Indeed, it's Packed with Gibberish, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Cherish Meghan's Holiday Special.
No concerned with the time of year, it's constantly open season for scrutiny on the Meghan Markle's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, from seasoned journalists to online pundits, have hardly ever agreed so completely as when eagerly tearing the lifestyle show's initial installments apart. The common opinion seemed to be a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had seldom occurred than the much-discussed snack re-labeling incident.
Currently, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she is back once again with a "Festive Special" (also known as a Christmas special). But this time, things have shifted. The familiar ingredients audiences anticipate – psychobabble word salads, extreme hosting – are still present, but framed of a holiday show, it all clicks into place. The elements have slid together; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
By this point, Meghan has become the oddball family member at most festive family gatherings – dispensing unsolicited, unnecessary advice, and supplying the occasional strange exclamation. ("I love spinach!" … "A tradition has to have a beginning." … "A tree is part of my memory and love of the holiday season.") She's quite a personality, but her presence is familiar and unexpectedly soothing. And she looks content; she's not doing a bit of damage.
She is aware her every micro expression, utterance and glance will be picked apart and criticised, but still appears unburdened and serenely untroubled.
Maybe this is the initial instance in history where that well-worn saying – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – might be true. Since, let's face it, all aspects in Meghan's Holiday Celebration is lovely. Yes, it's all painfully excessive, silliness and flamboyant – but doesn't that represent precisely what the holiday season is all about? And the talk she's talking might be absurd, but the example she sets seems authentically beautifully curated.
Anything she sets her mind to, she executes with flair. Her cooking looks tasty, the festive decoration she makes is stunning, her gifts are nearly too beautiful to tear into. Not a single thing is ordinary or aesthetically displeasing – even the way she fastens her apron is stylish and elegant. She doesn't toss a dish in the oven, it "has a moment", and she creases gift paper like an origami guru. She also seems to be completely savoring herself from start to finish. How could any skeptical viewer not be charmed, filled with holiday spirit and left with a deep longing for crafted festive snaps or a vegetable display where broccoli is positioned in the form of a festive circle?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, obviously, but nonetheless, after the level of attention she has endured since she became involved with Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would have difficulty behaving this authentically. Her unwillingness to modify or even tone down her persona, despite it being so relentlessly, globally mocked, is weirdly comforting. In our uncertain world, here is something we can count on: Meghan will stay true to form, whatever happens. We will consistently know where we are with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of what she's selling, a thought that will certainly come as a comfort: you aren't required to. The UK has abolished national service anymore, and should it be reinstated, it would be unlikely to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, however, you choose to watch and are overcome with jealousy about her picture-perfect Christmas, all is not lost either. If you are a royal or a office worker, hardly any child truly appreciates the time and energy their parent does in December. So you can find comfort by imagining the young royals' faces when they unfold a beautifully scripted letter that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a DIY festive calendar, in place of a sweet treat.
