Your analysis of George's wig as a symbol of the split between his public and private personae is spot on. This is yet another example of creators not trusting the audience to enter fully into the period, as if these characters would be wholly unrelatable to viewers without beach waves and lip gloss.
they CANT trust bridgertons audience. season 1 got so much backlash online over anthony's sideburns and Daphne's short bangs that they stopped trying to make it accurate to the time period and embraced its anachronism so they decided NOT to trust the audience. the audience was begging to not be trusted.
@@Shenanakins Fair point, though I would assert Bridgerton's costuming, hair and makeup were never that historically accurate. Backlash for sideburns and tiny bangs aside, the sheer scale of the show's fanbase is proof that the audience can be trusted to connect with the characters, because of the strength of the writing and acting. All I was trying to say is that modern hair and makeup aren't necessary to help an audience relate to period characters. The Bridgerton phenomenon proves the audience will follow these characters everywhere, even if they complain about the bangs being tiny and the sideburns...not so much. 🙂
The "the audience can't relate to a character with silly (a.k.a. non contemporary) hair" trope is one of my biggest pet peeves, and usually lead to jarring feelings and not believing the world. I watched the Swedish mini series 'Gustav III:s äktenskap' (The Marriage of Gustavus III) from 2001, and on the whole, they used wigs cleverly. The men at court wore them at all times, except in the most private of moments. The king was only shown wigless in moments where he was at his most vulnerable, with his closest family and confidantes. Over all, it worked brilliantly.
It's been many years since I saw the series but I think I remember a scene where Gustaf III reacts to the death of his baby son, crying and ripping his wig off in slow motion (his own wig, not the ḱid's, like Abby I doubt that babies wore wigs in the 1700s ;-) )... that was kind of an overused old 18th century movie trope already back in 2001 but anyway, yes they did use the wigs cleverly in the series. By the way, as far as I know, the real Gustaf III didn't wear wigs. Unfortunately I can't remember where I heard or read this but apparently he still had all his long, ash blonde hair left on his head when his grave was opened in the 19th or 20th century.
John Malkovich wearing various wigs, or his own "natural" hair unpowered in a queue in "Dangerous Liaisons," turned a guy who's not conventionally good-looking into a strikingly handsome figure of a man. Of course the elegant clothes helped. Several women have told me that they thought he was really hot in that role.
Another good use of wiglessness (as opposed to not using a wig) in a movie was Archie Cunningham's wig in Rob Roy, where he takes it off before the final duel to show he means business.
Yeah we just saw a king being crowned and he wore a 4lb gold embroidered coat. Like the 18th century was all peak male peacocking extravaganza and a 20th century man out-blinged him.
@@ryan7864 If you have real people in the show, the show should try to make the person look accurate to their real life counterpart. Assass!ns Creed can do it no problem.
He could've been holding his wig during their meet cute further explaining why she wouldn't expect to be speaking to royalty. Another distinction between her meeting George, but marrying the king!
@@lady14bug my idea was meeting her sans the wig... he snuck out while getting ready... he's on his private grounds, he can do what he likes. And then her seeing him in the wig at the alter... and reality sets in. Or at least, starts to.
@@AbbyCox Funny thing is that by the time George IV was coronated the wig look was out and he was wearing his own hair...followed by a succession of wigs that were supposed to look real.
Charlotte complaining about her whalebones stays had me screaming, and I knew when I saw George with that Hair that I would be seeing at least 1 historical costumer say “WTF” in a YT video. Been looking forward to it really. I did watch one interview where they said he had shaved his head right before auditioning for the role so that might explain why his hair was so bad in terms of length, but he definitely should have been wearing a wig for his very formal appearances - Wedding, coronation, the parties, and him taking off the wig in the carriage on his way to address parliament could have been another really good cue for the audience to know that he was cracking.
Modern hairstyles (along with modern make up) are my pet peeves in period dramas! I'd love to ask a film maker why they do this. I suspect it's because they think it looks so different to to contemporary hair it won't make the characters as 'relatable' to modern audiences where as I my experience is modern hair and make-up feels jarring and makes it so much harder for me to engage with the characters and storyline.
for me too! Also not sticking with the original material. to me Keira Knightly playing Anna Karenina will always be a huge pet peeve because Anna is big and voluptuous woman, and Keira is not 🤷
Modern hairstyles in a period drama are the gateway to shitty modern dress Regietheater. Fuck both. I go to the theatre to see pretty costumes and a lot of stabbing.
Oh man!!! The new French film about Madame du Barry with Johnny Depp (haven't seen it yet but it's heavily advertised here in France), is soooo weird with this. The actress that plays du Barry is also the writer and director. Always, most of the ensemble cast look decent, and the background actors look decent, heck, even Johnny Depp looks decent, not historically accurate and heavily stylized, but you still get the feeling of the 1760/70s. But the main actress, Maïwenn, omg, lol, some of her costumes look like they were from Alibaba or Shein and she was always wearing her hair down or a bit more modern with modern makeup. It just doesn't make sense, lol, worse situation than Dakota Johnson doing Persuasion, lol
Women barristers and judges also wear wigs. Apparently a new looking wig shows that you are new/inexperienced, so after purchasing an incredibly expensive wig younger barristers will then throw it around the room and kick it across the floor to appear more experienced. I was told this by a law student - and I don't even care if it is apocryphal .
Interesting. This is... or was, the way of it with hats in Australia. An Australian would NEVER be seen in a 'new' looking hat, unless you were the 'boss'. For the same reason, you are a new chum, or up yourself.
I can’t speak for the new wig thing, but in Australia as well women lawyers and judges wear wigs in at least some circumstances. I live near the Melbourne law courts and see men and women walking around in the full robes and wig get up all the time.
@@--enyo-- … same thing in Adelaide… I worked as a receptionist/audio typist for a few years & wigs plus the robes were worn.. I had to package a barristers wig to be mailed back for repairs .. & boy are they costly as well as the formal robes etc to buy..( my eldest did a double degree & after the 4 years there was some huge expenses for the ceremony wigs robes etc that needed to be worn..
In an interview, the actor mentioned he had shaved off all his hair during the audition process (unclear why). The director was very concerned that Corey wouldn’t grow his hair out in time before shooting. So the haircut we’re seeing is all he managed to grow out before they started filming
@@raquelveloz2481 Even if they thought Georgian era historically accurate wigs would have weirded out a contemporary audience, they could've given him a modern wig intended to look like enough of his own hair to style in a flattering manner.
The character does look undressed without a wig - even people who don't know the history like myself - have seen enough portraits to feel the suit he's wearing goes naturally with a wig - or hat - or something. You just know something's missing.
