1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbaum. Here, the visually decadent hit show 3 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: Bridgerton has managed to take some of the edge off 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: and provide sweet relief from this world full of social unrest, 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: pandemics and scirreless politicians set an eight thirteen London during 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: the regency period. Bridgerton quickly wrecked previous Netflix viewership records, 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: with eighty two million households worldwide tuning in during its 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: first four weeks of release. That's a stunning of their 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: subscriber base. No doubt people tuned in because they had 10 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,959 Speaker 1: heard tales of the diverse and gorgeous cast. All those 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: steamy sex scenes didn't hurt either. But hot lovin isn't 12 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: all that. Bridgerton is about. Feminist themes permeate throughout the 13 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: first season, and the show also shines a bright light 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: on class issues that plagued society still today. Nonetheless, bridgertain 15 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: is a fictional television show sas on an equally fictional 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: book series, so it's safe to say that some creative 17 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: liberties were taken. So what did Britain get right and wrong? 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: Historically speaking? Is it a true representation of life in 19 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: regency England. Executive producer Shonda Rhymes is known for shattering 20 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: ceilings and stereotypes, so it really shouldn't have shocked anyone 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: that her team cast a black man in the leading 22 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: male role as the Duke of Hastings and sadly the 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: scenario would have been very unlikely in regency England. But 24 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: we spoke via email with Whitney S. Christensen, a regency historian. 25 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: She explained that only about twenty thousand of the one 26 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: point three million people in London at that time were black, 27 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: or about one point five percent of the population. She 28 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: said Britain is largely a fantasy in terms of the 29 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: diversity of the population shown. The majority of the black 30 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: population was poor or working class, with most employed as servants. 31 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: There are some exceptions, however, she said, while the numbers 32 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: of high ranking black people in Britain is fantasy, some 33 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: of the ways they're depicted are based in fact. A 34 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: black boxers like Bill Richmond and Tom Molino were a 35 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: popular form of entertainment, much like Hasting's friend Will. Additionally, 36 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: into racial marriage, while rare did happen and was depicted 37 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: in the literature of the time. Let Us also not 38 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: forget the Queen Charlotte herself is portrayed in the show 39 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: by a black actor. This may very well be rooted 40 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: in fact. Christiansen said one of her ancestors may very 41 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: well have been a more or black, a mistress of 42 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: one of her ancestors. A portraits of her definitely illustrate 43 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: an African cast to her features, including her curly hair. 44 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: But there were almost five hundred years between Queen Charlotte 45 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: and the Moorish mistress that may have been her ancestor. 46 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: Watch any period drama and you'll likely wind up in 47 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: sensed by the portrayal of women's rights or black thereof 48 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: Britain does a great job of depicting a close representation 49 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: of the rights of women of the day, whereas most 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: of the female characters obsess over finding a husband. The 51 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: character of Eloise Britain routinely laments her genders societally imposed 52 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: limitations in life. She says in one scene, must our 53 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: only options be to squawk and settle or to never 54 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: leave the nest? She says in another, you wish to 55 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: follow your heart and I wish to nurture my mind. 56 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: The thing is the women depicted who worry over finding 57 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: a husband do so for good reason. In that time period, 58 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: Christenson explained, quote women could typically not inherit and in 59 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: fact many estates were tied up in entailments, which meant 60 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: that upon the deaths of their fathers, their homes were 61 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: inherited by the nearest male relative, sometimes leaving unmarried women homeless. 62 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: This made marriage incredibly important because there was no real 63 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: way to support yourself financially if you were not of 64 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: the working class. Hence the London season, which during the 65 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: regency period ran from around Easter to the end of 66 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: the summer. During this time, the debutantes came out at 67 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: Queen Charlotte's Ball, a tradition that continues today. During the 68 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: regency period, this marked the beginning of a month's long 69 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: process of lavish balls, where men and women considered each 70 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: other for marriage potential. Christiansen said, and the hunt for 71 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: a husband was indeed known as the marriage mart and 72 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: people did indeed track how many times you had danced 73 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: with a specific partner, and particularly if they were in 74 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: a row, three times in one night meant you were 75 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: practically engaged already. Many young women felt immense pressure to 76 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: find a husband immediately, as the character of Daphne Bridgerton does. 77 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: A Christiansen explained, there is some truth in the idea 78 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: that a failure to find a husband in your first 79 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: season was a disaster, but it's not because of your reputation. 80 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: It's more that the money spent on a successful season, 81 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: the gowns, the carriages, the travel expenses, the balls hosted 82 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: in one's own home could be ruinous if they didn't 83 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: pay off. The pressures on Daphne to make a good 84 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: man match would have been very real. In the area 85 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: of costumes, the show took some liberties, although the fashions 86 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: are rooted in reality, A Christiansen said, these are mostly fantasy, 87 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: with the designers taking the silhouettes from the era and 88 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: playing with color and creativity for effect. The silhouette of 89 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: Daphne's gown is largely accurate. A Regency era gowns were 90 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: inspired by Greek sculpture, as the Parthenon marbles were moved 91 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: to London during this time, and so neoclassical ideals were 92 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: all the rage, but use of color in Britain is 93 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: much more mad cap than the reality would have been. 94 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: Detail oriented viewers might also note that Queen Charlotte and 95 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: our courtiers are outfitted in a much different style, more 96 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: suited to the Georgian esthetic. A. Christiansen said that this 97 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 1: is accurate because court dress remained several decades behind fashionable dress, 98 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: with large hoops being worn until eighteen twenty. As with 99 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: most films, books, and TV shows set in previous times, 100 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: Brigitte and presents a double edged sort of sorts, A 101 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:07,119 Speaker 1: christians And explained. For example, those who take Britain's version 102 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: of history is truth may fail to understand the deep 103 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: racism that marked early nineteenth century London, including how it's 104 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: depictions of black men as boxers or Marina as sexually 105 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: experienced may actually reinforce racist stereotypes rather than challenge them. However, 106 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: fantasy history can also be a powerful way to get 107 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,679 Speaker 1: people interested in real history. It's often the pretty dresses 108 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: and romance and charismatic characters that draw us into discovering 109 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: the real life facts behind these people in places. It's 110 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 1: a great marketing campaign that can lead to real scholarship. 111 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by A LEEA Hooint and produced 112 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: by Tyler Klang. For more on this and lots of 113 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: other curious topics, visit how stuff works dot com. Brain 114 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: Stuff is production of iHeart Radio or more podcasts in 115 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 116 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.