#I didn't even know that it isn't set in the Victorian era but the late eighteenth century! (Even if Victorian mores are important)

[alexa-santi-author]

Why the "Regency Era" is a fantasy realm

I've seen some interesting discussions back and forth about making historical fiction and particularly historical romance more inclusive, and I do think that there's some merit to the argument that merely inserting BIPOC as part of the ruling class erases many of the historic struggles people went through in terms of both class and race.

However, there's something that people don't seem to realize when it comes to the Regency Era: it's a fantasy realm that was primarily created by a single author.

Just as J.R.R. Tolkien published his Lord of the Rings books and created a world that would loom over the fantasy genre for decades to come, Georgette Heyer created the Regency Era in a way that I think people looking at the romance genre from the outside don't really understand.

Heyer wrote several historical romances and mystery novels prior to 1935, but it was with Regency Buck that she introduced her version of the Regency Era, a version that has actually been far more influential in popular culture than that of Jane Austen. (Most of the Austen adaptations pull more from Heyer than people realize, especially in terms of manners.) Heyer's world is all polite society heroes with a stiff upper lip and perhaps a tinge of rakishness, spirited yet virginal heroines, and a cast of supporting characters that range from younger brothers to elderly aunts.

There are very few hints that anyone outside the aristocracy is of any consequence, or even knows how to behave themselves, even when the middle-class daughter of a rich "Cit" marries an impoverished aristocrat in A Civil Contract. Sex exists, but only behind firmly closed doors and, for the heroines, only after marriage.

And what about the minorities that we know lived in Great Britain during the Regency Era? Not just the racial minorities that included Black citizens and former slaves as well as Indian immigrants, but also religious minorities? They pretty much don't exist in Heyer's world, apart from a few anti-Semitic stereotypes of rapacious Jewish moneylenders that make modern readers cringe when they stumble across an unbowdlerized edition. There are a few jokes and whispers about "unmanly" men, but that's about it for LGBTQIA+ representation as well.

Given what we now know about the Regency Era -- and we know a lot more than Heyer did when she was writing almost a hundred years ago -- we know that her view of Regency society was as artificial as Tolkien's world. Despite her use of historical sources, her romance novels are set in a fantasy world that melds the fashions and historical events of the Regency with the Victorian morals and mores that Heyer herself was raised with. The Regency Era was the late Georgian Era and was far more vulgar and free-wheeling than Heyer was willing to admit. She left out the people who didn't fit into her vision of the Regency, which showed an Anglo-Saxon ruling class that deserved to rule because of their natural superiority.

So my opinion about TV shows and films like Bridgerton and Mr. Malcolm's List that show an inclusive aristocracy in the Regency Era is ... well, it's all fantasy anyway, isn't it? Why not make the fantasy inclusive since the whole era is Heyer's illusion dressed up with a few historical details?

And if you want to try and argue that Heyer was historically accurate about everything, be prepared: I have sources that Heyer either ignored or did not have available to her. Look up Benjamin Silliman's 1803 journal of his trip to Great Britain sometime.

#mr malcolm’s list #historical romance #regency romance #historical romantic fiction #romance genre #diverse romance #bridgerton #georgette heyer

[wizardfrog69]

*SLAMS FISTS ON TABLE*

sigma teaching reader to dance

. . . please?

Maybe a prequel to the masquerade one you did. Reader got invited to the dance but doesn't know how so their practicing alone in their room with music and heels and stuff and sigma comes in and reader thinks their going to be made fun of but instead he's just like "I'm a better partner than that broom, I'll teach you"

🍪🍪🍪 please, take these emoji cookies as payment

I don't need payment but thank you so much!!! ♡ I'm gonna make cookies for you as thank you for the cookies and the request <3

you're in luck cuz not only can I write (poorly but y'all read it anyway) I can also poorly do the waltz >:) the mens part only, I never bothered to learn the other part. I CAN FINALLY PUT MY HORRIBLE DANCING SKILLS TO USE.

'•.¸♡teach me to dance♡¸.•'

Sigma x gn!reader

Victorian era, England au but it isn't historically accurate.

Also since sigma doesn't have a surname the two of you are married to make matters less confusing regarding names and living together.

Fluff

This is a prequel to masquerade

Enjoy! :)

You got an invitation to a masquerade ball, the invitation was printed on thick cream coloured paper with a design in gold on the edge, "pleasure ball, while we live, let us LIVE, Mr/Miss/Mrs y/n and Sigma l/n is requested to attend the ball at [address] on Saturday, 11th of February current at 4 o'clock p.m...." was written in a black, italic font on the paper.

