Bridgerton, a popular Netflix series produced by Shonda Rhimes and Chris Van Dusen, has garnered attention, much of which has been positive, for its diverse, color-conscious casting. Differing from the books on which it has been based, the Netflix series includes main characters of various ethnicities, though it maintains its original storylines that often concern issues of class in the Regency era. In this analysis of the first two seasons of Bridgerton, we argue that Bridgerton’s success is connected to its ability to create consubstantiality between its characters and viewers. We apply Kenneth Burke’s concept of identification to several characters and storylines throughout the first two seasons, noting how common ground and dissociation in particular serve to create consubstantiality. Finally, we suggest that Bridgerton’s color-conscious casting aids in this creation of identification, even while the series fails to align with documented history of the Regency era and continues to incorporate issues of classism and homophobia into its storylines.
Key words: Rhetorical criticism, popular culture, television, Burkean identification, representation, thematic analysis, close textual reading
|
