Indeed, it's Packed with Gibberish, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Self-Help Jargon. But I Do Adore Meghan's Holiday Special.
No matter the season, it's always fair game for commentary on the Meghan Markle's TV show, With Love, Meghan. Reviewers, both professional and armchair, have hardly ever agreed so completely as when enthusiastically shredding the program's earlier episodes to pieces. The prevailing view seemed to be a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had never been witnessed than the notorious pretzel re-packaging incident.
Presently, like a merry renegade master, she has returned for another round with a "Festive Special" (also known as a Christmas special). But this time, the dynamic has changed. The familiar ingredients audiences anticipate – meaningless jargon salads, overzealous entertaining – are still present, but set of a holiday show, the purpose becomes clear. The pieces have fallen into place; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
At this stage, Meghan has become the oddball family member at most festive family gatherings – providing random tips, 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 aura is known and oddly reassuring. And she appears happy enough; she's causing a bit of damage.
She is aware her each tiny facial movement, utterance and look will be analyzed and scrutinized, but nonetheless looks relaxed and too blessed to be stressed.
Maybe this is the initial instance in history where that well-worn saying – "Ignore them, they're just jealous" – may well be true. Because, you know what?, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is charming. Granted, it's all painfully excessive, nonsense and extravagant – but is that not exactly what Christmas is for? And the advice she gives might be ridiculous, but the example she sets genuinely looks beautifully curated.
Anything she turns her beautifully manicured, diamond-adorned hand to, she executes with panache. Her recipes looks scrumptious, the holiday arrangement she makes is stunning, her presents are practically too exquisite to unwrap. Not a single thing is average or ugly – even the way she secures her apron is creative and fashionable. She doesn't throw a dish in the oven, it "goes for a spin", and she folds wrapping paper like an craft master. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself the entire time. How could any cynical observer not be won over, overcome by seasonal cheer and left with a powerful yearning for personalized Christmas crackers or a vegetable display where greens is arranged in the shape of a festive circle?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, naturally, but despite that, after the degree of scrutiny she has weathered ever since she met Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of acting royalty would struggle to act this genuinely. Her decision to alter or even tone down her shtick, even though it being so relentlessly, internationally ridiculed, is weirdly comforting. In our volatile world, here is one thing we can depend on: Meghan will be like this, come what may. We will forever know our position with her.
If you're remaining skeptical of what she's selling, a point that will certainly come as a relief: you are not obligated to. We don't have national service anymore, and if there were, it would be improbable to include streaming With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you choose to watch and are gripped with longing about her picture-perfect Christmas, there is hope either. If you are a duchess or a data administrator, no kid completely grasps the time and energy their mother expends in the holiday season. So you can take heart by envisioning her children's faces when they unfold a handwritten message that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, rather than a sweet treat.
