional message about kids on social media
Duchess Meghan calls Prince Harry 'an incredible partner'
The duchess praised Harry as she addressed the negative influence of social media on moms.
“When you’re a new mom, it is a really vulnerable time,” she said, “and the effect that social media can have on new mothers — even just the lack of sleep because they spend all this time scrolling and scrolling — but it can also be really dizzying for them to see this portrayal of motherhood that looks so perfect when we all know it’s not perfect. We all know that it’s messy.
“I’m fortunate in that amongst the privileges that I have in my life, I have an incredible partner,” she continued. “My husband is such a hands-on dad, and such a supporter of me and our family, and that I don’t take for granted. That is a real blessing, but a lot of people don’t have that same level of support.”
During the panel, Couric encouraged Meghan to share the story of how she wrote to Proctor & Gamble frustrated over a commercial for dish soap, which targeted women, instead of people in general.
“If you see something that you don’t like or are offended by … write letters and send them to the right people, and you can really make a difference, for not just yourself but lots of other people,” 12-year-old Meghan previously said on Nick News.
She echoed that sentiment on Friday. “Your voice is not small; it just needs to be heard.”
“This is one of the ways where we differ,” Shields said with a chuckle. “When I was 11, I was playing a prostitute (in the film ‘Pretty Baby’).” The ballroom erupted with laughter.
Shields addressed the small number of roles for older actresses. “At 58, you’re too old to be the ingenue, but you’re not quite the granny yet and they don’t know what to do with you,” she told the crowd. “And so if you’re not the sexy woman at the bar, you’re in depends or dentures. Those are the things you’re offered.”
Shields said to counter the discrimination she seeks out filmmakers who appreciate the wisdom and life experiences older women offer.
'We were prey':Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer reveals sexual abuse at British boarding school
veryGood! (3554)
Related
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Michael Douglas shocked to find out Scarlett Johansson is his DNA cousin
- Teen Moms Maci Bookout Reveals Where Her Co-Parenting Relationship With Ryan Edwards Stands Now
- Sonequa Martin-Green bids farewell to historic role on Star Trek: Discovery
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- ALAIcoin cryptocurrency exchange will launch a series of incentive policies to fully expand its new user base.
- Suits’ Wendell Pierce Shares Advice He Gave Meghan Markle about Prince Harry
- Forgot to get solar eclipse glasses? Here's how to DIY a viewer with household items.
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Over 8 million bags of Tide Pods, other detergents recalled
Ranking
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- The Rock wins at WrestleMania 40 in first match since 2016: See what happened
- Kimora Lee Simmons' Daughter Aoki Kisses Restaurateur Vittorio Assaf on Vacation
- Michael Douglas shocked to find out Scarlett Johansson is his DNA cousin
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Powerball draws numbers for estimated $1.3B jackpot after delay of more than 3 hours
- Following program cuts, new West Virginia University student union says fight is not over
- Elephant attack leaves American woman dead in Zambia's Kafue National Park
Recommendation
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
Powerball lottery drawing delayed
'The First Omen' spoilers! What that fiery ending, teasing coda mean for future movies
Caitlin Clark leads Iowa rally for 71-69 win over UConn in women’s Final Four. South Carolina awaits
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
Don Lemon Marries Tim Malone in Star-Studded NYC Wedding
'A blessing no one was hurt': Collapsed tree nearly splits school bus in half in Mississippi
More than 65 years later, a college basketball championship team gets its White House moment