This was bound to happen but you didn't expect it to be so soon not only that, you also didn't know who to dance. That evening you went to a library to find a book on dances, to your misfortune there weren't any books about how to dance. You also met your friend later in the evening to ask them how to dance.

They were a good friend of yours, you met them in a coffee house which was opened past the hours of day. You two talked for a while and they told you the basics of the waltz and gave you instructions which read "put your left foot forward, move your right foot parallel to your left foot and move your left foot to your right foot." the instructions seemed a bit complicated and confusing but your friend told you that the key to dancing is to count to three, which made less sense but you decide to give it a try anyway.

When you got back home it was late in the evening so you decided to practise doing the waltz when Sigma left for work. While the day was still young you decided to decipher the instructions giving to you earlier and so you began. Standing in your living room, broom in hand and proper wear for dance on you lead with your left foot as the instructions indicated and followed the steps continuously hoping you were doing something right.

Due to the music which played throughout the whole house you haven't heard the front door open nor the steps coming down the hallway and into the living room.

When you were dancing and twirling your eyes met Sigma's who was leaning against the door frame enjoy the scene infront of him of you trying to dance with a broom. You could feel your cheeks get warmer by the second, 'wh-what are you doing here, I thought you were at work.' Your body couldn't be stiffer as you stood there clearly embarrassed. 'I was told I didn't need to come into work... May I ask what you are doing?' Realising you were still holding the broom close to your body you quickly moved the broom away from your body and set it on the floor indicating a sweeping position. 'Sweeping?' Sigma chuckled a bit by your actions and transparent lie, he walked over to and swiftly took the broom out of your hand "I'm a better partner than that broom, I'll teach you how to dance." He said while setting the broom aside, you thought your face couldn't get any warmer but to your unfortunate surprise it did.

Sigma took a hold of your waist placing one of your hands on his shoulder and the other he took in his own and told you to lead with your left foot while he moved his right foot back a step. And so the dancing commenced, his body oscillated to rhythm of the waltz while yours moved more tensely. Sigma took note of your bodies state and decided to relax you by giving you a short kiss, it was short and sweet working in the way which he wanted, your body relaxed more and the two of you swayed to the music for the rest of the morning.

༺♡༻ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 ⋆ 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ༺♡༻

So did you like it? It was fun to write so I hope you'll enjoy it!

Here are the cookies I made with Mikołaj (the clown on the left) as a thank you to all of you for requesting and all your love! Thank you alot for reading the stuff I've written hear and understanding when I was unable to write for a while, thank you all so much and I know these cookies won't be enough to show you my gratitude but I hope you all understand how much you make my day and make me feel happy everyday just by simply reading the stuff I write here and by liking it, it means a grate deal to me and I'm forever grateful.

I added way too many raspberries so they turned out too soft and a bit too sour but they were still nice.

As always, don't forget to drink a glass of water! Have a wonderful day/night! :)

-with lots of love, Az the wizard frog and Mikołaj the clown. :) ♡♡♡

#bsd #bsd x reader #bsd sigma #sigma x reader #sigma bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs sigma #bungou stray dogs sigma #bungo stray dogs #sigma bungo stray dogs x reader #sigma

[wavesbeneaththestars]

On Corsets and Stays

I need to complain about this.

So this scene:

Iconic, right?

But very annoying.

And yes, I know Pirates of the Caribbean isn't exactly aiming for historical accuracy, but still.

It's set in the mid 1700s. A little under a century before corsets would actually start being called, well... corsets. What was common in the 18th century were stays.

This is a corset (well sort of, it's an example of one):

And this is a stays:

See the difference?

And even if corsets were worn then... they weren't that uncomfortable. Tightlacing didn't really become a thing until the mid- to late Victorian era, and even then, it was still looked down upon. Corsets and stays served as support and an undergarment to pin the rest of the dress too, but they needed to comfortable and functional. It wouldn't make sense to have them be really tight, other than for special occasions.

So while this scene is quite funny, it's completely inaccurate.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

#piratecore #pirate #pirate aesthetic #pirates #pirates of the caribbean #potc #corsets #corset #stays #they're stays not corsets #rant #the victorians were fucked up but not that much

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

Impressions of Wilde (1997)

I really liked this movie and I'm sure you will too! It's a great introduction to Oscar Wilde (who he was, a glimpse into his personal life, and why he remains relevant and incredibly charming) and also a celebration of homosexuality.

1. Overview:

The movie doesn’t tell the whole story of Oscar Wilde's life. It covers the 1880s, his rise to fame and sudden fall, and ends shortly after his 1897 prison release. Some Oscar Wilde fans were disappointed because they wanted to see the early parts of his life (how he got his inspiration and crafted his aesthete persona).