I think he looks especially messy because a lot of the other men in the show actually DO have neat/long/period-inspired hair. Reynolds and Brimsley, Charlotte’s brother, Parliament - their hair is not what we would see in a modern setting, except the brother’s hair but his is very *neat*. George’s hair is honestly messy. I know the actor hadn’t fully grown his hair back out yet but why not get a natural looking wig to cover it? It’s not at all uncommon for actors to wear wigs during filming especially shortly after shaving their hair, actresses especially do this a lot I think. I’m not dissing the growing-out style in general, nothing wrong with it. But when it’s in stark contrast to the rest of the characters, and it’s on the politically most important character who is specifically hiding ill health and wants to/is told to appear strong and normal, it’s completely out of place.
Nah, it’s just them following their vision and overall I always like to see how bridgerton mixes historical and fantasy aesthetic together. His hair was just…weird. Lol
@@AbbyCoxo y’all not realize it was not supposed to be historically accurate ? They literally said it at the start of the show. And thank god he’s not wearing no awful wig otherwise none of us would have watched it
I attented a museum tour a few weeks ago about fashion between 1700 and 1950s. And they told us, everyone wore wigs and they all had lice. At this point I knew the tour wasn't a good idea 😅 They later also told us, woman had their ribs taken out around 1900 to be able to wear corset...I was a little shocked to hear those things in an actual museum😮
Women did take their ribs out. It was just that one of the terms for the boning in corsets was "rib" and you'd take the bones out of corsets sometimes to wash them or to replace broken ones. Also the source of all the crap saying corsets caused you to break ribs. Like yeah, if baleen dries out too much it becomes brittle and snaps (its basically like fingernails). That snapping would tend to happen when applying force during the lacing up stage. So like its not entirely wrong, just they didn't realise there was another meaning to the word rib. Plus they based knowledge on now thoroughly debunked xrays of subjects wearing corsets trying to prove they cause problems. Turns out that the xrays were of dead bodies with stuffed lungs and rotated vertebrae (on account of being a collection of body parts). In one instance the xray combines two or more images into one so the pelvis is on back to front. And that's what museums taught from.
Binging all of The Great was a gleefully welcomed relief after watching this. *THAT* is anachronistic historical fantasy done right, and the attention to detail in the costumes, hair, and makeup was incredible. They modernized what made sense to fit the anachronism in the writing, and included accuracy that most historical film/tv doesn’t, down to tie on pockets, mouche placement, hairpieces, and male grooming.
I was gonna say! it feels like The Great also uses wigs as a symbol of masking almost? when Peter and company are being truthful to themselves and not trying to live up to expectations, there seems like less wigs except for formal occasions.
I haven't finished the video yet, but I felt the need to comment that I very nearly spit the water I was drinking all across the room when hearing women are "moist and leaky". What a gem of a phrase and I will bring that little bit of fact up in any conversation I can this week.
I agree. George III is an iconic figure, you always imagine him in a powdered wig. In fact all the gentlemen should have worn them, including the footmen. By the time of the Regency wigs were unfashionable for younger men so it hasn't been a problem for the other Bridgerton series' but this one is set much earlier so it is jarring. As I was watching it I thought 'Ooh, Abby won't like that!'
I’ve only seen clips from Queen Charlotte and I was so taken aback by George’s hair when I first saw him. He looks waaaaaaay too modern to be a part of the story they are telling. The “What a man” cut had me in stitches though. 🤣
I really like the points you made about the wig being used for story telling. I really loved the costumes in Hulu's show called Harlots because in private scenes the men did not have wigs but when out of the bedroom the men wore wigs. One of the brothel madams wore a wig to show strength and health and to me it seemed to show her above her "girls." I also just enjoy the story and drama in the show I recommend it if you haven't seen it and maybe it could spark a video. ❤❤
This is so spot on... when I first saw him I was like, well, they're in the gardens, maybe he'll look nicer for the actual wedding but then... NOPE! And it's not even a good looking modern hairstyle either like you're just setting the poor guy up to fail. Especially next to Charlotte's incredibly elaborate hairdos
This! I hoped the lack of fancy hair would be one reason she didn't recognize him as king in the garden--because what guy (much less king!) would look that scruffy on his wedding day?
@@melowlw8638 technically it is, but its also comedy show and most comedies dont need historical accuracy, but they decided to keep it, which is why it's surprisingly pleasant 8D
This is one of the things that i loved about "the great" in certain scenes peter would wear a wig or not depending on event, activity, and whatever characters were around
As a migraine sufferer I can say that for me, shorter hair triggers fewer migraines. Long hair is heavy and pulls on my scalp. But hats, hair bands, or kerchiefs also compress my scalp and trigger migraines. I assume wigs would be just as bad as those.
Abby, You are a daughter historian after my heart. As a reenacter/living historian since 1988, an old lady of 65 and a retired history teacher; I adore your videos. You and Nicole have reignited my historical sewing flame. I have been quilting for the last few years for charities and just purchasing ready made dresses for events. I am so excited every time I see a new video. I have watched some more than once as I also collect 1800's clothing, shoes, and bonnets/hats. Living in England for three years helped with that collection. But I digress. You are an incredibly smart, vivacious orator and I love your videos. Keep yourself centered and know that you are admired by a crusty old historybum in Texas. With much admiration, Grace Henderson
The S1 Bridgerton costume designer mentioned that she hates bonnets so she didn't put in any. Although the Queen Charlotte designers are different people, I won't be surprised if they loathed wigs. Which unfortunately seems widespread among the general public as well, and since Bridgerton aims for mass appeal I guess that's why the wig was canned for the romantic hero... but it does make him look jarring and awkward especially in official ceremonies. At first I thought he lost his wig lol
Literally every background actor and most supporting characters had wigs and QCs wigs were INCREDIBLE. Wigs are so common in productions cause they help maintain continuity, so it’s def not that they didn’t want to. There was some choice made down the road for George, and it could have been anyone.
I understand the lack of a wig for aesthetic reasons because it’s bridgerton, but honestly he could have at least had long hair, that’s certainly not unfashionable these days and it could have differentiated between the bridgerton eras
@@AbbyCox In an interview, the actor mentioned he had shaved off all his hair during the audition process (unclear why). The director was very concerned that Corey wouldn’t grow his hair out in time before shooting. So the haircut we’re seeing is all he managed to grow out before they started filming
Okay, but dipping for wigs is the funniest concept. It’s like the rubber duckies at the fair, or mystery bags. (but with most unfortunate consequences because the poor guy probably didn’t have expendable resources to get a new one, so he would be stuck looking like manny the mammoth with too small hair.)
Excellent video! I have not been interested in the Queen Charolette series at all, which was a surprise because I adore her in Bridgerton. And girl… THIS IS WHY. I didn’t realize what about it was so off putting, but in the preview George walked in and I was already checked out of their story. I get that Bridgerton is trying to strike a specific balance of modern/historical/fantasy/realism. But that haircut alone tipped the scales and all whimsy was lost on me.
Entirely agree with everything in this! Especially the possibility of the juxaposition between private and public persona and the missed opportunity. I appreciated the series as drama, but the lack of a wig on his head was the thing that most drew me out of this whole thing. Missed opportunity.
