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the Tudors (oy) and costuming (more oy)
Apr. 3rd, 2007 08:23 pmOy. I have such a headache from watching the first two episodes of The Tudors. Probably because I spent the entire time shaking my head in dismay. Why, WHY does every premium cable channel feel the need the bring us sexed-up, dumbed-down TV series kinda-sorta-mostly based on historical figures and events? Henry VIII was NOT a rock star. I'm sure the TV execs who thought this one up thought it would a be hip and edgy, but in reality, watching Jonathan Rhys-Meyers endlessly trashing hotel rooms (uh, I mean palace rooms) and shagging groupies (uh, I mean courtiers) is actually incredibly boring and stupid. And I don't recall a shirtless wrestling match between Henry and Francois I occurring during their meeting at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, or was I just not paying attention when I was reading my history books?
And from a costuming standpoint, this show makes me want to force-feed the costume designer rancid shrimp. Why is everyone in Elizabethan clothes if it's the 1520s??????. NO ONE is in proper period clothing! Has the woman NEVER seen a Holbein painting for crying out loud? And all the female court ladies are dressed like Venetian courtesans. And they all have their hair out. Not one of them is wearing a proper french hood or gable hood or anything. And everyone's in ruffs! In the 1520's! These enormous ruffs! The carnage! The horror!
It butchers history AND has crap costumes! And yet, I kind of want to stick it out and see where it goes. I can't decide if it's because I really love the Tudor period, or if it's because my warped, twisted sense of humor finds this train-wreck somehow amusing.
In more historically accurate costuming news, I found a pattern I liked in a book and so now I'm copying it out and I'll hopefully get started making a new renaissance costume for myself soon! Except that I've been developing some really awesome Victorian doll dress patterns, and well, I'm a Victorian girl at heart, and I've been spending all my time on those. I should just accept that I'll never get a new Ren faire costume done this year.
And from a costuming standpoint, this show makes me want to force-feed the costume designer rancid shrimp. Why is everyone in Elizabethan clothes if it's the 1520s??????. NO ONE is in proper period clothing! Has the woman NEVER seen a Holbein painting for crying out loud? And all the female court ladies are dressed like Venetian courtesans. And they all have their hair out. Not one of them is wearing a proper french hood or gable hood or anything. And everyone's in ruffs! In the 1520's! These enormous ruffs! The carnage! The horror!
It butchers history AND has crap costumes! And yet, I kind of want to stick it out and see where it goes. I can't decide if it's because I really love the Tudor period, or if it's because my warped, twisted sense of humor finds this train-wreck somehow amusing.
In more historically accurate costuming news, I found a pattern I liked in a book and so now I'm copying it out and I'll hopefully get started making a new renaissance costume for myself soon! Except that I've been developing some really awesome Victorian doll dress patterns, and well, I'm a Victorian girl at heart, and I've been spending all my time on those. I should just accept that I'll never get a new Ren faire costume done this year.
