Love, Meghan. Why everyone is criticizing Netflix series about the Duchess of Sussex
A still from the series Love, Meghan
After the premiere of Meghan Markle's new show Love, Meghan on Netflix, it was criticized both in the press and on social media. Experts have already concluded that the Duchess of Sussex and her husband, Prince Harry, have failed to win the trust of viewers again.
What is Love, Meghan about
In each of the show's eight episodes, Meghan invites famous friends to her home and shares her tips on housekeeping and cooking with them.
This was not slow to draw comparisons to the American TV presenter and "Queen of American Housewives" Martha Stewart.
Among the Duchess of Sussex's famous guests were actress Mindy Kaling, her former co-star on the TV series Force Majeure Abigail Spencer, athlete Delphine Blacquier, and chefs Roy Choi and Alice Waters.
This show is the royal couple's latest project for Netflix as part of their deal, which is estimated to be worth $100 million.
What critics say
For example, in an article by Variety, Markle's show is criticized for trying to "cram eight long episodes with a limited number of new ideas".
In particular, it is noted that "Meghan's quirks range from repeatedly commenting on the beauty of egg yolk to her devotion to placing 'edible flowers' on any dish."
Meghan Markle cooks as part of her new show (photo: instagram.com/meghan)
"The show looks like a forced march, where Meghan's guests must first praise her to be able to spend the day in the kitchen," the review says.
Meghan Markle with a guest of her show (photo: instagram.com/meghan)
In the UK, as expected, the Telegraph gave the show harsh reviews, while The Guardian, which traditionally criticizes the monarchy, could not rate the show higher than one star.
"The lack of humor, irony, self-awareness, and a realistic view of this deeply unequal and apocalyptic world makes 'Love, Meghan' so unpleasant," the journalists wrote.
The Guardian also called the show "ridiculous" and criticized Meghan's attempt to become "the second Martha Stewart," saying it failed.
The Independent described the program as "boring and tedious," while the Daily Mail called it "so awful it's almost exciting."
Meghan Markle with a guest of her show (photo: instagram.com/meghan)
The British edition of The Times criticized Prince Harry's wife for her "ostentatious optimism" and for showing off her extraordinary wealth and surprisingly exclusive lifestyle as if it were available to everyone.
But there were publications that were less harsh in their responses, including Vogue, which noted that some of Meghan's episodes, such as bouquet making and cooking, were "interesting and relatable" and demonstrated her "passion."
Harper's Bazaar noted that the series shows Markle returning "to her roots," referring to her lifestyle blog The Tig, which she ran from 2014 to 2017, and added that the show strikes a "fine balance between friendly lifestyle voyeurism" and "genuine, useful content."
A still from the series Love, Meghan
Social media users also shared their thoughts on Markle's new project.
- Why does everyone who can afford an expensive kitchen think that we want them to teach us how to cook?
- I think that filming in a house that doesn't belong to them creates a sense of falsity
- If you pay attention to all her videos, she hardly ever makes eye contact. She's always saying something incoherently, touching her face and looking somewhere
The network writes that Meghan plays the role of a hospitable housewife poorly, giving stupid and inappropriate advice.
Users also predict the failure of the show and believe that the Dukes of Sussex will break off cooperation with the streaming service, whose contract is estimated at $100 million.
Sources: Variety, Telegraph, The Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail, The Times, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar.