I watched the main series but I couldn't bring myself to watch this because of the freaking hair LOL I actually always liked 18th century men's hairstyle, but they could have gone the Pirates of The Caribbean route and at least given the ''hot ones'' a longer hair in a queue (and put all the other men in true wigs). At least that LOL
That was so fascinating to learn. Thank you so much. It also feel strange since most other cast members had something done with their hair. Also his real hair could be used if they going to explore his mental illness.
Thanks so much for a great video, Abby! So pleased I'm not the only one to have been annoyed by the lack of wig - I just couldn't believe we were in the royal court at that point, and completely agree it would have really enhanced the storytelling of George's public and private selves. (It was also such a shame as all Queen Charlotte's wigs are so beautiful and unique in the original series, so I didn't understand why we couldn't have some similarly stylish and Bridgerton style wigs in this series? We KNOW they can do great wigs, so I felt really cheated!)
Genuinely 100% agree that him wearing a wig in public/Kingly scenes would have made the imagery so much stronger! Like one of my favourite romantic tropes is when one of the people has a part of themselves , a name, a secret, their truest self in some form, they only reveal to that One person in their life, and in this case that would have been his hair and I think that would have been fantastic
The whole whalebone monologue had me searching TH-cam for dress historian rants 😂😭 didn't find any though , twas too soon xD Also the way I thought the king stole his costume the first time we see him WHY IS IT SO LARGE AT THE SHOULDERS WHAT IS THIS HAIR😂😭
Part of me hopes that the whalebone monologue was Charlotte trying to manipulate her brother into canceling everything since she threatened to use the whalebone to make herself bleed to death.
In contrast review costumes of the Madness of King George movie from 1994... all wigs, all the time in any formal setting. When George is with out a wig he's in the height of madness.
In the staggeringly perfect mini series “John Adams”, they used men’s wigs to the dramatic effect you mention and even more. I agree. George’s modern hair was a jarring visual and a bewildering choice.
Crazy to think that for every expensive human hair wig, there would have been a poor person cutting and selling their own hair like Fantine or Jo March. Great video!
that's why I love how The Great has it's men wearing the wigs ocasionaly, in special events. You have the modern-apealing real hair, but there's also the wigs simbolizing their status. Some of the women in the show also wear, but not all of them, so I think a follow up video analyzing their hair choices would be cool, since their seems to be a lot of small character details hidden in there
This was so much of my thoughts while watching the show. It is one thing to pretend they have sequins in the 1700s. It’s another thing when they just completely opt out of a major styling choice that we see on screen for most of the shots in the show. And yeah, I’d be unattracted to his hair even in modern day.
Sequins have been around for thousands of years. Gold sequins were used as early as 2500BC in the Indus valley. Solid gold sequins were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb. Sequins were also used in the first quarter of the 17th century for women of court.
THANK YOU for making this video. George‘s hair bothered me so much and not just because of the „historical inaccuracy“ (which, I mean, as you rightfully pointed out, it‘s Bridgerton, it‘s not trying to be accurate and that‘s absolutely fine) but because it just seemed so misplaced. He‘s wearing these super fancy outfits and attending these big events and yet his hair is just giving us nothing? It just felt like he was some random 21st century guy who stumbled upon a halloween costume and put it on for shits and giggles right then and there. Looked absolutely unnatural. Plus, the grown out buzz cut situation was just less than ideal, I 100% agree.
Hahaha I would love to know your therapist’s reaction to King George’s hair. I imagine it’d be like that scene in ‘Freaky Friday’ where Mrs. Coleman is taken over by her daughter and then starts doodling on the pad and keeps saying “So, how does that make you feel?”
As I costume designer, I LOVE your idea for the wig with George being used as a device to further develop the character and emphasize certain scenes. You have brought a very valid point. Very wonderful!
Thank you so very much )))) Considerations of wiggery very welcome. I've been saving brushings for years to make one of my own hair for the lovely high hair style to be worn at re-enactments 1740-1780. Time zones for hair styles will help me present the right hair style. VERY happy to find pieces and pads more important than full wigs.
That whole rant in episode one was painful for me as well! I was actually screaming at the screen and put my husband and our flatmate through a lecture about fashion history in your honour 😂
Me realizing that I’ve been so hyper fixated on your blouse that I have to restart the video half way in. The print is stunning. Oh my gawed it’s gorgeous. I hope the comments can tell me who makes the fabric cuz I’m about to read every single one.
Especially that it was a buzzcut! A bit longer hair would have already been a slight improvement. I really love your idea of the storytelling behind wig - no wig!
In an interview, the actor mentioned he had shaved off all his hair during the audition process (unclear why). The director was very concerned that Corey wouldn’t grow his hair out in time before shooting. So the haircut we’re seeing is all he managed to grow out before they started filming
I went to williamsburg for my honeymoon 2 years ago and went to the wig shop. It was one of my favorite places I visited while I was there. It was so interesting and cool to watch them make a wig. I was in there asking so many questions.
Yankee Doodle Dandy~~~ “Stuck a feather in his hat, and called it macaroni!” Macaroni is what they called those insanely huge and decorated hairstyles, but growing up I never knew that’s what they were referencing.
I am 41 and I have female pattern baldness (it's genetic, my grand-mother would get perms so we did not see her scalp through her hair.), not enough to use wigs, but enough that I noticed and I have had considerable success regrowing lost hair using Rosemary Essential Oil when I wash my hair. I had read that it was as effective as medicated shampoo for hair loss while being less agressive for the scalp. And I am quite happy with the results. I am loosing a lot less hair when washing (it was as bad as post-partum shedding before and my last baby is 10 years old) and have a large amount of short hair on the top of my head that were simply gone before.
This is my first time watching anything of yours. You're so knowledgeable and charismatic! But I gotta say the thing that really sold me on you was that the HSM song you picked to illustrate your point was Scream, which is my favorite and not even the most famous one! 😂
I totally agree that they could have done such fun things with the wig! Like the visual change between Farmer George and King George. I think it's they totally missed a great opertunity.
I almost turned the TV off when Charlotte made the whalebone comment, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through. Overall, I enjoyed the show, although I also lamented the lack of wigs or hair powder. Why producers think we can't handle historical looks is beyond me! I find it interesting that the extras usually look so much more authentic than the main characters.
You're absolutely right, if it doesn't please today's taste, it's still placed in the 1780s and it should be minimally convincing. Both George and Charlotte should be wearing wigs.
Fun fact. The weight of hair and certain hairstyles can cause headaches. There are people who wear their hair short for this reason. My hair gives me a headache, so I can’t wear updos and never a single ponytail.
gosh this was such a good video, so well presented. also i agree, i had the same knee-jerk reaction when george showed up and i didn't even know anything abt wigs at that point! all i thought was, well if john malkovich can wear a wig and somehow ooze charm while a) not even being that charming to look at and b) playing a horrible character, then there's no excuse for george's outgrown buzzcut.
