Bridgerton is almost an alternate universe. ... Little Mix Team Up With Drag Race … As Lorraine Ali wrote for the Los Angeles Times, “Historians and Jane Austen purists may take offense, but this well crafted, escapist drama — where orchestras play covers of Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish hits — is not meant for them.”. If you’re wondering how well a storyline about white privilege works in a supposedly escapist colorblind fantasy AU, you’ve arrived at the crux of the debate surrounding Bridgerton: Is it effective to have a superficial acknowledgment of systemic racism in historical fiction that’s otherwise setting itself up as a fantasy? thread about why some reactions to Julia Quinn and Bridgerton are complicated... https://t.co/lpfxv5sdyE. Two, count ’em, TWO Regé-Jean Page headlines today. Bridgerton is an adaptation of Julia Quinn's eight popular romance novels known as the Bridgerton series, with each book focusing on a different Bridgerton sibling finding true love. Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism? As the Biden administration ramps up, sign up for our essential weekly policy newsletter, Bill and Melinda Gates’s divorce could rock the world of charity. Having Black people strolling around in the background doesn’t erase that, and it’s not enough.”. It is, in a nutshell, the Hamilton question — does historicity matter if the lack of historical accuracy is part of the point? Does Netflix's Bridgerton Have A Race Problem? This pretty man is taking over! Our hero Simon gets plenty of screen time, but his characterization is patchy. Bridgerton wants to have Black characters while handwaving the reality of racism. “That would imply that color and race were never considered when color and race are part of the show,” Van Dusen explained. These are all the Bridgerton love scenes between Daphne and Simon and Anthony and Siena. America’s vaccine campaign may not be too far off from getting Covid-19 under control. Some have begun to question the show’s approach to one nonconsensual sex scene, while most zeroed in on the show’s tricky handling of race. 'Bridgerton' star Regé-Jean Page responds to report he was rejected from 'Krypton' role over his race By Sarah Polus - 04/08/21 06:02 PM EDT Share to Facebook It’s trying to change that. Marina wouldn’t be a villain or an antagonist; she would just be a woman whose circumstances and station in life — a direct consequence of her race — made her into a person who couldn't afford to be more concerned about white feelings than her own survival. Other characters make reference to his mysterious years of travel abroad, vague experiences from which he seems to have returned fully formed and in command of his fate. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Bridgerton was Netflix‘s most-streamed show of 2021 for the entirety of the year so far…until now.. Bridgerton debuted during Christmas of 2020, and … There’s been much discussion about the presence of Black actors in Regency England on … Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page has seemingly addressed the claims that he was rejected for a superhero role because he is mixed race.. This is, at least, the alternate historical world that Bridgerton’s creative team seems to have wanted to depict. 90 Day Fiancé is about the American dream. Marina’s story arc further serves as a commentary on white privilege, classism, and casual racism — but not in a way that ultimately feels meaningful. It was almost like they were scared to say it out loud. Why they’re not saying Ma’Khia Bryant’s name, The 16-year-old Black girl could never be the "perfect victim. Bridgerton initially drew mostly rave reviews from critics who praised the show’s “feminist undertones,” marathon-ability, and “frothy, silly escapism.” As a longtime reader of historical romance, I frankly found much of this initial praise of Bridgerton to be coated in condescension toward the romance genre. Lady Danbury’s entire character motivation is essentially packed into one speech about her determination to rise through society — and while it’s a great speech, it’s hardly enough to contextualize her role, or how she manages to maneuver so effortlessly among a social circle full of manipulative white people. What’s more, halfway through the season, Bridgerton upends the entire idea that it’s an alternate history with an abrupt, disconnected scene, in which we realize that Charlotte is not the solo reigning British monarch. Watch videos of all the Bridgerton sex scenes and here what the cast had to say about them. “There’s a difference between showing brown skin onscreen and representing brown people onscreen,” Page chimed in. ‘Bridgerton’s’ Approach to Race and Casting Has Precedent Onstage. “You can’t say race isn’t of consequence when the world these characters inhabit was created in part through racism,” Hinds argued. Thrawn’s latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. You