Indeed, it's Brimming with Absurdity, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Love Meghan's Holiday Special.
No considering the time of year, it's constantly open season for criticism on the Duchess of Sussex's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Critics, expert and amateur alike, have rarely been so united as when enthusiastically shredding the program's earlier episodes apart. The general consensus held that a more egregious regal scandal had seldom occurred than the much-discussed pretzel re-packaging incident.
Now, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she makes a comeback with a new offering with a "Holiday Celebration" (or a yuletide episode). Yet now, things have shifted. The familiar ingredients audiences anticipate – psychobabble word salads, overzealous entertaining – persist, but within the context of a holiday show, it all clicks into place. The pieces have fallen perfectly; it's a flawless festive blizzard.
By this point, Meghan has become the quirky relative at the typical holiday get-together – providing random tips, and delivering the odd random outburst. ("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 an interesting figure, but her company is customary and oddly reassuring. And she appears content; she's causing a bit of damage.
She is aware her all subtle gestures, syllable and look will be analyzed and scrutinized, but still appears carefree and serenely untroubled.
Maybe this is the initial instance in history where that clichéd phrase – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – may well be true. Since, you know what?, each element in Meghan's Holiday Celebration is lovely. Granted, it's all painfully excessive, nonsense and extravagant – but is that not precisely what Yuletide is all about? And the words she speaks might be laughable, but the walk she's walking genuinely looks shop-bought.
Whatever she sets her mind to, she accomplishes with style. Her recipes looks tasty, the holiday arrangement she crafts is gorgeous, her gifts are practically too exquisite to open. Not a single thing is average or ugly – even the way she ties her apron is stylish and elegant. She doesn't toss a meal in the microwave, it "takes a twirl", and she folds wrapping paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be completely savoring herself from start to finish. How could any cynical observer not be charmed, bursting with festive joy and left with a powerful yearning for personalized Christmas crackers or a vegetable display where greens is positioned in the shape of a festive circle?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, of course, but despite that, after the level of examination she has faced ever since she became involved with Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would find it hard to appear this genuinely. Her decision to alter or even soften her persona, even though it being so constantly, widely parodied, is weirdly comforting. In our unpredictable world, here is something we can count on: Meghan will stay true to form, no matter what. We will always know our position with her.
If you're not yet convinced by her brand, a point that will certainly come as a comfort: you aren't required to. The UK has abolished mandatory conscription in this country, and if there were, it would be doubtful to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, however, you willingly check it out and are gripped with longing about her flawless Christmas, all is not lost either. Whether you're a royal or a data administrator, no kid completely grasps the effort and hard work their mother puts in in the holiday season. So you can console yourself by imagining her children's faces when they reveal a handwritten message that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a handcrafted holiday countdown, instead of a candy.