The bit about highway robbers stealing wigs is hilarious to me because I remember the cover of the Horrible Histories book for the Georgians has an illustration of a highway robbery, and the dialogue from the highwayman is "Stand and deliver! Your money, or your wig!" And for YEARS i thought that was intended as a send-up of the fact that everyone thinks of wigs more than almost anything else when they think of the Georgians, especially because the jokes on the Horrible Histories covers tend to have more mass appeal and be less based on niche facts. But now I'm like... was that an intentional reference to this fact??
As you say, hair was a reflection of health. Could the creators have used the abnormal use of George's actual short hair to symbolize his ongoing stuggle with mental health?
This could be really interesting. He'd probably still wear a wig in public, keeping up appearances, but it would be cool to switch between mid-length natural hair = George's doing okay, and close-cut hair = George is struggling.
@@Eloraurora yes, really short hair like that would be a sign of extremism and weirdness, like he was going through some sensory processing issues and needed it all off
I assumed this was the intent, but it falls totally flat with no contrast. It would’ve worked great if he sometimes had one (even for the two formal occasions), especially with how severely they played up his “sometimes perfectly fine sometimes unhinged” or even if any other male leads had them to show how George differs from them. It honestly felt kind of insultingly lazy with how much they played up the “crazy” of mental health struggles without ever contrasting it with the reality that is masking and forced social conformity.
@E I have to agree. The cause of his mental health difficulties are still debated today so it would have been nice to see the show creators take a stand instead of leaving it as some nebulous, we can't really fix this, disorder that we will now try to kill without killing the King. I did learn that King George's two doctors were father and son, the Willis's. Their harsh torture methods of treatment was so abhorrent that the figure of speech "gives me the willies" stemmed from it.
Totally agree! They missed out on some amazing storytelling moments by not giving him a wig! And it was obvious that they knew about the wigs because Lord Bute and the others wore wigs.
I just realized why the Queen Charlotte costumers did this . He was the only male character in the show whose hair wasn’t “done “- it distinguished his illness for the audience likely. It wasn’t intended to make him attractive. It was the opposite. It was intended to make him naked .
Am i the only one who when she talked about highway robbers stealing wigs thought about that scene from Shrek 2 when Shrek is human and needs clothes? 😂🙈
Great vid - I love the historiography, but what makes your channel exceptional is the witty asides and hysterical edits. BTW: this is from an aged gen x guy. thank you
I thought I knew stuff about historical fashion, and have done my share of cringing at anachronistic fashion and hair in movies and television shows, but your presentation was all revelatory for me!
I love seeing all the historical images in this video, thanks so much Abby for including them, they make you talk feel so real. I chuckled at the cartoon at 8:36 where the "country matron" describes her daughter's look as "bedizell'd". To think, this word survives today as "bedazzled"! just another reason to love history.
I knew there were people with better expertise than me to comment on costumes but I thought the cast was too adorable and I liked watching their interviews.
This is why I've already moved on to 1830s Prince Eric and his dimples. Totally a missed opportunity for Hot King George in a wig, Bridgerton. It absolutely distracted me the entire series because I wanted the wig there as a plot device to show the switch between GRIII and Farmer George.
I totally agree with you about the buzz cut 😂Related: especially later on, did men ever wear their own hair styled as a wig? For example, rolled and queued?
I bet there were some clever creations with unspun linen and wool to create cheaper wigs that don't need real hair. But of course horse hair was also available in good quantities.
I'd love to see your take on the wigs and costumes in 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' (TV series), which is set in an alternate history England of the Napoleonic era.
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Your analysis of George's wig as a symbol of the split between his public and private personae is spot on. This is yet another example of creators not trusting the audience to enter fully into the period, as if these characters would be wholly unrelatable to viewers without beach waves and lip gloss.
But he ends up wearing the wig in the end(s).....
Beach waves 😂 but it's so true
they CANT trust bridgertons audience. season 1 got so much backlash online over anthony's sideburns and Daphne's short bangs that they stopped trying to make it accurate to the time period and embraced its anachronism so they decided NOT to trust the audience. the audience was begging to not be trusted.
@@Shenanakins Fair point, though I would assert Bridgerton's costuming, hair and makeup were never that historically accurate. Backlash for sideburns and tiny bangs aside, the sheer scale of the show's fanbase is proof that the audience can be trusted to connect with the characters, because of the strength of the writing and acting. All I was trying to say is that modern hair and makeup aren't necessary to help an audience relate to period characters. The Bridgerton phenomenon proves the audience will follow these characters everywhere, even if they complain about the bangs being tiny and the sideburns...not so much. 🙂
💯
The "the audience can't relate to a character with silly (a.k.a. non contemporary) hair" trope is one of my biggest pet peeves, and usually lead to jarring feelings and not believing the world. I watched the Swedish mini series 'Gustav III:s äktenskap' (The Marriage of Gustavus III) from 2001, and on the whole, they used wigs cleverly. The men at court wore them at all times, except in the most private of moments. The king was only shown wigless in moments where he was at his most vulnerable, with his closest family and confidantes. Over all, it worked brilliantly.
It's been many years since I saw the series but I think I remember a scene where Gustaf III reacts to the death of his baby son, crying and ripping his wig off in slow motion (his own wig, not the ḱid's, like Abby I doubt that babies wore wigs in the 1700s ;-) )... that was kind of an overused old 18th century movie trope already back in 2001 but anyway, yes they did use the wigs cleverly in the series.
By the way, as far as I know, the real Gustaf III didn't wear wigs. Unfortunately I can't remember where I heard or read this but apparently he still had all his long, ash blonde hair left on his head when his grave was opened in the 19th or 20th century.
Ooo, I need to find this and watch it.
For some reason, just that description makes me want to watch it.
John Malkovich wearing various wigs, or his own "natural" hair unpowered in a queue in "Dangerous Liaisons," turned a guy who's not conventionally good-looking into a strikingly handsome figure of a man. Of course the elegant clothes helped.
Several women have told me that they thought he was really hot in that role.
Another good use of wiglessness (as opposed to not using a wig) in a movie was Archie Cunningham's wig in Rob Roy, where he takes it off before the final duel to show he means business.
I was surprised at the lack of wigs and makeup on a GEORGIAN MONARCH! It’s History 101: Privileged Men were out there being extra.
Yeah we just saw a king being crowned and he wore a 4lb gold embroidered coat. Like the 18th century was all peak male peacocking extravaganza and a 20th century man out-blinged him.
But this show isn't history.
@@ryan7864 If you have real people in the show, the show should try to make the person look accurate to their real life counterpart. Assass!ns Creed can do it no problem.
@@sweethistortea they race swapped actual historical characters. Why are you expecting accuracy?
How else would people know you were rich if you didn't wear ridiculous clothing?!
Omg the ripping the wig off as a form of storytelling between King and George IS GENIUS I LOVE IT
This would have added so much! It had not occurred to me but you are so right!
He could've been holding his wig during their meet cute further explaining why she wouldn't expect to be speaking to royalty. Another distinction between her meeting George, but marrying the king!
So would be wiping off makeup (which they did wear)... it's actually a super obvious plot device that I am SHOCKED was missed.
