Meghan Markle Brought Journalist Lisa Ling to Tears Over New ‘Archetypes’ Podcast
Meghan Markle‘s comments during the newest episode of her podcast Archetypes had such a profound effect on journalist Lisa Ling, it brought the CNN correspondent to tears. In the first episode released since Queen Elizabeth II‘s death, Meghan spoke to Ling and actor Margaret Cho about how problematic the idea of the Asian femme fatale can be. However, Ling’s interactions with Markle caused her to tear up regarding how the Duchess of Sussex interacted with her daughter, Jett.
Meghan Markle paused her podcast upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II
Archetypes debuted on Aug. 23. The podcast has featured interviews with Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, and Mindy Kaling in its first series of episodes.
Meghan paused the release of new episodes of her Spotify podcast Archetypes following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8. “New episodes of Archetypes will be paused during the official mourning period for Her Majesty, the queen,” a note appearing in the show’s description said.
The podcast resumed on Oct. 4 with an episode featuring Ling and Kaling dropped. Ling’s daughter Jett accompanied her in the podcast recording. During the podcast, Meghan spoke of her interaction with the young girl. Her kind words regarding Jett profoundly affected Ling, who discussed the event on social media.
Meghan Markle’s podcast comments brought Lisa Ling to tears
Ling shared an excerpt from the podcast on her Instagram page. She wrote, “This brought a tear to my eye both in the moment and now because I wasn’t expecting what my child said. But I love how Meghan framed it. I mean, frankly, we are all kinda weird.”
Meghan said, “I asked Lisa her three words which [described her and] included spongelike, curious, and conscious. I also asked her 9-year-old daughter Jett the words that would describe her. It stayed with me because she said the unexpected, like any cool and precocious nine-year-old.
“One of the words she used to describe herself was weird,” Markle continued. “She gets to define herself as she sees fit.
“You can be weird or silly or spongelike. Silly, fierce, curious, self-doubting some days or confident on others. Be your full, complete, whole, layered, full, weird self because you are so much greater than any archetype.”
In a separate Instagram post, Ling sang Markle’s praises. Within its caption, she said Markle was “a bright and compelling conversationalist, and I hope people take the time to get to know her beyond the often-insidious headlines.”
Ling and Markle also discussed Asian representation
During her discussion with the Duchess of Sussex, Ling spoke of the lack of representation she saw on the small-screen, revealing that was a driving force for her to go into journalism.
“To be honest with you, I pursued broadcast journalism because growing up, it’s the only path that I thought was available to me. I was someone who grew up in a broken home,” she explained.
“My parents were divorced when I was seven, and the television was always on in my home. It was like my favorite babysitter. And I used to have these fantasies of being part of it somehow because I thought, if I can get on TV, I will have a better life one day. But no one looked remotely like me on TV except for Connie Chung.”
Ling admitted she often finds she’s the “only Asian woman in the room.” However, she does not shy away from that and is “asserting myself even more.”
Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast is available to stream on Spotify. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
