It was not long back when the ‘trad wife phenomenon’ started gaining momentum on social media. Beautifully located homes in suburban areas, palatial mansions, privileged families, haute couture and perfect hair hold the premise of the ‘traditional wife’ content. Traditional wife or the trad wife is a modus operandi instilled deep in archaic traditions. The ideologies oppress women, entrap them within the four walls of the home, and strip them of their identity and autonomy. Not only that, but the idea of a trad wife restricts women from gaining financial independence and turns them into a homemade marshmallow.
In the recent past, social media viewers have seen enough of trad wife reels on Tik Tok and Instagram. But who thought someone would turn into a series? And that someone will be Meghan Markle. The Duchess of Sussex’s latest Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, is a testament to the glorification of traditional wives.
The trailer of Meghan’s new show is filled with ‘tips & tricks’ of cooking and gardening, with celebrity guests like Mindy Kaling and Abigail Spencer. Royal commentator and film critic Richard Fitzwilliam called the trailer “Terribly artificial” and “Disneyfied”.
Meghan Markle, who is known for championing feminism and social justice causes, now comes with a cookery show. The Duchess had gained massive support from women when she spoke out about being treated unfairly by the royal family. She was subjected to racism and misogyny in the UK and decided to move away from her royal status.
However, since then, Meghan’s personality has been disappointing. In fact, the last few docuseries about the royal couple’s life on Netflix were massive failures. Their show ‘Harry & Meghan’ gained little attention and felt sanctimonious. Even the upcoming show ‘With Love, Meghan’ seems no different from the previous archetypes.
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Meghan’s cooking show is said to be a celebration of food, family and togetherness. The trailer takes us through a dreamy kitchen, Brit recipes and personal anecdotes. But feminists online have accused Meghan of rebranding herself– from ‘feminist trailblazer to the queen of the ‘trad wife’ trend.’ The candles, charcuterie boards and fluffed pillows are a far cry from the feminist Meghan.
Fans expressed their disappointment online, saying that they can’t believe it’s the same Meghan who wrote to Procter & Gamble demanding to change their sexist ad at the age of 11. Meghan, who once campaigned against society’s expectations of women, is now giving in. If the pretentious approach to the show wasn’t enough, MailOnline revealed, “she has chosen to film the eight-episode series ‘With Love, Meghan’ in a kitchen and home that isn’t her own – despite living around the corner.”
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Meghan’s new show isn’t set in her $20 million Montecito mansion, but rather a more relatable and measly $9 million mansion down the road. Even though she keeps saying in the trailer that she is inviting people to ‘her home’, she’s actually not. The show markets itself as a ‘casual at home Meghan’, but the luxury kitchen and high-end cookware seem far from ordinary.
Well, the bigger question is, why is Meghan doing this? Meghan’s romanticising domestic life could be her accepting the lifestyle. On the other hand, the rebranding could also be a part of a larger strategy to salvage her and Harry’s media projection. What do the episodes of With Love, Meghan have in store for us? Only time will tell.
The show will be released on Jan 15, 2025.