could be forgiven if you watched Bridgerton and thought, as I did up until midway through its 10-episode season, that the show was entirely a historical alternate universe (AU). In the late 2000s, a show about an interracial romance in a fictionalised regency era with a Black monarch might have gotten away with a colourblind approach. Bridgerton, executive produced by Shonda Rhimes – the co-creator of long-running soapy hits such as Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away With … This is a casting choice that leans into recent arguments by historians that Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, may have actually been Black. After Regé-Jean Page's exit from Bridgerton was announced, he explained that his character was only meant to have a "one-season arc." A shocking new report has emerged regarding Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page reportedly being rejected for a TV role because of his race. Hey bestie, why is everyone saying “hey bestie” online? Viewers who read the show as consciously escapist are more likely to see its use of Black characters as fitting within an escapist milieu — racism is vaguely acknowledged, but not enough to encroach on the fantasy of a history in which Black communities could leverage social power and climb to the heights of the aristocracy. Yet the Observer’s Carolyn Hinds noted that “the characters’ race is practically ignored for almost the entire show.”, “The majority of the speaking roles belong to the white actors,” she pointed out. Simon’s best friend Will, a boxer, is essentially just there as a device to fuel one white family’s narrative and to remind Simon of his (mysterious) ties to the working-class Black community. The billionaire couple is getting a divorce. Since the show’s premiere, the response has transformed into something more considered. But it doesn’t always stick to this conceit, and that inconsistency has clearly complicated interpretations of the show. Numerous critics have argued that the burden of an accurate depiction of history would be too unduly heavy for a lightweight story like Bridgerton to bear. Everyone Is At Home Watching These 10 Shows & Movies On Netflix R... Ewan McGregor Brings The Glamorous & Tortured Halston To Life In ... Everything Leading Up To The House Of Evangelista’s Final ... You Have 7 New Netflix Treats To Stream This Weekend — Here’s Wha... Rhimes’ major deal to bring original Shondaland content to Netflix, actual conversations that would happen between people in interracial relationships, Shonda was doing a good job with representation, one Black woman who is this much of a titan of television. “Consciously or not, Van Dusen’s creative team gave almost all of the Black characters with speaking lines negative attributes and beliefs that place them at odds with the white main characters. Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale know that the show doesn’t exactly shy away from violence. It doesn’t mean we have to focus on trauma. Based on a romance series by Julia Quinn and helmed by showrunner Chris van Dusen, Bridgerton is reportedly a solid hit so far: Netflix said that holiday streaming drove it to become the platform’s fifth-most-viewed original series to date. A majority of voters see an urgent need for police reform following the Chauvin verdict. Black joy exists. Bridgerton breakout star Regé-Jean Page has spoken out after The Hollywood Reporter claimed that he was rejected from SyFy’s Krypton because of his race… It just means we get to focus on Black joy and humanity.”, Noble as Page’s description sounds, Bridgerton arguably never really develops most of its Black characters, and certainly rarely bestows joy on most of them. But apart from glimpsing his formative childhood trauma, we see nothing of the turning points in his life. Writing for O magazine, McKenzie Jean-Philippe argued, “Historical accuracy shouldn’t have to matter in a fantasy,” and that “it was ... a welcome breath of fresh air to not be faced with exhaustive on-screen dialogue about why my people deserve to be seen on a hit TV series.”, As sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom points out, “historical fiction gets tricky when race is considered in the storytelling. Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page responds to allegations he lost Krypton role due to race By Adam B. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Regé-Jean was offered 3 to 5 episodes as a guest star in the second season, and they would’ve paid him $50,000 an episode. Ultimately, whether you think Bridgerton is satisfactorily race-conscious or not boils down to the way you read the show itself. Should it? Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. ... Is Bridgerton even that progressive?”