Does Bridgerton Get the Regency Right?!

Dearest Gentle Reader,
Welcome to a special deep dive on the Antilibrary Podcast! Today, we are stepping into the shimmering (and sometimes toxic) world of Bridgerton to separate historical fact from "Regencycore" fiction.
Have you ever wondered why the Featheringtons wear such "tacky" neon greens? It turns out those colors were the height of fashion—and they were often created using arsenic. From the "on dit" (gossip) of the Ton to the secret language of flowers and fashion, we explore how the show captures the spirit of the Regency era while adding its own modern, orchestral-pop twist.

We also discuss:

1. The real history of Lady Whistledown’s scandal sheets.
2. How fashion palettes like "Bridgerton Blue" and Penelope’s "Jonquil" yellow tell a hidden story of status and envy.
3. The dark side of the era: why we want the rakes without the syphilis and the splendor without the colonialism.

Mentioned in this episode:
1. Gossip by Patricia Meyer Spacks
2. Women As They Are or The Manners of the Day by Catherine Gore
3. Le Langage des Fleurs by Charlotte de La Tour
4. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Don’t forget to subscribe for more deep dives into the history behind your favorite fiction!

Timestamps

0:00 – The Deadliest Dresses: Arsenic and Scheele’s Green
0:30 – Defining "Regencycore" vs. The Real Regency Era
1:06 – The "On Dit": Gossip as Social Currency in the Ton
1:53 – Ballroom Dancing: The Language of Physical Proximity
2:38 – Lady Whistledown vs. Queen Charlotte: A Challenge to Authority
3:38 – Modern Orchestral Covers and Sexual Tension in the Ballroom
4:21 – Benedict Bridgerton and the "Rake" Archetype
5:05 – Fashion Codes: Bridgerton Blue and the Evolution of Daphne
5:54 – What’s Missing? Disappearing Bonnets and Missing Walking Sticks
6:26 – The Colonial Imprint: Indigo, Sugar, and the Empire
7:02 – Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers
7:44 – Silver Fork Novels: The Original "Gossip Girls" of the 19th century
8:44 – Printing the Scandal: Penelope’s Masculine Enterprise
9:18 – Media History: The Real Scandal Sheets of the 1820s

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