The costumes and sets are absolutely gorgeous and transport you back to the late Victorian era; lots of deep red fabric curtains, detailed mahogany wood furnishings, intricate paintings, and lavish costumes.

The lead actors are amazing and they resemble the real people almost exactly.

2. Casting:

Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde. One could say he IS Oscar Wilde reincarnated; he looks almost exactly like Wilde. Most importantly he perfectly combines Wilde's charm and intelligence. The film also tries to show Wilde as a father and married man in addition to the "gay fop" identity that he's usually placed in. As much as he mocks society, he's kind and loving (still cares about Bosie even though it's obvious at times that Bosie doesn't deserve his kindness).

Jude Law as Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, Wilde's lover. I must say that Bosie definitely reminds me of Dorian Gray because he's blond, beautiful, and selfish. He throws lots of temper tantrums and reminds me of a teenage boy trying in vain to rebel against his father, the Marquess of Queensbury (Wilde's enemy who plays a big part in his downfall). He does seem to care for/love Wilde, but is still selfish in that his first concern is himself.

Jennifer Ehle as Constance Wilde. You may know her as Elizabeth Bennet from the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Film Constance is quite intelligent and unconditionally supportive of Oscar Wilde.

3. Scene Recaps:

The film begins quite unusually in the Wild West (no greater contrast between the gritty Colorado mining town and the elegant parlors of London). Wilde makes his entrance in a fancy fur coat, dressed to kill. He successfully entertains the miners with a story about an artist.

Back to London; Wilde was in Colorado on his North American lecture tour. At a party he meets Constance and marries her "because all artists need an audience." Quite an interesting quote because there's this general conception that artists are isolated people who need to get away from society to produce their best works, when in actuality they need others to appreciate their works. Constance is a good match for Wilde because she's intelligent and constantly (coincides with the name) supports him even though he cheats on her with his gay buddies.

We are then treated to a lovely scene where he walks through a crowd of lawyers (marking him as a nonconformist).

Robbie Ross, one of Wilde's best friends, introduces him to gay sex.

“Dinner with lord and lady Asquith” = code language for a fling.

Then he meets John Gray, a handsome bohemian played by Ioan Gruffud, a pretty guy with long hair, and has another fling with him. Gray brings up the idea of art as a means of capturing the soul (inspiration for The Picture of Dorian Gray, which brings scandal to the Wilde family).

Oscar Wilde has 2 boys with Constance. He loves his family and cares about the wife but he’s always away in London working on his plays/stories or having flings with his gay buddies.

I really liked how the film used Oscar Wilde's children's story The Selfish Giant as a metaphor for his relationship with his family. His success isolates him from his family; he's often away and doesn't visit often, much like the giant hides behind a wall.

He meets Bosie at the premiere of the play Lady Windermere’s Fan (not historically accurate). Bosie says something smart to flatter Wilde, summing up what Wilde did in his work: using wit to mock and amuse people simultaneously.

Bosie is a beautiful, selfish rich boy and wants Wilde for his own entertainment. He has some affection for OW but loves himself first; Wilde's friends and Robbie Ross are concerned for him. Wilde and Bosie have a passionate, open relationship. At times Bosie has sex with other men while Wilde watches.

They dine together without a concern for others’ opinion (another of my favorite scenes from the movie).

Wilde genuinely loves Bosie and sees him as the victim of bad parenting (what a pity, since it's unclear at times whether Bosie loves Wilde).

Eventually because of his relationship with Bosie, Wilde makes a powerful enemy in Bosie's father, the Marquess of Queensbury. Queensbury attempts to insult Wilde several times before sending him a card accusing Wilde of being a sodomite. Wilde sues for libel and that precipitates his downfall, as all the details of his personal life are revealed.

In the trial, Wilde tries to explain "the love that has no name" and is convicted. Then follows a heartbreaking scene where he tries to maintain his composure while being haggled and booed at by spectators, while his friends can only watch in silence.

Bosie swears to Wilde that he loves him, but while Wilde languishes in jail, he complains that the imprisonment affects him most as he's suffering (what a selfish person).

I have ambivalent feelings about the “happy” ending where Oscar Wilde is reunited with Bosie. As much as I like happy endings in LGBTQ+ movies (because that doesn't often happen), Bosie clearly isn't a very good person and maybe would have been bored with Wilde and left him.

4. Some things not included in the movie:

The film doesn't include the fact that Oscar Wilde slept with teenage boys and male prostitutes. The flings seemed to be consensual but some of the sexual partners were underage.

Constance is advised to change her last name to save her social reputation, but the film doesn't show that she actually did (changed it to Holland).

The last part of the film (the trial to the ending) merely serves to remind us that Wilde was courageous for being a nonconformist in a stifling society. They don't really show what happens to Wilde after his imprisonment with the exception of the reunion with Bosie.