@@lady14bug my idea was meeting her sans the wig... he snuck out while getting ready... he's on his private grounds, he can do what he likes. And then her seeing him in the wig at the alter... and reality sets in. Or at least, starts to.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t love George’s super casual hair!
That hair and the embroidered suit just made me so sad, at least give us something 🤣
It drove me nuts!
You weren’t the only one it bugged me so bad
@@AbbyCox Funny thing is that by the time George IV was coronated the wig look was out and he was wearing his own hair...followed by a succession of wigs that were supposed to look real.
I thought it was odd as well
Charlotte complaining about her whalebones stays had me screaming, and I knew when I saw George with that Hair that I would be seeing at least 1 historical costumer say “WTF” in a YT video. Been looking forward to it really. I did watch one interview where they said he had shaved his head right before auditioning for the role so that might explain why his hair was so bad in terms of length, but he definitely should have been wearing a wig for his very formal appearances - Wedding, coronation, the parties, and him taking off the wig in the carriage on his way to address parliament could have been another really good cue for the audience to know that he was cracking.
And like imagine complaining or even mentioning the materials of your underwear to your brother
Modern hairstyles (along with modern make up) are my pet peeves in period dramas! I'd love to ask a film maker why they do this. I suspect it's because they think it looks so different to to contemporary hair it won't make the characters as 'relatable' to modern audiences where as I my experience is modern hair and make-up feels jarring and makes it so much harder for me to engage with the characters and storyline.
for me too! Also not sticking with the original material. to me Keira Knightly playing Anna Karenina will always be a huge pet peeve because Anna is big and voluptuous woman, and Keira is not 🤷
th-cam.com/video/abBy-9jH9BE/w-d-xo.html don't know if youtube will allow this link
Modern hairstyles in a period drama are the gateway to shitty modern dress Regietheater. Fuck both. I go to the theatre to see pretty costumes and a lot of stabbing.
Oh man!!! The new French film about Madame du Barry with Johnny Depp (haven't seen it yet but it's heavily advertised here in France), is soooo weird with this. The actress that plays du Barry is also the writer and director. Always, most of the ensemble cast look decent, and the background actors look decent, heck, even Johnny Depp looks decent, not historically accurate and heavily stylized, but you still get the feeling of the 1760/70s. But the main actress, Maïwenn, omg, lol, some of her costumes look like they were from Alibaba or Shein and she was always wearing her hair down or a bit more modern with modern makeup. It just doesn't make sense, lol, worse situation than Dakota Johnson doing Persuasion, lol
My chosen era is the 1940s. When you see a female in a wartime movie with a smoky eye and a long fringe it ruins it for me.
I don't even like that hair style in modern contexts! He's a handsome man and it does nothing for him.
Abby adding a dash of political commentary and a heaped teaspoon of witticism about the French government and then flambéing it is sublime.
*chef’s kiss*
haha flambée thats fun
Women barristers and judges also wear wigs. Apparently a new looking wig shows that you are new/inexperienced, so after purchasing an incredibly expensive wig younger barristers will then throw it around the room and kick it across the floor to appear more experienced.
I was told this by a law student - and I don't even care if it is apocryphal .
Interesting. This is... or was, the way of it with hats in Australia. An Australian would NEVER be seen in a 'new' looking hat, unless you were the 'boss'. For the same reason, you are a new chum, or up yourself.
I can’t speak for the new wig thing, but in Australia as well women lawyers and judges wear wigs in at least some circumstances. I live near the Melbourne law courts and see men and women walking around in the full robes and wig get up all the time.
@@--enyo-- … same thing in Adelaide… I worked as a receptionist/audio typist for a few years & wigs plus the robes were worn.. I had to package a barristers wig to be mailed back for repairs .. & boy are they costly as well as the formal robes etc to buy..( my eldest did a double degree & after the 4 years there was some huge expenses for the ceremony wigs robes etc that needed to be worn..
@Enyo the circumstances are high court or federal court IIRC and NSW courts are pretty big on court attire
@@vonibrown923 oh hello fellow Adeladian 👋
Totally agree! Even if they didn’t want to go the wig route, they could’ve at least done something fancier than the “two month grown out buzz cut”
In an interview, the actor mentioned he had shaved off all his hair during the audition process (unclear why). The director was very concerned that Corey wouldn’t grow his hair out in time before shooting. So the haircut we’re seeing is all he managed to grow out before they started filming
@@raquelveloz2481 Even if they thought Georgian era historically accurate wigs would have weirded out a contemporary audience, they could've given him a modern wig intended to look like enough of his own hair to style in a flattering manner.
The character does look undressed without a wig - even people who don't know the history like myself - have seen enough portraits to feel the suit he's wearing goes naturally with a wig - or hat - or something. You just know something's missing.
I think he looks especially messy because a lot of the other men in the show actually DO have neat/long/period-inspired hair. Reynolds and Brimsley, Charlotte’s brother, Parliament - their hair is not what we would see in a modern setting, except the brother’s hair but his is very *neat*. George’s hair is honestly messy. I know the actor hadn’t fully grown his hair back out yet but why not get a natural looking wig to cover it? It’s not at all uncommon for actors to wear wigs during filming especially shortly after shaving their hair, actresses especially do this a lot I think.
I’m not dissing the growing-out style in general, nothing wrong with it. But when it’s in stark contrast to the rest of the characters, and it’s on the politically most important character who is specifically hiding ill health and wants to/is told to appear strong and normal, it’s completely out of place.
I'm convinced someone who works on Bridgerton purposefully does stuff like this to piss off Historical CosTubers
Nah, it’s just them following their vision and overall I always like to see how bridgerton mixes historical and fantasy aesthetic together. His hair was just…weird. Lol
@@AbbyCox this! For me the issue wasn’t so much Modern Hair (although I’d have loved to see him wear a wig), as much as it wa such BAD Modern Hair😬
He did wear the wigs in the end(s).
@@marthabjo I see this point better.
@@AbbyCoxo y’all not realize it was not supposed to be historically accurate ? They literally said it at the start of the show. And thank god he’s not wearing no awful wig otherwise none of us would have watched it
I attented a museum tour a few weeks ago about fashion between 1700 and 1950s. And they told us, everyone wore wigs and they all had lice. At this point I knew the tour wasn't a good idea 😅 They later also told us, woman had their ribs taken out around 1900 to be able to wear corset...I was a little shocked to hear those things in an actual museum😮
Sounds like an ill informed terrible museum !
Oh my....
Women did take their ribs out. It was just that one of the terms for the boning in corsets was "rib" and you'd take the bones out of corsets sometimes to wash them or to replace broken ones. Also the source of all the crap saying corsets caused you to break ribs. Like yeah, if baleen dries out too much it becomes brittle and snaps (its basically like fingernails). That snapping would tend to happen when applying force during the lacing up stage. So like its not entirely wrong, just they didn't realise there was another meaning to the word rib. Plus they based knowledge on now thoroughly debunked xrays of subjects wearing corsets trying to prove they cause problems. Turns out that the xrays were of dead bodies with stuffed lungs and rotated vertebrae (on account of being a collection of body parts). In one instance the xray combines two or more images into one so the pelvis is on back to front. And that's what museums taught from.
