With their latest Netflix project, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are attempting to increase public interest in the elite world of professional polo.
Needless to say, this is no easy feat.
And so far, it seems as if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have failed to convince the public that the rich man on horseback is worthy of their enthusiasm.
Harry and Meghan’s doomed polo project
As you may remember, Harry and Meghan signed a huge deal with Netflix shortly after stepping down as members of the royal family.
Nearly five years later, the partnership has yielded mixed results.
document series harry and meghan — which focused on the couple’s personal life — made a splash on Netflix. But later series about Harry’s participation in the Invictus Games came and went with much less fanfare.
Now, it looks like polo Poised to meet a similar fate.
The first trailer premiered this week poloAnd it’s being criticized for everything from its Bravo-esque tone to its alleged portrayal of Harry and Meghan to its complete absence.
“It’s hilarious, but not in a good way. It’s so sticky and disgusting that it’s literally one of the worst things about polo. “I watched it in horror,” a source who played polo with Harry told The Daily Beast.
Another insider, identified as a “former friend” of Harry’s, said, “The irony is that polo is actually a surprisingly inclusive sport these days.”
The second source continued, “You see a lot of rich kids, but there are also a lot of kids from less privileged backgrounds who are great riders who are sponsored by teams.”
“It doesn’t feel like the show is going to build on that, which is really a missed opportunity.”
criticized for polo It comes after a difficult year in which Meghan’s Spotify podcast was canceled after just one season.
A recent poll has revealed that Harry and Meghan are less popular in Britain than ever before. So the couple could really use a Stateside hit these days.
“It seems to have failed to capture the imagination. They still have Meghan’s cooking show coming out next year, but they have very little tolerance for spending money these days,” an unnamed Hollywood producer told The Daily Beast.
“It’s debatable whether anyone cares about these two if they aren’t serving up derogatory stories about the royals. They are running out of last chances to prove that this is not so. If they can’t do that, they can try to earn their fame on social media. Many people will still pay Harry a million rupees for a post.
a rigorous analysis
But perhaps the harshest criticism came from popular UK columnist Liz Jones, a former supporter of Harry and Meghan who has turned against the couple in recent years.
“What next? Her own slot on the shopping channel? How can Harry and Meghan travel the world preaching about poverty, diversity and inclusion when not a single black player can be spied on, Jones wrote this week.
“The amount of money required to run a polo team undoubtedly exceeds that of Formula 1. How can they lecture us about global warming when a player admits he flies to Argentina twice a week?”
polo The premiere won’t take place until December 10th, but it looks like the public has already made up their minds about the project.
And this could cause trouble for Harry and Meghan.