As Ever Part 6: Definitely NOT a trad wife

[Strudie]

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5286597-as-ever-part-v-two-stunt-lemons-with-love-meghan

Carry on! Reviews from the US are trickling in, so far, not so good - https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-duchess-of-sussex-1236327469/

I think he just totally buys into what she tells him. I wonder if he questions anything at all. He’s led by the nose (or something else) by her. Even when she was mocking having to curtsy to the Queen he didn’t say anything to her , despite looking a bit disgusted. He is terrified of losing her and she knows she is nothing without him and the titles.

The Tindalls still profit from their royal connections even though they are not working royals.

And Meghan and Harry’s supporters on these threads pillory them for it. Which I always found curious.

Surely the more logical viewpoint is that both the Tindall’s and the Sussexes are in the same position now. If you critique Zara and Mike from profiting off their royal connections why would you not accept that Meghan and Harry will be subject to exactly the same criticism in return? Particularly because the Sussexes have more directly profited from their connection, by publishing Spare, the Oprah interview and their Netflix documentary.

Plus hanging onto their titles and giving their children titles. They’re merching their royal connections far more than the Tindalls ever have.

Also MT had an actual career and so does Zara. They don’t just live off inheritances whilst doing absolutely nothing of any consequence.

Yes & the Queen perhaps noted this herself. ‘The problem is he loves her too much’.

Not sure why you have honed in on my post considering as I totally ignored yours and scrolled on by, or why, as a supposedly new poster to these threads you have decided that I’m a monarchist, can’t see anywhere where I have denied Harry is the son of Charles or the brother of William but thanks for pointing out these inescapable facts, I would never have realised that without your insightful post, who knew that Harry would still be related to them both, my mind is officially blown🤯

From Claire waight kellers instagram page
She's the creative director of UNIQLO
Apparently!
Notice that Meghan is still forging ahead with the logo and name despite the controversy!

And that was a truly bizarre and creepy thing for a grown man to do.

Terrible, bland packaging.

The 'emblem' is like something you'd expect to see on a Middle Eastern airline, not an 'aspirational' food line.

I took one for the team and watched some episodes (using Tor and one of my 'naughty' sites as I don't want to add to her viewing figures on Netflix) and my overall impressions are as follows:

1. The entire series has a strangely defensive tone to it, with a faint but distinct underlay of mild aggression. Meghan appears to be using the series to hit back at common criticisms of her which random people (like us) make on the internet. They said I'm a bully? Well, here's some footage of me giving snacks to the camera crew! They said I've isolated Harry? No, look at all these lovely employees friends I have around me! They said I'm cold and toxic? INCORRECT - I show my love by labelling pretzels, and look, here's one of my employees best friends who'll spontaneously say how loving I am! They said I'm joyless? Screw you, here's some footage of my breaking out into a spontaneous jig on a walk! That's joyful! Isn't it? ISN'T IT??? Say it is or I'll give you one of my evil looks. BE JOYFUL, BITCH, OR ELSE!!! As I've said before, the worst trap any influencer can fall into is to allow their output to be controlled by a desire to hit back at their detractors. It's generally a death knell for an influencer's career and it's very jarring to see Meg falling into it at the start of her influencing career.
2. It's all so STIFF and AWKWARD! Nigella, Nadiya, Martha and any other lifestyle guru I could name, are successful because they have an easy charisma and charm on-camera. I want to make Nigella's Slut Spaghetti, not because pasta puttanesca is especially unusual or challenging as a dish, but because Nigella makes it look so fun, so laid back, so wink wink mildly naughty, that I want to try it too. It looks like FUN. Meghan tries very, very hard to bring the same sense of fun and feminine sexuality to the series, but because she's fundamentally lacking in charisma, it's all very stiff, awkward and faintly embarrassing, like watching a desperately out-of-his-depth teenager struggling through a speech on high school awards night. It's mildly stressful to watch, and cringey, when it should be fun and flirtatious. There's nothing Meg can do about this to be fair to her. Charisma is a weird thing. Everyone can recognise it, and a person either has it or they don't.
3. It's beautifully shot and photographed. That special soft yet brilliant quality of SoCal sunlight, like honey, is perfectly captured, so props to the Director of Photography (didn't note who it was).
4. The brand confusion is strong throughout. It's a lifestyle show which presents us with a lifestyle which only the 0.0000001% can enjoy. But at the same time, it's not because the 0.0000001% don't make their own labels or cook their own pasta or decorate their own parties. They hire people to do that, as Kaling said. And SoCal royalty would definitely dismiss a balloon sculpture as horrible passe. So is it the 0.000001% telling the 99.99999% how to do basic bitch midwest mom things? And if so, isn't that....a bit cruel and patronising? Look at me, I'm so rich, but I like pretzels like you little people. And here I am, from the goodness of my heart, to show you how to decant pretzels from one plastic bag to another!
5. And speaking of plastic bags...the climate crisis is real. As all the citizens of California sadly have good reason to know. As does Meghan because she and Harry gave a speech in 2019 specifically urging hoi polloi to fly less, use less plastic and generally waste less. So why is she starring in a show which centres and fetishizes the wasteful, the gaudy and the disposable? Plastic bags. Plastic balloons. Plastic party favours. Plastic everything.

