You haven’t heard of Bridgerton? Have you been living under a rock? Going wifi free for an extended Lent? Exploring the dense forests of Peru?! Oh, you said you haven’t watched Bridgerton – that’s fair enough, it’s not to everyone’s tastes. I, however, am the key demographic for Netflix’s hit show; a young woman with a love of romance who has grown up under the watchful TV empire of Shonda Rhimes. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each season of Bridgerton, especially the prequel spin off Queen Charlotte. However, there has been something all abuzz about this season. What could it be? Oh yes – Nicola Coughlan.
(PS there are some minor spoilers in this post – nothing you wouldn’t get from watching the season trailer, however.)
But let’s backtrack a bit for those of you who haven’t watched Bridgerton or who have indeed been exploring the dense forests of Peru. Netflix’s Bridgerton series is based on a series of books by Julia Quinn, following the lives of the wealthy and titled Bridgerton children as they make their debuts on the marriage mart, and deal with scandal, sex, and the provocative anonymous gossip column of Lady Whistledown. The adaptation has made the Top Most Popular TV Shows on Netflix list, making it one of the most popular series in the entire world. We’re talking regency, we’re talking illicit love affairs, we’ve talking glorious gowns, balls, dresses. Oh, and it is smutty.
The men in the story are mostly secret sex-before-marriage kind of rakes, the women yearning after people they cannot have, and don’t forget, good old fashioned duels to protect someone’s honour. And it’s full frontal; I did not expect to see so many bare butts and boobs about the place, as well as artful shots of chiselled chests and taunt thighs. It certainly was a shock to the system in the first instance, but now it’s strange if an episode of Bridgerton passes without showing a bit of skin.
Each season of Bridgerton focuses on a different romantic pairing. This season, it’s all about withering wallflower Penelope Featherington, played by one of Ireland’s leading ladies, Nicola Couglan. Derry Girls, Harlots, Barbie! Is there anything she can’t do? Oh, yes, and newly attractive Colin Bridgerton is there too, played by Luke Newton. Together, they make the friends-to-lovers plot of this season of Bridgerton. But this season has had fans on the edge of their seat, not because of any scandal or storyline, but because of Nicola Couglan. And not just her performance, but the physical embodiment of her.
You see, Nicola Couglan is absolutely drop dead gorgeous. The type of woman men would go to war for when Alexander the Great was around. And in this season of Bridgerton, Penelope gets a little glow up; she leans into loving her red hair, buying new cuts and colours of dresses, and becomes more confident in herself. But the thing most people can’t stop talking about – heck, I’m even writing about it – is that she is not thin. She has a soft body. And she does appear (mostly) naked on screen.
FOLKS we have a non-thin lead in a romance show! A beautiful lead who has curves and roundness and softness! And she’s not hidden! She has boobs that sit down on the body! And we get to see that body on screen! I don’t know if you can tell that I am excited by the exclamation marks there. But what a lot of people don’t understand is that this is actually a big deal. I can’t remember the last time I saw a soft, non-thin body on screen actually being wanted, actually being desired. In traditional media, most female romantic leads are either tall and thin, or petite and thin. A quick Google of ‘popular rom coms’ will show posters of a svelte Kate Hudson, a slim Julia Roberts, or a slender Meg Ryan. Even in fan favourite Bridget Jones, Bridget (played by Renee Zellwegger) spends a large chunk of the film trying to get down from a UK size 12. Don’t get me wrong, these actors and their bodies are beautiful – there is no wrong way to have a body – but imagine never seeing yourself on screen as a dream girl? As an epitome of beauty? As someone who deserves to be desired?
That’s why there has been so much discussion online. In my echo chamber of lefty, feminist social media, it’s been fabulous. People screeching for joy for some chubby, soft body representation. And it felt good – heart-warming even – to see someone with a body type that is a bit like mine on the screen. Some folks have also been saying “Penelope is plus size representation!” – oddly enough, that statement hasn’t been said by the plus size or fat positive community. Here’s the thing; Penelope Featherington – and Nicola Coughlan – are not plus size. To be “plus-size” is to be a size UK 18 or plus and she simply does not fit that bracket. So many people have simply seen a woman who is not a size 8 and slapped a “plus-size” label on her, which is a problem within itself! Calling someone who has curves and softness “plus-size” sets the movement back to the early 2000s, and none of us want to go back there (please see “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” and heroin chic).
So whilst I am overjoyed to see Nicola Coughlan getting her flowers and giving us a beautiful, representative body on screen for so many of us, I am left with a question. Isn’t that the bare minimum? Surely seeing a white, non-fat, below-average clothing size, traditionally beautiful woman nearly naked and desired on TV shouldn’t be making so many of us lose our collective minds in a positive tizz? I’ll be honest, it’s a step up from previous seasons in terms of body representation but goodness, Bridgerton and the media in general have a long way to go. To have people claiming online “yes, we’ve done it. We’ve got our representation!” over Penelope Featherington feels very… white feminism-y.
Give us fat bodies as romantic leads! Not just UK size 12, or chubby, or “small fat” bodies, okay? Whilst we are at it, give us black leads! Disabled leads! Don’t be blocked by the idea that “that’s not what the public want”. The public want representation, they want to see their body types being desired and loved and as sexy. Heck, it happens every single day in the world. Why can’t that be reflected on screen?
Penelope, you’ve given joy to hundreds of thousands of people – if not more – and we thank you. Now, the public and producers, let’s use this small win as the gateway to getting full scale representation for bodies on screen.
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