‘Something about that offends people’: Columnist knows the real reason critics hate ‘With Love, Meghan’

Meghan Markle’s latest outing on Netflix has been widely panned by critics and regular viewers alike. While there has been a ton of justification for why people dislike the show so much, one columnist believes she knows the real reason people aren’t exactly vibing with Meghan and her food.

Upon its initial release With Love Meghan did relatively well — at least well enough to bag a second season — the show saw the Duchess of Sussex offering tips on being a great host as well as preparing great meals and generally just living what appears to be a pretty blissful life. 

The general consensus was that the show was boring and lacked substance and numerous vocal critics claimed they couldn’t even get past the first episode — Meghan’s own half-brother even joined the crowd to slate the show. While they may have a point, the level of backlash the show received seems excessive. So what was it that angered so many people? One columnist thinks she knows the answer.

Why was Meghan Markle’s show so hated?

Speaking on the Morning Edition, Leslie Gray Streeter, a columnist for The Baltimore Banner, shared the real reason people dislike the show. According to her, it’s a combination of “racism and jealousy that is couched in racism and a little classism.” When asked what it was that convinced her that’s the case she claimed that the conversation surrounding Meghan has always been related to race.

“The response to her has always been couched in race… But seeing her having a soft life, having a life where she can be at leisure to have bees in her backyard and make fruit rainbows and balloon arches, seems like that’s the final straw. Something about that offends people.”

Streeter goes on to say that a soft life and money are, “not something I think that women of African descent are expected to have.” She suggests that Meghan rubs many people the wrong way because she refuses to conform to the expectations society has for her, “all women and I think particularly women of color – are expected to be self-deprecating, to not take too much credit, lest we be called arrogant or intimidating.”

She has a point

While many will simply shrug off Streeter’s two cents on the situation — it’s hard to deny she might be onto something here. Meghan’s heritage represents a shift in the traditional royal system that people are used to, she’s a disruptive force in many ways and people don’t necessarily like that. 

Prince Harry and Meghan also drew attention to the “unconscious bias” within the royal family during their Oprah interview and we’ve heard how Harry’s family struggled to cope with Meghan’s overly-affectionate and confident personality. In short, her race and her refusal to conform has likely always been a factor in why she’s received such toxic attention from the media and public in general. It may not be everyone’s reason for disliking her, but it certainly does play a part.