TLDR: WLM is beautifully shot and presented but there ain't much going on under the bonnet.

These presumably must still be samples - there doesn’t appear to be any of the government required product information anywhere in sight on those?

I don’t think any of us can possibly know how psychologically damaging it would be to be the focus of so much negativity.

I expect the dozens of staff and colleagues who have given testimony to the numerous, independent and credible investigations into her bullying, harassing and belittling behaviour could possibly know how psychologically damaging it was to be the focus of so much negativity.

Some where hounded from their jobs and others had to resort to professional therapy due to the mental injury inflicted on them by her appalling behaviour.

They have never challenged any of the many separate publications reports of her bullying behaviour legally despite being highly litigious having numerous other court cases running simultaneously. You would think in an industry where you reputation was critical she would do everything to uphold it and sue for defamation and slander.

Yes absolutely, Kate reluctantly sharing her lipgloss with Meghan must have caused long lasting trauma, and as for not giving her a lift to the shops, well how do you ever recover from abuse like that?

Yes, I did. I only watched the first 15 mins of Ep 1 though.

that s is terrible

where's that scene?

at least tell me the balloons aren't filled with helium

Doing the Jam rounds again, just without the
lemons 🍋 this time and cringe basket posing.
The packaging seems a bit wasteful and OTT. Is it perfume?! Is it a diffuser?!! Nah. It’s just some jam…..does anyone buy jam as a standalone gift? Or does Meghan seriously think people will buy her jam because it comes in that container?! That only works for Jo Malone!!

I managed the entire episode but I had to stop for breaks as I was so bored. Who wants to just sit and watch two rather uninteresting people talk to each other, did Meghan forget she has viewers, it would be nice to be included.

So no idea what the white frame is but I do have to say the view sitting out in the garden was glorious. I know it’s not her house (hers is bigger and better?) but if I had that kind of life I really could not be bothered to try and be a Hollywood A lister. I would just soak up and enjoy the beauty of that place and occupy myself with little projects that don’t need global attention and approval.

And speaking of plastic bags...the climate crisis is real. As all the citizens of California sadly have good reason to know. As does Meghan because she and Harry gave a speech in 2019 specifically urging hoi polloi to fly less, use less plastic and generally waste less. So why is she starring in a show which centres and fetishizes the wasteful, the gaudy and the disposable? Plastic bags. Plastic balloons. Plastic party favours. Plastic everything.

Excellent point as always @GiveMeSpanakopita!
As Chandler from Friends would say “Could she BE anymore hypocritical?!”

I think the white frame is for flashbacks / "here's one I made earlier" segments.

Where did he say that about his family?

Meghan is a television presenter. The key professional attributes of a successful television presenter are the ability to give a warm, natural, charismatic performance on camera, even (and especially) if they have reason to believe that some of the show's viewers may have critical or negative opinions of the show.

The ability to 'shake it off', get on stage and knock 'em dead is literally THE job of a television presenter. Scratch that - it's literally what showbusiness is all about! People who cannot do this - don't get into showbusiness!

Meghan has the luxury of not having to be a television presenter. She's not a coal miner in the DRC with a bad back and failing eyesight, forced to do a painful and exploitative job because she has no other option. Nor is she a frail amateur who needs patience and forbearance, like a child nervously giving her first violin recital. She is doing a job in which she has a great deal of experience, presenting on a subject about which she says she is passionate.

In the world of streaming, we viewers have a multiplicity of viewing options. It is Meghan's job to seize our attention by giving a strong, excellent performance. She owes us, the viewer, an interesting show. We owe her nothing, and since she is immensely privileged and does not need to do the job, we don't have to give her patience, forbearing from making negative comments in case we hurt her feelings.

If showbiz is too intimidating for Meghan then she should not be in showbiz. Simples.

I’d need to look back at the Colbert interview but it was vague & along lines of ‘I’ve never seen anything like it’.

The Tindalls are world class athletes and extremely successful in their own right.