. In Season 2, Bridgerton continues to break conventions on race. Unlike in Bridgerton, there isn't even a cursory effort to acknowledge that characters of color, including a Black Dr. Watson and Asian leading lady (Graham was born in … Particularly, early rounds of praise for the show’s diversity have given way to arguments that the show handles race clumsily. ‘Bridgerton’ star Regé-Jean Page allegedly rejected for TV role because of race . And those approaches, in turn, affect how we “read” Bridgerton as a cultural text — especially when we examine its handling of race. “Yes, slavery exists in this world, so how could race not matter? Somehow, we’re halfway through the final season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and it still feels like so much needs to be resolved before we ca, With Saturday Night Live At Home now fully in the rearview mirror, the cast of the NBC comedy sketch series are eagerly anticipating their return to 30 Roc, During the 1970’s, American fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick, aka Halston, was the epitome of ingenuity and glamor. But in Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte is resplendent in silks and towering wigs, and she is unmistakably Black. Bridgerton did a lot of hinting or winking at race without actually ever going there. ", America’s Covid-19 endgame could be much closer than you think. Thrawn and his allies race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy in the second book in the epic Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. Vary | 3 weeks ago Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page appears to have posted his first reaction to a report alleging he was not cast as Superman's grandfather on the Syfy series Krypton because he is Black. Bridgerton‘s second season will focus on Jonathan’s love life, the streaming service announced in January.. Bridgerton premiered in the wake of these movements, yet categorically fails at a nuanced or even justifiable approach to its handling of both race and consent. From Lady Whistledown's piping hot gossip to gorgeous gowns to romantic moments, Bridgerton is a flawless series, my dear. But Bridgerton refuses to resolve these issues. Millions turn to Vox to understand what’s happening in the news. newsletter, Please consider making a contribution to Vox today from as little as $3, After four years of inaction, the EPA is finally regulating this superpollutant. To some extent, tongues are kept firmly in cheek. Twitter makes all of its money from ads. A recent trade report revealed that Bridgerton breakout Regé-Jean Page was in line for a key role in the now cancelled Krypton before Geoff Johns stepped in, … She is, in fact, merely the queen consort, as she was historically, and has been married the whole time to her real-life husband George III, whom she has been struggling to deal with ever since he succumbed to his famous porphyria-induced “madness.”. Bridgerton is almost — but not quite — an alternate historical universe, one where a colorblind view of society prevails. We simply cannot wait for the next I think the default in Hollywood is that a show with Black people not only has to be a show about race, it has to be a show about racism. You might assume, then, that in such a universe, society has a genuinely colorblind structure, and that most of the men and women we meet over the course of the show start out on more or less equal footing, regardless of their skin tone. Or if it’s going to represent the Black experience, it’s going to be all about death and violence. But even here, Bridgerton is conspicuously light on details. According to The Los Angeles Times, Page was considered for the lead role in SyFy's Krypton, but didn't get the part because then-DC chief creative officer Geoff Johns allegedly argued against a Black actor portraying the character. So viewers who long for historical romances that are both frothy and serious, and taken seriously by audiences, are ultimately left in want. “It doesn’t mean I’m a slave. If Bridgerton is set in the “real” 1813, in an overtly racist society, then we surely must think about it differently, for there are abruptly consequences to its flippant handling of racial identity. Astronomers are very frustrated with Elon Musk’s satellites, Sign up for the This revelation immediately complicates the entire show (and not just because it never explains where on earth the prince regent went). A lumber frenzy has taken over homebuilding, Home Depot, and the internet. Most of the characters of color in Bridgerton’s main ensemble suffer from a lack of both interiority and context outside of their relationships to white characters. Either Bridgerton is set in our world and duly flubs its handling of racial identity, or it isn’t, and thus arguably gets a pass. Headline #2 has to do with the DC Universe. These evolving critical analyses of the show reflect very different ways of looking at it. Next James Bond: Tom Hardy falls behind in 007 race as Bridgerton star leapfrogs actor JAMES BOND is getting an overhaul in the franchise after … If you’re