Romancing the Regency: 'Bridgerton' and History with Dr. Julie Taddeo
Regular price $36.50 Save $-36.50
Travel back to Regency England (1811-1820) as we use the popular Netflix series, Bridgerton to discuss everything from fashion and monarchy to issues of race, class, and gender in the early nineteenth century. We will see how romance fiction "does history" while Bridgerton's much talked about color-conscious casting and sex scenes speak to our modern desires and concerns.
Based on the first of a series of historical romance novels by Julia Quinn, the Netflix series Bridgerton has been viewed by over 63 million households. This genre of fiction has long been subjected to intense scrutiny: directed primarily to a female audience, historical romance novels and their TV/film adaptations are often accused of being "fluff" or inaccurate representations of history. This talk will counter those criticisms and suggest how a popular series like Bridgerton can "do history" and reflect our twenty-first-century interests and values. Starting with an overview of the politics of the early nineteenth century, we will discuss the social mores and practices of the elite, the role of women across the classes, and masculinity and sport. We will also look at London as a major character in the series. The color-conscious casting will help us examine the racial politics of the era, and the much talked about sex scenes will help us understand the pleasures and perils of life in Regency England.
Dr. Julie Taddeo is a historian of Modern Britain with a focus on social and cultural history and pop culture. She frequently uses popular period drama television (Downton Abbey, Poldark, Outlander, and other series) to explore the history represented by these programs and how they connect to our lives today.
Dr. Julie Taddeo is a Research Professor of History at the University of Maryland. Her area of expertise is Modern British social and cultural history. She has published several books on such topics as the Bloomsbury Group, Steampunk, British period drama television, and reality TV.
This conversation is not suitable for children under age 16
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Dr. Taddeo presented a delightful illustrated lecture, telling us what 'Bridgerton' does—and does not—tell us about the Regency's complex culture.
Fantastic job. So much information and presented in such a fun way.
Very interesting and enjoyable
This was an enjoyable seminar that discussed life of the British upper class in 1813. We learned about customs and other elements of life from that era and how it all compared to the tv series. As a Bridgerton fan, it was great to hear a bit more historical info and to go more into depth about certain scenes.