With Love, Meghan

[Atlasvue]

Just setting up a thread for the release of the new cooking show, 15th January 2025

Reviews so far of the trailer, some very funny:

https://amp.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/jan/03/meghan-markle-netflix-show- Lefty paper not impressed. Trad wife.

https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/foodanddrink/cook-meghan-markle-with-love-netflix-b1202861.html - Great read. Very very funny

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1995903/meghan-markle-netflix-series-cooking- Domestic bliss doesn’t sit with years of grievances.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/01/03/with-love-meghan-netflix-trailer-cringe-moments/ - Great read. Very very funny

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-barefoot-contessa-martha-stewart-b1202748.html - Meghan fan who has their doubts about a dated tv format.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14248119/amp/Now-Meghan-trad-wife-feminist-Duchess-rebranded-housewife-influencer-new-Netflix-cookery-vision-domestic-bliss.html - Feminist to Trad wife.

Will update with anymore reviews

Bad timing plagues all their major announcements. It's hard to promote domestic bliss now with so many people having lost their homes in their hometown. It would be really in bad taste (not that they seem to ever be self aware of it).

I agree. It is sort of a 'tease'. I'll let you see the back of my precious child's head but you're not good enough to see their face.

The thing is, if you're a talented actor or singer or whatever, there's no 'need' to show your children as that's not the thing on which your success depends. In Meghan's case, however, she has no marketable credentials other than her family connections. So if she is serious about starting up a lifestyle brand, she'll have to sustain interest in her 'lifestyle'. A few C list friends eating Victoria Sponge is going to get tired quite soon. So at some point I think she'll have to 'show' the children.

I don't think MM is too bothered about criticism. At times I wish I had her thick skin.

On the contrary, I think both she and her husband are hyper sensitive to criticism and obsessed with controlling the narrative.

Surely the release date is down to Netflix (which is streamed world wide and not just in the US)? So, not bad taste on M's part but possibly bad timing for her image.

I said bad timing plagues their "announcements". Their major exit from the RF family came just before Covid etc. Now she just released a promotion and here comes the fires. IF she continues to promote it on her new instagram and such it will be in bad taste.

It's very weird- Harry said he doesn't look at social media. She said that she had people to operate her SM. You would want to know what was being said about your projects surely? Maybe she is so headstrong about her belief that she is "special " as drummed into her by her parents ? Yet reports by Harry about her crying curled up on the floor about certain things don't suggest thick skinned. Of course that could be fodder for books. I knew a narcissist and they believed they were so well liked - I think it's more likely to be that. They really don't see what they do wrong in trying to secure their number one position.

In the past there have been certain dramas delayed from tv because of adverse current events which were too similar. I don't think a cooking show comes into this category.

Because they lie and make things up as they go along. Of course they read SM.

It’s like when meghan had on her Wiki page that she was an actress and fashion model. The day before her n Harry’s relationship was announced, it was changed to activist, humanitarian, Tig founder and actress. Yet, when she was doing a photo shoot not too long ago, she was saying to Harry, she’s just a mom and not a model, she doesn’t know what to do, obviously to fishing for compliments.

They constantly lie

I think it’s trying to suggest that you are one of the ‘haters’ (ie irrational, obsessed, and full of hate) rather than a normal person with an interest in the RF/telly/cooking programs/sleb twaddle

Even though I wouldn’t know the answer, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with knowing how many DC Mindy has, nor that she keeps their images off SM, nor in wondering whose kids will be at the kids party and what will be shown.

After all, what’s the point of a trailer other than to get you wondering about what’s in the show?

It's not really a 'cooking show' though, is it?

From what we can see, it's more of a 'lifestyle' show, promoting a very idealised elite California lifestyle. That will jar with the background of fires raging in this very area. I don't think the launch will or should be delayed however.

I think they have had several strokes of bad luck since they left the role of working royal - pot of their control, but really mucking up their momentum. Any early plans they had for how they would debut Stateside must have been comprehensively scuppered by US/global Covid restrictions, so when they finally could start doing stuff, their situation was very old news - not something new and exciting to flock to.