Binging all of The Great was a gleefully welcomed relief after watching this. *THAT* is anachronistic historical fantasy done right, and the attention to detail in the costumes, hair, and makeup was incredible. They modernized what made sense to fit the anachronism in the writing, and included accuracy that most historical film/tv doesn’t, down to tie on pockets, mouche placement, hairpieces, and male grooming.
I was just thinking about the wigs in The Great and how they do portray how the wigs were a part of a uniform and court dress.
@@sonjaimmonen6610 right?? They were utilized SO well as part of character development
I was gonna say! it feels like The Great also uses wigs as a symbol of masking almost? when Peter and company are being truthful to themselves and not trying to live up to expectations, there seems like less wigs except for formal occasions.
I haven't finished the video yet, but I felt the need to comment that I very nearly spit the water I was drinking all across the room when hearing women are "moist and leaky". What a gem of a phrase and I will bring that little bit of fact up in any conversation I can this week.
1. Also hated the hair cut.
2. I absolutely LOVE your idea for using it to tell king vs George. I'm actually super bummed now that it didn't happen 😢
He wears the wig eventually.
I agree. George III is an iconic figure, you always imagine him in a powdered wig. In fact all the gentlemen should have worn them, including the footmen. By the time of the Regency wigs were unfashionable for younger men so it hasn't been a problem for the other Bridgerton series' but this one is set much earlier so it is jarring. As I was watching it I thought 'Ooh, Abby won't like that!'
They’re trying to make him a Byronic hero, like every other lead man in the past 200+ years.
The whole time I had the LOTR 'do you wear wigs ? Have you worn wigs ? Will you wear wigs ? When will you wear wigs ?' sound in my head 😂😭♥️
I can’t believe I forgot about that meme DAMNIT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HILARIOUS 😭
@@AbbyCox right ? 😭😂 When you said 'he was not wearing wigs' the meme immediately came to mind 😂
Me too!!!! I had that in my head the entire time!!
I’ve only seen clips from Queen Charlotte and I was so taken aback by George’s hair when I first saw him. He looks waaaaaaay too modern to be a part of the story they are telling.
The “What a man” cut had me in stitches though. 🤣
Yes!! the What a man cut was perfection!! 😂
I really like the points you made about the wig being used for story telling. I really loved the costumes in Hulu's show called Harlots because in private scenes the men did not have wigs but when out of the bedroom the men wore wigs. One of the brothel madams wore a wig to show strength and health and to me it seemed to show her above her "girls." I also just enjoy the story and drama in the show I recommend it if you haven't seen it and maybe it could spark a video. ❤❤
I loved harlots! It was so good
King George, do you wear wigs? Have you worn wigs? Will you wear wigs? When will you wear wigs?
... is all that kept running through my brain.
This is so spot on... when I first saw him I was like, well, they're in the gardens, maybe he'll look nicer for the actual wedding but then... NOPE! And it's not even a good looking modern hairstyle either like you're just setting the poor guy up to fail. Especially next to Charlotte's incredibly elaborate hairdos
This! I hoped the lack of fancy hair would be one reason she didn't recognize him as king in the garden--because what guy (much less king!) would look that scruffy on his wedding day?
@@austinsilvamota5703 a guy with problem that no one wants to marry?
I'm pleasently suprised how they don't shy away from wigs in HBOs The Great. It also suits the characters well.
also for Our Flag Means Death. that show has no need to be historically accurate and yet that episode of French aristocrats is full of men in wigs xD
@@ResaChiic what do u mean no need to be historically accurate?? isnt it set in the 1700s too??
@@melowlw8638 technically it is, but its also comedy show and most comedies dont need historical accuracy, but they decided to keep it, which is why it's surprisingly pleasant 8D
This is one of the things that i loved about "the great" in certain scenes peter would wear a wig or not depending on event, activity, and whatever characters were around
As a migraine sufferer I can say that for me, shorter hair triggers fewer migraines. Long hair is heavy and pulls on my scalp. But hats, hair bands, or kerchiefs also compress my scalp and trigger migraines. I assume wigs would be just as bad as those.
I went from long hair to a bob a few years ago due to referred pain from TMJ.
I get headaches from ponytails, but because my wig bands press a different area of my head, sometimes it actually helps with headaches.
Shout-out to fellow migraine sufferers 🫡
And now I have an urge to cut off my long hair and see if that would help with my constant headaches.... hmmmmm
Abby, You are a daughter historian after my heart. As a reenacter/living historian since 1988, an old lady of 65 and a retired history teacher; I adore your videos. You and Nicole have reignited my historical sewing flame. I have been quilting for the last few years for charities and just purchasing ready made dresses for events. I am so excited every time I see a new video. I have watched some more than once as I also collect 1800's clothing, shoes, and bonnets/hats. Living in England for three years helped with that collection. But I digress. You are an incredibly smart, vivacious orator and I love your videos. Keep yourself centered and know that you are admired by a crusty old historybum in Texas. With much admiration, Grace Henderson
The S1 Bridgerton costume designer mentioned that she hates bonnets so she didn't put in any. Although the Queen Charlotte designers are different people, I won't be surprised if they loathed wigs. Which unfortunately seems widespread among the general public as well, and since Bridgerton aims for mass appeal I guess that's why the wig was canned for the romantic hero... but it does make him look jarring and awkward especially in official ceremonies. At first I thought he lost his wig lol
Literally every background actor and most supporting characters had wigs and QCs wigs were INCREDIBLE. Wigs are so common in productions cause they help maintain continuity, so it’s def not that they didn’t want to. There was some choice made down the road for George, and it could have been anyone.
Honestly i think he is suppose to look out of place because of his problems no one wanted to marry him
I understand the lack of a wig for aesthetic reasons because it’s bridgerton, but honestly he could have at least had long hair, that’s certainly not unfashionable these days and it could have differentiated between the bridgerton eras
exactly! Like do I care that brimsley and Reynolds didn’t have wigs? No. Why? They had longer hair. It’s the vibes we needed. 😤
@@AbbyCox In an interview, the actor mentioned he had shaved off all his hair during the audition process (unclear why). The director was very concerned that Corey wouldn’t grow his hair out in time before shooting. So the haircut we’re seeing is all he managed to grow out before they started filming
Okay, but dipping for wigs is the funniest concept. It’s like the rubber duckies at the fair, or mystery bags. (but with most unfortunate consequences because the poor guy probably didn’t have expendable resources to get a new one, so he would be stuck looking like manny the mammoth with too small hair.)
It’s a very last day of the anime convention activity, like 50% off just this bunch of random wigs that you don’t want to have to pack up again
@@phoenixfritzinger9185 😂😂😂
Excellent video! I have not been interested in the Queen Charolette series at all, which was a surprise because I adore her in Bridgerton. And girl… THIS IS WHY. I didn’t realize what about it was so off putting, but in the preview George walked in and I was already checked out of their story. I get that Bridgerton is trying to strike a specific balance of modern/historical/fantasy/realism. But that haircut alone tipped the scales and all whimsy was lost on me.