going to do it, you have to give us. In this version of Bridgerton, the inclusion of racially conscious casting becomes a convenient mechanism by which racism as a theme can be duly eliminated — a move that undermines much of the show’s other attempts at seriousness. Considering stars of TV show Bridgerton or the Kardashians to be attractive and wanting mixed-race people to be sterilized are two sides of the same coin of white supremacy, a mixed-race author is arguing in a column. But in the season 4 premiere, the hit Hu, While it feels like we were just yelling at Matt James from the comfort of our own homes, his season has wrapped up, bringing us closer to back-to-back ins, Every Suspicious & Sympathetic Character In HBO’s, Kim Kardashian “Feels Like A Loser” In New. In reality, we live somewhere in the middle. Telling us that the show is presenting a daring exploration of race and class is not the same as actually making it so.”. And those approaches, in turn, affect how we “read” Bridgerton as a cultural text — especially when we examine its handling of race. That’s because Bridgerton appears — at first — to have tossed out historical fact in favor of putting a Black queen, the real-life consort Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), in charge of London society. Regé-Jean Page, the breakout star of Bridgerton, is breaking off from the popular Netflix romance series. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today from as little as $3. Another Black character, Marina, has a major storyline, but she, too, is ultimately placed in the story solely to further the narrative of white characters. Many of the TV critics who liked Bridgerton framed it as silly, raunchy, overheated escapism, and seemed to be operating within the assumption that romance fiction is frothy and unserious by default — never something that can have serious artistic merit, capable of delivering profound views of society. The series is addressing the issue of race head-on. The Bridgerton casting team paid no attention to race when choosing actors for its period piece, with Regé-Jean himself playing one of the highest … Black love exists. And in a new trailer for Netf, From the moment Mare (Kate Winslet) starts interrogating Deacon Mark Burton (James McArdle), you sense that unlike her Easttown neighbors, she’s not all, In 2018, A-list Ryan Murphy released his stunning FX drama series Pose to the world, providing the mainstream entertainment world with a touching and gritt, “What are you?” If you’re not white in America, you’ve been asked this question. — but this time applied to a story that is much less clear about what it wants to be. According to a report from The Daily Mail, the news of Rege-Jean Page turning down the opportunity to return to Bridgerton happened not too long after Season 2 … Reality TV used to be about getting famous. The Bridgerton books by Quinn (who has a sketchy track record when it comes to commenting on diversity) don’t tackle race at all. It’s possible to start out believing that Bridgerton is an alternate fantasy version of history, in which a magnificent Black queen sat solo on the British throne and handed out dukedoms like candy to formerly enslaved people, soldiers, and merchants of color. Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes ... And, we knew we’d had that same chance to do the same thing, and to do a similar thing with Bridgerton. Like the prim society debutantes at its center, Bridgerton, Netflix’s new, sumptuous historical romance series produced by Shonda Rhimes, has proven to be as controversial as it is popular. 'Bridgerton' star Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings aka Rege-Jean Page recently spoke out after several reports claimed that he was passed over for a role because of his skin colour. Some people ask out of misguided, but genuine curiosity and effort, Spoilers are ahead. That whole violent colonialism, Middle Passage, global anti-blackness thing makes it very hard to create escapist historical fiction.” Bridgerton, she argues, presents its escapism in a way that is still “substantive enough to keep a Black viewer in the story world without nagging questions pulling them out.”, But not everyone agrees that the show lacks “nagging questions.” Indeed, after watching Bridgerton, I concluded in my review that “its most interesting ideas — like Simon’s precarious place in society as a duke of color or his mysterious time abroad — get almost no attention.” Washington Post critic Alyssa Rosenberg dubbed the show an “alternate history,” but noted that the “twist” of its color-conscious casting “lends almost nothing else to Bridgerton. The same as actually making it so. ” in Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte is resplendent in silks towering... Childhood trauma, we live somewhere in the middle race without actually ever going there in reality, live! 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