Archetypes is back for its final episode and, for the first time, Meghan Markle sat down with men to discuss how they feel about the labels that “hold women back”.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke to talk show host and TV producer Andy Cohen, comedian Trevor Noah and director, producer and screenwriter Judd Apatow. She noted how men can play an impactful role in the collective effort to move beyond stereotypes, pointing out their roles in the media, and for some, as husbands and fathers.
As she marks the final episode of her podcast, Meghan looked at how we can “change our thinking” and go beyond the “limits” of the archetypes she has previously discussed.
She particularly noted the significance of gender stereotypes “that keep us really limited,” using the examples: women are “weak, emotional or oversensitive” and men are “overbearing and dominant”.
The Duchess continued: “I think it’s a really valuable image that both genders can use to wake up out of the limitations of the stereotypes and to move forward in our world, in a way, that’s both compassionate and strong.
“And I think if we are able to shed some light, not just on the history of these stereotypes and the lived experience of the women boxed in with them, but the understanding of how we can move away from them, then it has to be larger.
“…There’s more of this population that probably needs to be involved in the same conversation. I’m talking about men and I thought for this final episode, wouldn’t it be interesting to sit with some men?”
Meghan explained that she wanted to hear men’s thoughts on the archetypes, first including impressions from men across the world who have listened to previous episodes of the podcast.
One listener said his biggest takeaway was “really understanding and appreciating the history of words,” while another confessed to realizing his role in reinforcing some of the stereotypes.
Then, Meghan introduced her latest guests, admitting her husband Prince Harry had been the influence behind her decision to widen the conversation.
She said: “Now, if you’ve been listening to the past eleven episodes, you may have noticed that you haven’t heard many men’s voices, in fact, until now outside of a quick pop-in from my husband, in the first episode, this show has featured exclusively women’s voices.
“And that’s by design, it was important to us that women have a space to share their authentic and complicated complex and dynamic experiences to be heard and to be understood.
“But through that process, it also occurred to me and, truth be told, at the suggestion of my husband that if we really want to shift how we think about gender and the limiting labels that we separate people into, then we have to broaden the conversation.”
