Bridgerton is a Netflix series based on the book by Julia Quinn and Shonaland’s scripted show. The time period of Bridgerton is the 1800s under the Reign of King George III. According to Wikipedia the underlying theme is, “King George III established racial equality and raised many people of African descent to the nobility due to the African heritage of his wife, Queen Charlotte. Imagine this scene, it is that time of year, where all of nobility comes out to the Queen’s Ball, The ball is everything you would imagine it to be in the 1800s. The dresses, suits, hairstyle, jewelry, waltzes and the glorious music. This is where all of the young eligible women gather to add partners to their dance cards. The Queen’s Ball is the highlight of the season. The anticipation of being asked to dance by the most eligible bachelors fills the air. The excitement is palpable and the drama and romance ignite from here.
I just finished watching Season 3 and well My Friends, it did not disappoint! I literally am obsessed with TikToks and interviews all from the cast of the show. Bridgerton is a true masterpiece, work of art. I am not crazy or overly obsessed because Bridgerton is the number one streaming series in the world at this time. I have a lot of company with the love of this passionate series. Let’s look behind the walls of the palatial homes, glamorous curtains and scenery in our thoughts today.
I first would like to take a moment to acknowledge that watching shows like this are a great Coping Mechanisms for so many reasons. Their is an essence of intrigue, desire and pure escapability. We all need some time immersing ourselves in the pure pleasure of a great series. I mean let’s be honest will all need a little Escapism in our daily lives. I would like to personally thank Netflix for providing me with this pure joy that has been a great form of elevating my mood. Yes, believe it or not, there is a Mental Health aspect to watching binge worthy shows.
Music is a form of personal connections and this is done brilliantly in Bridgerton. I am a huge fan of Music Therapy and Bridgerton has this as well. The instrumental pieces that are created from today’s popular hits are masterful! A true artist came up with this idea of taking a historical period of time and connecting the viewer with the present, through music. The viewer gets lost in the 1800s and yet is personally connected through the music, it is just so relatable.
It is hard to watch all 3 Seasons and not be aware of the undertone of Body Image. The gowns with the cinched tiny wastes and how the men are attracted to the thinest and most beautiful women, as the series progresses. It is dreamy and their beauty is breathtaking, the viewer can get lost in that. However, not all viewers can feel connected to that based on their body, shape and sizes. Then there is Penelope Featherington played by Nicola Coughlan. Pen is a Gorgeous Ginger with a juicy body and petite in stature. Pen represents so many women in today’s world who struggle with Body Image and being overlooked. Pen is the cute one and is not seen for her true beauty until Colin. Colin has been her best friend for years but has never looked beyond the surface. In Season 3 Colin finally sees Pen for the true beauty that she is. Ahhhhhh, this makes me let out a huge sigh because it’s about damn time! It’s about time that the underdog get’s her Prince. Pen, allows women around the world the spark to gain acceptance and love for their bodies and who they truly are, valuable, brilliant and sexy.
The Sex Scene, well My Friends, takes your breath away. I will be totally honest, when Pen let her dress fall and she was naked, I was in shock. I didn’t expect the nudity at all. I literally sat there in awe for a few moments. I realized how this action was tapping into my own body image issues. I thought to myself, I would never show the world my body because it is not small and skinny. I prefer to hide under my clothes, so when that robe fell well I was mesmerized. It moves on from there and we see much more of her body during the intimacy. My thought process slowly started to change as I watched the scene and realized what Pen or Nicola just did for women around the world. Pen(Nicola) just made millions of women want to drop their robes to show the beauty of their bodies and that it is sexy and beautiful. I watched an interview with Nicola Coughlan she said, “You know, it is hard cause I think women with my body type, women with perfect breasts-we do not see ourselves onscreen enough. I am very proud as a member of the perfect-breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.” In her Vanity Fair article Nicola states, “There’s one scene where I am very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice. It just felt like the biggest ‘fuck you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body, it was amazingly empowering.” I am not sure Nicola is quit aware of how she has just empowered women all over the world. I actually have tears in my eyes as I write this because, well, we are included.
The depth that was shown in the character Colin played by Luke Newton also goes through an evolution. Colin’s character gives the message that beauty is beyond what we see. It is intelligence, character and strength. Colin found all of this in Pen when he started to evolve and saw her true beauty. The love of his life had been there in front of him since he was a child, he just needed to open his eyes. I guess the old saying is perfect, “Beauty is more then skin deep.” I think this is a lesson we should all learn.
I could go on and on about all of the messages these characters give to the watcher but I won’t because you are going to watch it for yourselves. If Bridgerton is not your genre then go and find another great show to binge watch. Remember, you are not being lazy by sitting in your favorite chair for hours binging, you are utilizing a Coping Mechanism. If you watch Bridgerton I guarantee you will walk away with a smile, feeling better about yourself, feeling equal, seen, nurtured, empowered and most importantly that your are beautiful. Women fight so hard with body image issues and the negative voices inside of their heads. Finally, there is a series and an actress who makes us all feel scene! I want to personally to thank Nicola Coughlan for making me feel beautiful and empowered.
We all need a Little Bridgerton in Our Lives! I am giving you permission to go and indulge in pure Escapism and some self-esteem boosting. I am encouraging you to set a big gap of time aside because once you hit play you will not hit pause. Oh, unless you want to rewind and watch the hot sex scenes.
The inspiration for this Blog today was sparked by the music from Bridgerton. The entire time I have been writing this piece the music has been swirling in my head. Like I said Therapy!
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
CIAO,
ILISE
PS: I AM VERY PROUD OF BEING A MEMBER OF THE PERFECT BREAST COMMUNITY
