Yes, it's Packed with Nonsense, Extreme Hosting and Psychobabble. Yet I Truly Adore Meghan's Christmas Special.
No matter the season, it's perpetually hunting season for scrutiny on the Duchess of Sussex's televisual offering, With Love, Meghan. Critics, both professional and armchair, have seldom found such common ground as when gleefully ripping the lifestyle show's earlier episodes to shreds. The common opinion was that a bigger monarchy-related faux pas had never been witnessed than the much-discussed snack re-labeling incident.
Now, like a merry renegade master, she is back once again with a "Holiday Celebration" (also known as a Christmas special). But this time, it's different. The usual elements viewers are accustomed to – vague self-help platitudes, overzealous entertaining – remain, but within the context of a Christmas special, suddenly it all makes sense. The puzzle has come together; it's a perfect snow storm.
At this stage, Meghan resembles the quirky relative at the typical holiday get-together – providing random tips, and contributing 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 a bit of a character, but her presence is familiar and strangely comforting. And she seems pleased; she's not doing a bit of damage.
She knows her all subtle gestures, utterance and look will be picked apart and judged, but still appears carefree and too blessed to be stressed.
It could be this is the only time in history where that well-worn saying – "Pay no mind, it's only envy" – could actually be true. Since, you know what?, each element in Meghan's Holiday Celebration truly is charming. Granted, it's all cringily ultra-extra, foolishness and extravagant – but doesn't that represent exactly what Christmas is all about? And the talk she's talking might be laughable, but the life she leads appears to be impeccably styled.
Anything she attempts, she accomplishes with panache. Her cooking looks tasty, the wreath she creates is stunning, her presents are practically too exquisite to tear into. Not a single thing is average or visually unappealing – including the way she fastens her kitchen garment is artful and chic. She doesn't throw a dish in the oven, it "has a moment", and she creases wrapping paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be completely savoring herself from start to finish. How could any skeptical viewer not be convinced, filled with festive joy and left with a intense desire for handmade crackers or a vegetable display where greens is organized in the shape of a Christmas ring?
Meghan used to pretend for a living, of course, but even so, after the intensity of attention she has weathered since she started dating Prince Harry, a theoretical combination of acting royalty would struggle to act this genuinely. Her refusal to change or even soften her shtick, despite it being so persistently, globally mocked, is oddly heartening. In our volatile world, here is one thing we can depend on: Meghan will remain herself, come what may. We will always know where we are with her.
If you're not yet convinced by her message, a point that will undoubtedly come as a relief: you don't have to. There isn't mandatory conscription these days, and if there were, it would be doubtful to include watching With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you willingly check it out and are overcome with envy about her flawless Christmas, all is not lost either. Whether you're a duchess or a data administrator, no kid truly appreciates the effort and hard work their mum puts in in the holiday season. So you can take heart by picturing 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 chocolate.
