Why Bridgerton is starting to look like a political satire of our times
The fictional antics of the rich and powerful in Bridgerton seem closer to home as the Peter Mandelson scandal continues to unfold
Sometimes reality is too much and you have to look away. From the newsfeed of incriminating emails and photographs of the entitled rich and powerful, the lords, royals and fashionably famous.
People like Peter Mandelson in his robe and white underpants (seared on the nation’s retina, never to be unseen) and the Andrew formerly known as Prince with his octopus arms embracing young women sporting rictus smiles. Then there are lickspittle politicians who claim with ‘hindsight’ they were lied to. Duh! Which is worse, dear voter, incompetence or turning a blind eye?
Meanwhile, wars rage, the planet burns and the average person continues to be worse off as the rich get richer, so let’s take solace in an escapist fantasy such as the new season of Bridgerton.
‘Away with clothes!’
Ah Bridgerton, a fun, frivolous Regency world of balls and mansions, glamorous costumes, exotic sets, peopled by ridiculous royals, libertine lords, dysfunctional and fashionably famous families protected by wealth and status, pursuing advantageous alliances in the pursuit of power and influence, while indulging in inappropriate liaisons behind the scenes and being caught in various states of undress and barking “away with clothes!”
All of it observed by Mrs Whistledown, the Regency version of media, calling out bad behaviour and holding ‘society’ to account with her news sheet, because this hypocrisy happens in plain sight.
It’s all starting to look horribly familiar, but at least this fictional version provides laughs, promotes inclusivity and is peopled by the beautiful. Not that politicians should require beauty – honesty, diligence, principles, possession of a moral compass would do. Because as the beautiful, headstrong Kate Sharma, aka Lady Bridgerton, who rocks an Empire-waisted silk gown and is no daft, tells her ditto beautiful, headstrong, rocks-Regencycore debutante sister: "It is not a man's appearance or title that will woo you. It is his mind and spirit that will court yours."
Rakehells and modistes
Mind and spirit, so not someone who has no recollection of receiving £75,000 from a dubious acquaintance then? Would the average person think someone who says they didn’t notice that amount thudding into their bank account is a good bet to be sent to Tesco with a tenner to get the cat biscuits, never mind becoming ambassador to the US?
But back to ‘The Ton’, which also has its own vocabulary. There are rakes (rakehells or libertines, ie sexually promiscuous), chaperones (surely a good idea ‘going forward’ for royals and politicians as well as debutantes) and modistes (dressmakers, think Victoria Beckham) and second sons (won’t inherit, apt to off the rails).
It’s a feast of entitlement that requires an army of servants stoically putting up with one day off a year because it’s that or the streets, “thank you for the opportunity to polish all 100 pairs of your shoe collection m’lady I’ll jump to do that right after I’ve disposed of your night waste”.
And this season they’ve received a pleasing costume upgrade (delicately embroidered pie crust collars, nice) and more lines as one breaks ranks in a bid for advancement/survival in a Cinderella plot twist – you go girl.
Roll on Bridgerton because if I have to look at one more picture of Mandelson in his pants (would it pain you to wear some colour, Your Grace?), I shall eat my crushed velvet reticule.
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