Meghan Markle’s Netflix Series: A Dismal Reflection of Millennial Culture
If you haven’t heard yet, Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, is a resounding failure. It’s not just bad—it’s painfully tedious. This light, airy, and beige production features the Duchess of Sussex engaging in mundane activities like baking cakes, crafting candles, and designing personalized labels, all while creating balloon arches and transferring snacks from one plastic container to another. Throughout the episodes, she enthusiastically declares things are “beautiful” approximately fifteen times per hour. This series feels like a volcano of sycophancy, a festival of inanity, and ultimately, it is pointless, dull, and self-indulgent. While many of us may have once defended Meghan, especially after enduring the racist and misogynistic attacks from the British media, we now have to face the reality that her portrayal in this series comes off as annoyingly self-absorbed and narcissistic. At times, it’s hard to believe the show isn’t intended as satire.
This isn’t just a personal setback for Meghan or for her and Prince Harry’s troubled media venture, Archewell Productions; it represents a broader failure of millennial culture. The show is so absurdly ridiculous that it signals the end of an era: the once-aspirational millennial dream of oatmeal-tablescaping, mason-jar side hustles, and polished aesthetics is officially over.
Millennial Aspirations and Personal Branding
With Love, Meghan epitomizes the aspirational millennial playbook. Our generation, raised under the stern grasp of boomers, gradually came to realize—thanks to internet access, a devastating financial crisis, and the advent of front-facing cameras—that the most important pursuits in life involve embracing your true self and demonstrating that authenticity to the world. However, as reality television and influencer culture have been embroiled in scandals, the allure of a life spent promoting products and curating picture-perfect moments has faded, along with the aesthetic markers that once defined us.
One of the show’s most telling aspects is its focus on personal branding. From the charming baskets filled with fresh herbs to the string used for tying custom guest goodies, everything around Meghan is designed to project a consistent essence that reflects her persona. Though she has long been invested in lifestyle—having previously run a blog, The Tig, during her time on Suits—this series isn’t so much about a specific lifestyle element. It’s more about cooking, hosting, and decorating, all while Meghan strives to present herself in the most aspirational light possible. This notion has saturated the content generated and consumed by our generation: the quest to find and present your true authentic self, complete with tips on how to achieve that authenticity.
- Everything is light and airy.
- Meghan insists there’s no need for fuss or perfection.
- Yet the reality is that fuss and perfection are essential.
It’s laughable that her beautifully arranged plate of crudités and dips, adorned with edible flowers and styled to perfection, is presented to a friend as “imperfect.” It evokes the image of that one friend who claims they haven’t studied while acing their exams with flying colors.
Moreover, the atmosphere Meghan aims to create is relaxed: the California breeze wafts through the window, the kitchen is immaculate, and Meghan herself is stunning. Yet the events she prepares for are entirely fabricated—she and Mindy Kaling spend hours crafting “ladybug crostini” for a pretend children’s party, which they then pretend to attend to speculate on what the imaginary guests might think. This absurdity epitomizes the millennial flaw: the relentless pursuit of projecting authenticity, even at the expense of genuine happiness and peace of mind.
The End of Millennial Culture?
But never mind, fellow millennials; it seems our time is up. Every generation experiences that moment when they realize they are no longer the focal point of cultural conversations. For years, we’ve faced criticism for our shaky financial skills and obsession with overpriced coffee. We’ve been mocked for our affinity for pastel hues, brunch culture, and elaborate hen dos. Recently, we’ve felt a shift, transitioning from being chastised by boomers to facing a barrage of critiques from Gen Z: we must swap out our skinny jeans for wider fits, abandon the cry-laughing emoji, and toughen up.
Watching the utter waste of time and resources that is With Love, Meghan is a poignant reminder that millennial culture has lost its relevance. From avocado toast to high-waisted jeans and drinking from mason jars, these once-treasured symbols of our generation are now mere relics of the past. If we ever decide to hold a farewell ceremony for our culture, at least we know who to call for the catering.