Conclusion:

Definitely watch this movie if you haven't already; it's an excellent introduction to Oscar Wilde, or if you're a Wilde fan, it will be great entertainment.

I was going to write some more intelligent things about this movie but I just started college and I didn't get around to finishing this little post until a few weeks after I watched the movie (so I've forgotten some stuff in it/my other thoughts about it).

#oscar wilde fan #wilde 1997 #wilde #jude law #stephen fry #stephen fry was born to play oscar wilde #jude law is hot #jennifer ehle #the picture of dorian gray #dorian gray #the importance of being earnest #lady windermere's fan #salome #an ideal husband #love this movie #favorite movies #movie review

[maddie-grove]

Little Book Review: Just Ella

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Publication Date: 1999.

Genre: YA fantasy (fairy tale retelling).

Premise: Ella Brown has defied her evil stepmother, scraped together an outfit, attended the royal ball, and won her prince...and heaven knows she's miserable now. Life in the royal court is both stultifying and cruel, and she's beginning to suspect that the prince has no actual personality. Does she really want this life and, if she doesn't, what can she do instead? Also, will anything fucked up happen if she tries to call off the wedding?

Thoughts: This may not be my favorite "Cinderella" retelling--that title belongs to Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted, one of the first chapter books I ever read--but it is my favorite retelling that's about "Cinderella" as a story. Late in the book, after she's fled the palace and traveled across the country to a war-torn border, Ella overhears a distorted version of her own story: that once there was a poor orphan girl who, with the help of a fairy godmother, married a prince and lived happily ever after. This is far from the truth; Ella managed to get everything she needed for the ball with a combination of hard work, cunning, and some random kindness from a palace guard, not magic, and by now it's obvious that there was nothing good to be found with the prince. However, it is a story that Ella herself once believed on some level: that she had been whisked away from a life of poverty and toil by a handsome, chivalrous man who could make her happy.

That's what I love about this Ella. She's tough and resourceful, and even bitter towards her stepfamily in a very human way that's refreshing in a "Cinderella" retelling. (She doesn't try to get back at them from a position of power, but she openly hates them and doesn't do them any favors.) Yet she's also frequently clueless: starry-eyed about the prince past the point of reason, initially optimistic that she and the royal court can adjust to each other, and not fully aware of the impact (positive or negative) that her beauty has had on her life. At the same time, she's open-minded, curious, and willing to acknowledge her own flaws. Haddix puts a lot of psychological realism into Ella, as well as some truly admirable qualities.

The portrayal of the court is also well-done. It's easy to imagine a worse version of this story, in which Ella is like, "This place sucks, everyone is so stuffy and the women do prissy things like needlework, instead of things that are less obviously girly but still entirely acceptable in 1999." The palace culture is sick in a realistic, tangible way that causes misery both within and without its walls. The ladies must follow a rigid version of femininity that seems to exist solely as a status symbol for the men of the ruling class; Ella, formerly a servant surrounded by working-class women, is rightly skeptical that women can't handle the sight of a joust or a mildly frank conversation about a sick person. Beauty standards are similarly inflexible and perverse; Ella is weirded out that her former extreme skinniness, the result of near-starvation and drudgery, is considered "better" than her body after a few months of decent food. Servants are not merely employees who are paid to do a job; they live and love to serve their "betters," which Ella thinks is bunk. Callousness towards the refugees at the border is also commonplace; Ella thinks she should feel pleased when Prince Charming off-handedly agrees to donate some food to them, but she just finds herself wondering why he didn't do it before if it was so easy for him. The story isn't set in a particular era--there are elements of medieval, Tudor, eighteenth-century, Victorian, and even modern* royal courts here--but there is some powerful specificity about what makes this kind of environment harmful.

*This novel was published in 1999. You can't tell me it wasn't at least a little about Princess Diana.

Hot Goodreads Take: A lot of these pissed me the hell off, I'm not going to lie. I don't know how you can say that Ella never gives the court a chance or whines about nothing, or that the book says that "any woman who follows societal expectations is a vapid bitch." Not every portrayal of a mean feminine woman is an attack on femininity, geez. The criticism regarding the book's fatphobia is more warranted, although I think it's complicated. The stepsisters are both fat, and Ella is kind of snarky about it; however, she also seems genuinely happy at the idea that beauty standards at the palace may become less rigid when she learns that the prince is going to marry one of her stepsisters in her stead. It seems like it's more about the stepsisters than their weight. This still isn't great on Ella's part, but on some level I appreciate the realism.

#little book review #just ella #margaret peterson haddix #fatphobia #sexism