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Why We Need Bridgerton Right Now
We’re supposed to stay glued to the news, keeping close track of the attempted coup in D.C., the slow/fast death-or-maybe-rebirth? of democracy, the ongoing scourge of racist violence, the pandemic that’s apparently still stampeding through the air, etc, etc, etc — right? Well, whoever needs to hear this, as we say here on the internet: It’s okay to take a break. In fact, it’s necessary. Your mental health matters.
Thank goodness Bridgerton dropped in this particular moment. The soapy Regency-era costume drama Shonda Rhimes created for Netflix is fun and sexy and beautiful (the DRESSES) and yet, because of its handling of race, doesn’t feel totally out of step with the realities of our current world. As Salamishah Tillet writes in the New York Times, “the characters of Bridgerton never seem to forget their blackness but instead understand it as one of the many facets of their identity, while still thriving in Regency society. The show’s success proves that people of color do not have to be erased or exist solely as victims of racism in order for a British costume drama to flourish.”
Tressie McMillan Cottom writes on Medium: “Genre always does really well during dystopian times and well *waves hand*. When all hell is breaking loose, without an end in sight, a structured story with clear rules can assuage our collective anxiety.” And of course, Bridgerton provides…