In contrast to Marie Antoinette, who at least made something of a gallant stab at getting the male hair long and tonged
Entirely agree with everything in this! Especially the possibility of the juxaposition between private and public persona and the missed opportunity. I appreciated the series as drama, but the lack of a wig on his head was the thing that most drew me out of this whole thing. Missed opportunity.
I watched the main series but I couldn't bring myself to watch this because of the freaking hair LOL I actually always liked 18th century men's hairstyle, but they could have gone the Pirates of The Caribbean route and at least given the ''hot ones'' a longer hair in a queue (and put all the other men in true wigs). At least that LOL
That was so fascinating to learn. Thank you so much. It also feel strange since most other cast members had something done with their hair. Also his real hair could be used if they going to explore his mental illness.
Thanks so much for a great video, Abby! So pleased I'm not the only one to have been annoyed by the lack of wig - I just couldn't believe we were in the royal court at that point, and completely agree it would have really enhanced the storytelling of George's public and private selves. (It was also such a shame as all Queen Charlotte's wigs are so beautiful and unique in the original series, so I didn't understand why we couldn't have some similarly stylish and Bridgerton style wigs in this series? We KNOW they can do great wigs, so I felt really cheated!)
Genuinely 100% agree that him wearing a wig in public/Kingly scenes would have made the imagery so much stronger! Like one of my favourite romantic tropes is when one of the people has a part of themselves , a name, a secret, their truest self in some form, they only reveal to that One person in their life, and in this case that would have been his hair and I think that would have been fantastic
The whole whalebone monologue had me searching TH-cam for dress historian rants 😂😭 didn't find any though , twas too soon xD
Also the way I thought the king stole his costume the first time we see him WHY IS IT SO LARGE AT THE SHOULDERS WHAT IS THIS HAIR😂😭
Part of me hopes that the whalebone monologue was Charlotte trying to manipulate her brother into canceling everything since she threatened to use the whalebone to make herself bleed to death.
In contrast review costumes of the Madness of King George movie from 1994... all wigs, all the time in any formal setting. When George is with out a wig he's in the height of madness.
Yes!!!👌🏼
In the staggeringly perfect mini series “John Adams”, they used men’s wigs to the dramatic effect you mention and even more.
I agree. George’s modern hair was a jarring visual and a bewildering choice.
Crazy to think that for every expensive human hair wig, there would have been a poor person cutting and selling their own hair like Fantine or Jo March. Great video!
Some things never change huh
that's why I love how The Great has it's men wearing the wigs ocasionaly, in special events. You have the modern-apealing real hair, but there's also the wigs simbolizing their status. Some of the women in the show also wear, but not all of them, so I think a follow up video analyzing their hair choices would be cool, since their seems to be a lot of small character details hidden in there
This was so much of my thoughts while watching the show. It is one thing to pretend they have sequins in the 1700s. It’s another thing when they just completely opt out of a major styling choice that we see on screen for most of the shots in the show. And yeah, I’d be unattracted to his hair even in modern day.
Sequins have been around for thousands of years. Gold sequins were used as early as 2500BC in the Indus valley. Solid gold sequins were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb. Sequins were also used in the first quarter of the 17th century for women of court.
THANK YOU for making this video. George‘s hair bothered me so much and not just because of the „historical inaccuracy“ (which, I mean, as you rightfully pointed out, it‘s Bridgerton, it‘s not trying to be accurate and that‘s absolutely fine) but because it just seemed so misplaced. He‘s wearing these super fancy outfits and attending these big events and yet his hair is just giving us nothing? It just felt like he was some random 21st century guy who stumbled upon a halloween costume and put it on for shits and giggles right then and there. Looked absolutely unnatural. Plus, the grown out buzz cut situation was just less than ideal, I 100% agree.
Thank you! I picked up on George's hair instantly and LOATHED the look.
Hahaha I would love to know your therapist’s reaction to King George’s hair.
I imagine it’d be like that scene in ‘Freaky Friday’ where Mrs. Coleman is taken over by her daughter and then starts doodling on the pad and keeps saying “So, how does that make you feel?”
As I costume designer, I LOVE your idea for the wig with George being used as a device to further develop the character and emphasize certain scenes. You have brought a very valid point. Very wonderful!
9:13 including the song clip w/ the montage at the risk of copyright was EVERYTHING. Legit had to watch it back a 2nd time.
From now until the end of time, whenever anyone asks me what’s wrong I will say “I’m MOIST & LEAKY!”
Thanks😂 that gave me and my husband a good laugh.
Thank you so very much )))) Considerations of wiggery very welcome. I've been saving brushings for years to make one of my own hair for the lovely high hair style to be worn at re-enactments 1740-1780. Time zones for hair styles will help me present the right hair style. VERY happy to find pieces and pads more important than full wigs.
Your snarky humor is totally on point. Perfection!
That whole rant in episode one was painful for me as well! I was actually screaming at the screen and put my husband and our flatmate through a lecture about fashion history in your honour 😂
Me realizing that I’ve been so hyper fixated on your blouse that I have to restart the video half way in. The print is stunning. Oh my gawed it’s gorgeous. I hope the comments can tell me who makes the fabric cuz I’m about to read every single one.
Especially that it was a buzzcut! A bit longer hair would have already been a slight improvement.
I really love your idea of the storytelling behind wig - no wig!
In an interview, the actor mentioned he had shaved off all his hair during the audition process (unclear why). The director was very concerned that Corey wouldn’t grow his hair out in time before shooting. So the haircut we’re seeing is all he managed to grow out before they started filming
I would love to see a video of you doing some wig styling! That would be so fun!
"in keeping with the government, the hair collapses" HAHAHAHA
Your humor is ON POINT 😂😂😂 not only are your videos educational and interesting, but they are hysterical 😂
I went to williamsburg for my honeymoon 2 years ago and went to the wig shop. It was one of my favorite places I visited while I was there. It was so interesting and cool to watch them make a wig. I was in there asking so many questions.
Thank you Abby for talking about this! Historic inaccuracies are super annoying.
Yankee Doodle Dandy~~~ “Stuck a feather in his hat, and called it macaroni!” Macaroni is what they called those insanely huge and decorated hairstyles, but growing up I never knew that’s what they were referencing.
If you want to do an entire series on wigs, I'd be here for it lol ❤ love your content!
I am 41 and I have female pattern baldness (it's genetic, my grand-mother would get perms so we did not see her scalp through her hair.), not enough to use wigs, but enough that I noticed and I have had considerable success regrowing lost hair using Rosemary Essential Oil when I wash my hair. I had read that it was as effective as medicated shampoo for hair loss while being less agressive for the scalp. And I am quite happy with the results. I am loosing a lot less hair when washing (it was as bad as post-partum shedding before and my last baby is 10 years old) and have a large amount of short hair on the top of my head that were simply gone before.
