Yes, it's Brimming with Absurdity, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. However, I Honestly Cherish Meghan's Christmas Special.
No considering the season, it's constantly hunting season for scrutiny on the Meghan Markle's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, expert and amateur alike, have seldom found such common ground as when enthusiastically shredding the series' earlier episodes to shreds. The prevailing view held that a greater royal outrage had never been witnessed than the much-discussed pretzel-bagging incident.
Presently, like a merry renegade master, she has returned with a new offering with a "Holiday Celebration" (or a Christmas special). But this time, things have shifted. The usual elements audiences anticipate – meaningless jargon salads, overzealous entertaining – remain, but within the context of a Christmas special, the purpose becomes clear. The elements have slid perfectly; it's a perfect snow storm.
At this stage, Meghan is like the eccentric aunt at the typical holiday get-together – providing unasked-for guidance, and delivering 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 company is customary and strangely comforting. And she looks content; she's causing any harm.
She understands her every micro expression, word and glance will be picked apart and criticised, but nonetheless looks unburdened and too blessed to be stressed.
Perhaps this is the only time in history where that clichéd phrase – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – may well be true. The reason is, let's face it, everything in Meghan's Holiday Celebration honestly feels lovely. Granted, it's all cringily ultra-extra, silliness and flamboyant – but is that not precisely what Yuletide is about? And the words she speaks might be ridiculous, but the walk she's walking genuinely looks impeccably styled.
Whatever she attempts, she accomplishes with panache. Her cooking looks tasty, the festive decoration she crafts is gorgeous, her gifts are nearly too beautiful to open. Nothing is ordinary or aesthetically displeasing – including the way she ties her apron is creative and fashionable. She doesn't bung a dish in the microwave, it "goes for a spin", and she folds wrapping paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself the entire time. How could any cynical observer not be convinced, filled with festive joy and left with a deep longing for handmade crackers or a crudites platter where broccoli is organized in the form of a Christmas ring?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, obviously, but nonetheless, after the degree of attention she has endured since she started dating Prince Harry, the love child of two legendary actresses would find it hard to appear this authentically. Her decision to alter or even moderate her routine, despite it being so persistently, widely parodied, is strangely reassuring. In our volatile world, here is something we can count on: Meghan will stay true to form, no matter what. We will forever know our position with her.
If you're still not buying her brand, a point that will surely come as a reassurance: you aren't required to. We don't have the draft anymore, and should it be reinstated, it would be improbable to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you choose to watch and are overcome with longing about her idyllic Christmas, you can take solace either. Whether you're a duchess or a everyday person, no kid fully understands the time and energy their parent does in December. So you can console yourself by picturing the young royals' faces when they reveal a handwritten message that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, instead of a candy.
