People keep talking about escapism and how bad it is. Yet, time and again, we see just how much society loves the same. While most of us are living in a democratic world, our obsession with royalty is endless. Be it the tiniest things about Kate Middleton becoming viral for no reason or shows like Bridgerton and The Crown breaking the internet, we see multiple instances of our obsession with crowns and thrones. But, why do we love this crowd and system that has oppressed our ancestors for centuries?

From Bridgerton to The Crown, our endless obsession with the royalty

Right off the top of our heads, we can name The Crown, The King’s Speech, Downton Abbey, Victoria, Young Royals, and Reign. All of these shows and movies were wildly successful. And, they all share the common trait of being based on royalty. While some of them like Bridgerton and Young Royals offer respite and comfort, the others are just dark. Yet, why do we find ourselves attracted to the glamour they possess?

The one word that sums this up is escapism.

What is Escapism?

A short answer to this question lies in the word itself. We often seek to distract ourselves from unpleasant realities. In other words, we wish to escape from our own places in the world to somewhere less grim.

Escapism has been a topic of great interest in literature and philosophy. All books that we read, enjoy, and love, offer us escapism. In their pages, we move to a world that is not our own and dwell in the mind of a person who is far from our actual self. Some of the most popular works in history are escapist fiction, like the Harry Potter books, or The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A recent example is that of the Bridgerton books and the Netflix Original based on the same. The Crown also takes its viewers to a world completely different from their own. Dragging oneself through work and academics while trying to constantly bring up one’s social standing gets too tiring for all of us. There comes a time when all of us need to disconnect from the same.

But, is escapism all there is? Why not other forms of the same?

If we’re to look at these shows only as escapist material, then the question of “why this, particularly?” demands an answer.

In the case of Bridgerton, it is the sheer glamour of the Netflix series. A dream-like set, costumes so intricately made that they took 200 people over 5 months to get them finished, and characters so relatable that you find comfort in them is what appealed to the viewers of Bridgerton.

We see Daphne talk about the struggles of being a woman. There is a separate queer fandom for Eloise that resonates with her more than anyone else could. We see how Bridgerton is a commentary on things that are unfair, yet it continues to be unrealistically glamourous to most of its audience. Despite being set in an era that oppressed people of color, we see the cast of the show being inclusive.

The creators of Bridgerton seem to have found a blend of romance, glamour, realism, and utopia that appeals to fans as nothing else does at the moment.

To sum it up, we are obsessed with content based on royalty despite constantly hating the monarchy because these series bring a form of temporary respite to us.

Stream Bridgerton on Netflix and let us know what about it appeals to you the most.