0:51 So, basically Chad Michael Murray in ‘A Cinderella Story’ at the prom in that period outfit?
P.S. Zac Efron as Troy Bolton works too.
This is my first time watching anything of yours. You're so knowledgeable and charismatic! But I gotta say the thing that really sold me on you was that the HSM song you picked to illustrate your point was Scream, which is my favorite and not even the most famous one! 😂
I love Abby's videos because she gives really good and varied primary source material to demonstrate her points. Love ye amount of research ❤❤❤
I loved this video but also was devastated to see no Elijah Wood prank interview "when will you wear wigs!?!?" references lol
I totally agree that they could have done such fun things with the wig! Like the visual change between Farmer George and King George. I think it's they totally missed a great opertunity.
I almost turned the TV off when Charlotte made the whalebone comment, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through. Overall, I enjoyed the show, although I also lamented the lack of wigs or hair powder. Why producers think we can't handle historical looks is beyond me! I find it interesting that the extras usually look so much more authentic than the main characters.
Thank you for this! Your channel is one of the reasons I love TH-cam. 😊
I hadn’t thought of George wearing a wig as the king and not as farmer George but that would have been so good! Also, the whale bone scene killed me.
It's comforting to know that George's causal hair was a shock as it was to me.
"George" looks like a Ken Prince. One of those Mattel prince dolls where You can remove the sort of 18th century garments and dress him modern.
You're absolutely right, if it doesn't please today's taste, it's still placed in the 1780s and it should be minimally convincing. Both George and Charlotte should be wearing wigs.
Fun fact. The weight of hair and certain hairstyles can cause headaches. There are people who wear their hair short for this reason. My hair gives me a headache, so I can’t wear updos and never a single ponytail.
I think I remember mentioning wigs in the rainbow hair video and as a side note in several others. Thank you for great work. ❤❤❤
gosh this was such a good video, so well presented.
also i agree, i had the same knee-jerk reaction when george showed up and i didn't even know anything abt wigs at that point! all i thought was, well if john malkovich can wear a wig and somehow ooze charm while a) not even being that charming to look at and b) playing a horrible character, then there's no excuse for george's outgrown buzzcut.
I love your historical ones, they are truly great.
Great points & seeing the clips you chose where the servants were wearing wigs in the background underlines the issue.
This was fascinating. I honestly thought it was strictly a fashion thing why men wore wigs! So, thanks for sharing your expertise with us. ❤
I love everything about this video. More historical hair styling info!
The bit about highway robbers stealing wigs is hilarious to me because I remember the cover of the Horrible Histories book for the Georgians has an illustration of a highway robbery, and the dialogue from the highwayman is "Stand and deliver! Your money, or your wig!" And for YEARS i thought that was intended as a send-up of the fact that everyone thinks of wigs more than almost anything else when they think of the Georgians, especially because the jokes on the Horrible Histories covers tend to have more mass appeal and be less based on niche facts. But now I'm like... was that an intentional reference to this fact??
As you say, hair was a reflection of health. Could the creators have used the abnormal use of George's actual short hair to symbolize his ongoing stuggle with mental health?
This could be really interesting. He'd probably still wear a wig in public, keeping up appearances, but it would be cool to switch between mid-length natural hair = George's doing okay, and close-cut hair = George is struggling.
@@Eloraurora yes, really short hair like that would be a sign of extremism and weirdness, like he was going through some sensory processing issues and needed it all off
I assumed this was the intent, but it falls totally flat with no contrast. It would’ve worked great if he sometimes had one (even for the two formal occasions), especially with how severely they played up his “sometimes perfectly fine sometimes unhinged” or even if any other male leads had them to show how George differs from them. It honestly felt kind of insultingly lazy with how much they played up the “crazy” of mental health struggles without ever contrasting it with the reality that is masking and forced social conformity.
@E I have to agree. The cause of his mental health difficulties are still debated today so it would have been nice to see the show creators take a stand instead of leaving it as some nebulous, we can't really fix this, disorder that we will now try to kill without killing the King.
I did learn that King George's two doctors were father and son, the Willis's. Their harsh torture methods of treatment was so abhorrent that the figure of speech "gives me the willies" stemmed from it.
I don't think they went that deep! They just thought he'd be more attractive without a wig. Shame.
I love watching all your videos, but my favourites are definitely the ones when I learn something new about historical fashion and beauty.
Totally agree! They missed out on some amazing storytelling moments by not giving him a wig! And it was obvious that they knew about the wigs because Lord Bute and the others wore wigs.
I just realized why the Queen Charlotte costumers did this . He was the only male character in the show whose hair wasn’t “done “- it distinguished his illness for the audience likely. It wasn’t intended to make him attractive. It was the opposite. It was intended to make him naked .
Hmm interesting thought.
As a wig lover, always good to see this content. Can’t get enough wig history
I would love to hear your take on The Great (re Catherine). It seems to me there are definitely more wigs.
Am i the only one who when she talked about highway robbers stealing wigs thought about that scene from Shrek 2 when Shrek is human and needs clothes? 😂🙈
🤣🤣🤣
Same! That was Hilarious 😂
Great vid - I love the historiography, but what makes your channel exceptional is the witty asides and hysterical edits. BTW: this is from an aged gen x guy. thank you
I thought I knew stuff about historical fashion, and have done my share of cringing at anachronistic fashion and hair in movies and television shows, but your presentation was all revelatory for me!
I love seeing all the historical images in this video, thanks so much Abby for including them, they make you talk feel so real.
I chuckled at the cartoon at 8:36 where the "country matron" describes her daughter's look as "bedizell'd". To think, this word survives today as "bedazzled"!
just another reason to love history.
I knew there were people with better expertise than me to comment on costumes but I thought the cast was too adorable and I liked watching their interviews.
They're out here looking like they just got a fresh style from supercuts 😭
Thanks Abby, first time commenting, but long time following your videos and learning from you a lot! Really inspiring♥️
I grew up in the 80s. I did the wings thing in my hair and also tried to get it higher and bigger. I was an amateur... 😢
This is why I've already moved on to 1830s Prince Eric and his dimples. Totally a missed opportunity for Hot King George in a wig, Bridgerton. It absolutely distracted me the entire series because I wanted the wig there as a plot device to show the switch between GRIII and Farmer George.
I totally agree with you about the buzz cut 😂Related: especially later on, did men ever wear their own hair styled as a wig? For example, rolled and queued?
George Washington did (pictured in the video).
I bet there were some clever creations with unspun linen and wool to create cheaper wigs that don't need real hair. But of course horse hair was also available in good quantities.
Great video!! Yeah, I kept thinking "He looks only half dressed, where is his wig? Also, why is his hair so short?!?!" Lol.
omg i didnt realise lmao the actress who plays young queen charlotte was in my high school class xd good for her!!
I'd love to see your take on the wigs and costumes in 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' (TV series), which is set in an alternate history England of the Napoleonic era.