Meghan Markle’s attempt at humor appears to have fallen flat, with fans left puzzled over her turkey-themed “mom joke.”
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, getting into the festive spirit, recently shared a clip of herself preparing a turkey ahead of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 27.
In the sped-up video, Meghan could be seen seasoning the bird with salt, pepper, and other spices, then grating lemon zest on top. She captioned the clip: “It’s ‘game’ time,” asking her followers if they “got” her “mom joke.”
However, the quip didn’t quite land, with one X/Twitter user asking for an explanation “like I’m five.”
The confusion seemed to arise from the fact that turkey is not typically classified as game — meat from hunted animals — with social media users admitting the pun “passed me by.”
“Is turkey considered a game bird? I mean, she got that plucked and trimmed from her butcher,” one user wrote. “I’d never call turkey game — that’s usually grouse or something you shoot. Maybe it’s different in the U.S., but if that’s the joke, it’s about as exciting as that dead bird.”
Another noted that while some turkeys might technically count as game if hunted, there’s “no chance hers is.”
One social media user quipped: “That’s not a wild turkey. Wild turkey = game. Butterball is just… turkey. No need to ‘chase’ them — they’re in the meat aisle at your grocery store.”
Another commented: “The quotation marks around ‘game’ and then ‘get it?’ — does she really think most people would pick up on such a dull pun?”
Several fans agreed, with one Redditor noting that when people think of game, they usually picture pheasant, partridge, quail, goose, wild duck, rabbit, or boar. While wild turkey could technically count, the one Meghan was seasoning in the video is clearly store-bought and not game.
The strained “game” pun wasn’t the only issue viewers had with Meghan’s Instagram turkey video posted last night.
Some criticized her for a potential food-safety risk, as she was seen handling the raw bird with her bare hands while wearing expensive jewelry.
Fans were concerned when Meghan appeared to touch various kitchen surfaces and appliances after handling the raw turkey without washing her hands. They also questioned her decision to wear jewelry, including a £7,000 Cartier Love bracelet and her wedding ring stack, pointing out that this could increase the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of harmful bacteria such as salmonella.
Meghan’s latest cooking video arrives just one week ahead of her Christmas Netflix special, With Love.
To promote the holiday-themed show, the Duchess of Sussex has been posting a variety of lifestyle content on Instagram — including a widely mocked “hack” for eating bagels with cream cheese and a clip of her making a yogurt parfait.
However, these videos appear to have backfired, with fans questioning whether Meghan has the skills to host a cooking show.
Critics argued she seems “very inexperienced in the kitchen,” pointing not only to the simplicity of her recipes but also to what they describe as basic food-prep mistakes.
Viewers of her recent turkey video were particularly concerned about her handling of the bird while wearing expensive jewelry: a £7,000 Cartier Love bracelet, her £134,000 engagement ring from Prince Harry, and her £12,700 gold wedding band.
Many suggested that wearing rings while preparing raw poultry could increase the risk of spreading harmful bacteria such as E.coli or salmonella, which are commonly found in the intestines of farm animals.
Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs are the foods most likely to carry these bacteria, which are usually killed during cooking. Contamination can occur if faeces come into contact with meat during butchering or if seafood is harvested from polluted waters.
“Who preps food with all that jewelry on and no gloves?” one viewer asked. “Can you imagine all the raw meat trapped under that ring that she’s literally rubbing over the turkey? Never mind the buildup under her nails and on that bracelet. Good luck to whoever ends up eating this!”
Another critic suggested: “I’d respect her more if she just had a show for non-cooks. She could be honest that she doesn’t really know much about actual food prep and just share her ‘go-to’ ways of putting a meal together. She could start with a Whole Foods Thanksgiving spread and just add her touches — though more than flower sprinkles would be needed. Honestly, the jewelry and lack of hygiene is off-putting.”
On Reddit, one user remarked that it was clear Meghan hadn’t taken any “food handling course,” while another added: “Nothing says ‘I’m a chef’ like cross-contamination.”
“This is me being petty, but I hate when TV cooks wear rings while preparing food. It’s messy and unsanitary,” one person commented. Another wrote: “Seriously, handling raw poultry without gloves? That’s a recipe for food poisoning.”
One Redditor even shared a cautionary story about wearing jewelry in the kitchen: “Rings can and will harbour germs. My mom learned that the hard way — she had to have her wedding and anniversary rings cut off because of an infection. Doctors said all it takes is one small scratch. I always remove my rings and other jewelry when cooking.”
The turkey video, in which Meghan appeared to dry-brine the bird ahead of cooking on Thursday, follows other recent clips promoting her lifestyle brand, As Ever. Earlier this month, she shared a tutorial using her $15 (£11) flower sprinkles to dress up a breakfast plate.
In the clip, Meghan scooped cream cheese onto a plate, then layered thinly-sliced strawberries and flower petals for “surprise and delight.” She added four untoasted bagel slices, topped them with the cream cheese, and sprinkled on the edible flowers. After stirring a $12 (£9) jar of jam with a knife, she used it to spread the cream cheese on the bagels and finished the dish with the fruit spread.
The video, posted to the As Ever Instagram page, was set to Da Do Ron Ron by The Crystals and captioned: “Strawberry! One of Oprah’s favourite things. Don’t miss out.”
Royal followers were left bewildered by the snack, calling Meghan an “inexperienced cook” with “no table etiquette.”
On X, one viewer wrote: “What in the ever-loving fresh hell is THIS?! So now to serve cream cheese, we smear it on a plate, throw leaves on it, and call it ‘elevated’? Get me out of here. The fruit goo looks disgusting.”
This follows similar criticism of Meghan’s recipe for “mulled water” using her $16 Spiced Cider Mulling Spice Kit, which was widely mocked online.
Fans struggled to understand the recipe, pointing out that the former Suits actress was essentially making a pot of plain mulled water, with one comparing it to “air freshener in mugs.”