Lifestyle icon Martha Stewart has candidly weighed in on Meghan Markle’s burgeoning venture into the competitive lifestyle brand industry, offering a perspective that quickly garnered significant media attention and sparked considerable discussion regarding celebrity enterprises and their public reception.
Stewart, often celebrated as the progenitor of the modern lifestyle brand phenomenon and dubbed “the influencer’s influencer,” was specifically questioned by Yahoo Australia about other high-profile figures, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle, emulating her success in establishing their own brands. The interviewer highlighted Stewart’s pioneering role, asking what it felt like to observe celebrities following in her footsteps within an industry she essentially created.
Further elaborating on her views, Stewart addressed Meghan Markle’s Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” during an interview with Access Hollywood. While admitting she had not yet viewed the show, Stewart expressed a distinct curiosity, stating her intention to watch an episode to assess its quality and Meghan’s performance, indicating a discerning eye towards new entrants in the media landscape.
This latest commentary aligns with Stewart’s previous reticence regarding Meghan Markle’s artisanal jam launch, which retailed at approximately $22.50 per jar. When pressed by a reporter for her thoughts on the product’s debut, Martha Stewart notably declined to engage, responding with a curt, “No, I’m not going there,” underscoring her selective approach to public commentary on competitive lifestyle brands.
The timing of Stewart’s remarks coincides with revelations concerning the underwhelming performance of the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series. Despite an initial flurry of interest following its March release, the show notably failed to secure a position within the streaming giant’s global top 300 programs, indicating a significant drop in sustained viewership.
In its debut week, “With Love, Meghan” briefly appeared on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Shows list, attracting an audience of 2.6 million viewers. However, the streaming performance quickly lost momentum, accumulating only an additional 2.7 million views over subsequent months, bringing its total to a modest 5.3 million and relegating it to the 383rd overall position worldwide.
Upon its premiere, the Netflix series faced widespread and scathing criticism from professional reviewers. The Guardian disparagingly characterized it as “gormless lifestyle filler” and suggested it might be “the Sussexes’ last TV show” due to its perceived pointlessness. Similarly, The Telegraph labeled the production “insane” and an “exercise in narcissism,” highlighting a generally negative critical consensus surrounding the venture.
The convergence of Martha Stewart’s pointed observations and the documented struggles of Meghan Markle’s Netflix series and related lifestyle brand endeavors underscores the immense challenges and intense scrutiny faced by public figures venturing into saturated markets. It highlights that even immense celebrity status does not guarantee sustained success or universal critical acclaim in highly competitive media and consumer landscapes.
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