Bridget Jones - watched it last night, erm it’s aged a bit!

[Noeuf]

Gosh watched with dd as I was up late and it came on. Funny how I remembered it and how we’ve moved on now.
The emails about her skirt - funny/flirty then and now massively inappropriate
Darcy ‘negging’ her - dd couldn’t see why he was meant to be the one we all wanted
Fighting in the street! And no comeback for him as a human rights barrister
91/2 stone - and she was fat??!!! I weigh more than that and don’t think I’m comment worthy!
Just so interesting to see how my views have changed really.

@julieca

And at the time of BJ I was living in London and earning £12k. A £100k flat in a rough part of London was way beyond me. At the time men could get 3.5 times their wage as a mortgage, but women's wage only counted for 1.5 times.

I think you'll find it wasn't sex-based, it might have been higher and lower earner based which in practice would likely mean the woman was usually the lower-earner in a couple. I seem to remember the company I worked for had income multipliers of 3 times sole or 2.5 times joint so you chose what worked best in each case.

Agree, not sure when it changed but I got offered 3.5 my salary as a single woman in 1996. Totally bottled it. Didn't need it in my zone, but my flat last sold for 285k according to Zoopla. Crazy.

I think BJ took off because all the messages to young women at the time were they had to be superwomen. A glittering career, good marriage, kids and look amazing. BJ said you can be a bit hopeless but everything will still be okay.

God yes, now I think about it I remember all that “Super Woman” bollocks with Nicola Horlick being held up as the pinnacle of womanhood because she had 6 children and a full time City job (and a fleet of staff, although funnily enough that rarely got mentioned by the press) It was a hangover from the 80s of “having it all”.

At least dear old Bridge showed that it was OK not to be like this, in fact most of us weren’t like that and didn’t want to be, either!

The films to me were the watered down end-point of what had become a cultural phenomenon through the newspaper columns.

In comparison they were just enjoyable fluff with not much to say, but the column was just so brilliant at taking a poke at her demographic - middle class, apparently "aspirational" young women who were brought up to think they should have a great career, but who still really just wanted to get married.

A highlight for me in the column was just after Princess Diana died. Bridget was fretting about who she could now fantasise about dressing up now Diana was gone. It was so soon after her death and quite controversial at the time, but I thought it actually really hit the spot.

I bought a 2-bed for 62k in a fairly nice part of Islington on 3 x wages (and probably 5% deposit) in ‘92. A friend of mine in publishing bought something similar but a fair bit cheaper at the time in Balham. So definitely doable at the time.
All my mates lived ‘her’ life at the time (as in the newspaper column version, which was way better than the film), right down to the complete feeling of ‘faking it’ that came with not being the right type when mixing with the Chelsea crowd. I may not have obsessed about my weight (or my boss), but staying up all night gassing with my mates and living on Silk Cut & Chardonnay? Oh yes.

@Ticksallboxes

The films to me were the watered down end-point of what had become a cultural phenomenon through the newspaper columns.

In comparison they were just enjoyable fluff with not much to say, but the column was just so brilliant at taking a poke at her demographic - middle class, apparently "aspirational" young women who were brought up to think they should have a great career, but who still really just wanted to get married.

A highlight for me in the column was just after Princess Diana died. Bridget was fretting about who she could now fantasise about dressing up now Diana was gone. It was so soon after her death and quite controversial at the time, but I thought it actually really hit the spot.

‘Diana dead. Do not understand. Is not the sort of thing she would do.’

I am younger than Bridget so read the columns as a student but I do remember thinking that Cafe Rouge was the height of sophistication as it was where the group gathered all the time.

@TheBlessedCheesemaker Yes possible, you were in a decent wage for the time. It is according to the inflation calculator £43,700 now. But someone earlier in the thread said the flat BJ had would have been worth £100k so quite a bit more than you. I also don't think BJ would have been paid £43k for what her role was in the film and the level of competence. She was operating more at intern level than professional.
I don't have any problem with that. Its Hollywood, its not realistic.

I do remember thinking that Cafe Rouge was the height of sophistication

Absolutely, and All Bar One!

They move on to Cafe 192 in book two. I wonder if that still exists?

l

Look. Nostalgia about it already in 2002!

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/apr/14/foodanddrink.ethicalliving

It was the sheer amount of smoking on screen that I particularly noticed.

Have long believed should be turned into a musical. "Diary of an MP's Wife" by Sasha Swire makes me think of it!

I was 17 and very impressionable when it came out.

Does everything have to be ruined by being made into a musical?

I bloody love the first two films and as fir Daniel Cleaver….I would!

I love it - for everything. It captures the 90s perfectly. It’s a bit like saying Pride and Prejudice is a bit dated….it’s 100% of its time.

@takethegirloutofwales

I love it - for everything. It captures the 90s perfectly. It’s a bit like saying Pride and Prejudice is a bit dated….it’s 100% of its time.

I totally agree. I am about 5 years younger than the fictional Bridget. It was perfect social commentary of its time.

See also Adrian Mole, who is also about the same age.

I never identified with Bridget ! Although I’ve known many like her!
The weight thing cracks me up too. I’d love to be complaining about being 9 stone odd ( but I suppose it WAS Heroin Chic dayzzz)
And I never understand why ( in the book) she just LET Rebecca take Darcy from her!?

And I never understand why ( in the book) she just LET Rebecca take Darcy from her!?

It only dawned on me about 5 years after reading the second book, that it was based on Persuasion. I can get onboard with Bridget being a modern Elizabeth Bennet but Anne Elliott is far too much of a drip to translate to the modern era.

See also Adrian Mole, who is also about the same age

That fact messes with my brain.

I watch have watched this many times for the respect scene where she resigns. I have said similar and it gave me great courage. Both blokes plonkers but for me eye candy. I think in the third one the bullying female boss is sound tracked to feck you by Lily Allen? Bloody funny.

Chechnya.

@Thelikelylass

Chechnya.

🤣

“I couldn’t give a fuck Jones”

@Thelikelylass

Another odd 1990s thing, one hell of a wax for those drawers she wears whilst vacuuming.

@kurtney

And I never understand why ( in the book) she just LET Rebecca take Darcy from her!?

It only dawned on me about 5 years after reading the second book, that it was based on Persuasion. I can get onboard with Bridget being a modern Elizabeth Bennet but Anne Elliott is far too much of a drip to translate to the modern era.

Yes - trying to fit Persuasion to a modern plot just didn’t quite work. There are some really funny bits in the second book though (Pretentious Jerome’s poetry reading to the Women’s Institute or whatever it is!)