I haven’t checked the news yet today on the fires. Last I heard was that they are still out of control, and that although the wind has dropped a bit it’s still dangerously strong and there is more in the forecast. The emergency services are amazing for just keeping going even when it must seem hopeless

They have had bad luck with timing, but especially with Covid, so did everyone else. They’ve also had huge advantages which gave them a whopping head start.

At this stage they should be in a position to ride those storms.

True @IcedPurple

From the BBC

“Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain in their home in Montecito, California. The fires are burning some distance from there.
The BBC understands the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been truly shocked by the situation and are keeping a close eye on developments.”

This is what I mean. They are close to a big event happening, so they are expected as Royals to say something.

This is why the celeb stuff doesn’t work. It’s not bad timing, it’s trying to launch yourself as a celeb butting against this. If they only undertook charitable efforts etc, the issue of the fires themselves, wouldn’t cause an issue for Meghan. But because she is Royal, she is expected to comment on such issues but then that scuppers her efforts as a celeb, who wouldn't need to talk about these things and be asked for comment.

This why it looks like bad timing but it isn’t. There will always be big events happening in the world that Royals (who keep themselves in the public eye) will be expected to comment on.

She can’t do both- be a Royal and Celeb and expect smooth sailing. She will always be curtailed by world events while maintaining dual roles. Just like when the Queen died and she had to delay the podcasts.

To be honest the covid lockdown period should have been when they should planned how they were going to set out their stall and what their brand was going to be and focus on that. But they were in full blown victim mode then. So the only thing that scuppered things was them and their inability to see beyond their immediate situation. They had no proper business strategy.

Isn’t it just that H is British? In any disaster the reports will say how many Britons have been caught up in it. I think it’s less about being royal per se, and more about him being a prominent person of interest to the British public.

I agree. I think any celebrity who lives in California would be expected to make some comment about the fires.

I don't think it's because the Sussexes are 'royal'. Besides, they aren't royal in the sense of representing anyone other than themselves. They're no different to the York sisters or the Tindalls these days.

They wouldn’t be specifically contacted by the Media unless they were directly involved.

That doesn’t happen with Royals, you are contacted for comment on a number of issues that doesn’t have a direct impact.

I think it’s more likely that they know they can get a comment from the Sussexes who have an established route for getting stories into the press, they don’t have to do to much digging for contacts, it’s easy copy for them.

Re their bad luck with timing: although covid scuppered their chance to appear on the 'after dinner' speech circuit and other public appearances, as PP said, it was perfect for having a 'time out' to plan their futures. Netflix (and also possibly Spotify) were riding high on a wave of success and people purchased 'at home' entertainment and they may not have secured those massive contracts without that.

I agree. Covid launched a thousand podcasts. Podcasters who didn't have studios built for them in their own homes by Spotify or multi-million pound deals with Netflix. Their lack of output or ideas isn't about bad timing, it's about lack of talent in the areas they wish to succeed in and half arsed ideas built on other peoples' work, eg the Emily in Paris with a bloke idea. They have one unique talent, and that is shamelessly dishing dirt on their own families, and this is where they have had their success. Other people getting ill, dying, a global pandemic or wildfires is not "bad luck". It's bad stuff happening to other people. It's a classic narcissistic trait to externalise the locus of failure.

And much of their "bad luck" is simply ill will towards them generated by their own projects: the Oprah interview, The Netflix doc, Spare, the sketchy stuff they do with the Aspen Institute, the three ring circus that is now Invictus, the African Parks scandal etc etc. That's not bad luck, that's self inflicted wounds.

If I am honest I would rather they did not comment on the LA fires if they can only see them over the hill - who needs their opinion.

Yes the WRF is contacted about things - PH is Royal by birth and M by marriage - I am not sure their views are needed.

BUT that is one opinion and I am not American not living in that area so please do ask for this post to be deleted if it rings badly with anyone. Seriously.

I've been married for well over 30 years and even then, nobody would draw attention to themselves at a wedding by announcing a pregnancy or getting engaged!

I agree, nothing to do with modern women at all - it's just common decency and good manners!