I’m devouring the excellent series Capote vs. The Swans which tells of the betrayal that Truman Capote inflicted on his wealthy New York friends and the war that they then waged to destroy him. Enjoyable at all times!
This series, currently offered on the FX channel, Citytv+ and on sale on Apple TV, is the second season of Feud, from the brilliant creator Ryan Murphy, who set out to produce great stories where rivalry is at the heart of the scenario. The first season offered us a terrifying tiger fight between actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
Besides, do you know Bette Davis’ famous statement about her rival? “The best time I had with Joan was when I pushed her down the stairs in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. »
In terms of bitcheryit’s a peak!
IMAGE PROVIDED BY EDITIONS SÉGUIER
The Battle of Versaillesby Robin Givhan
I also come away from the fascinating reading of the book The Battle of Versailles which recounts in every detail the fashion show which took place in the famous castle on November 28, 1973. That evening, five French couturiers (Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Marc Bohan for Dior ) “faced” five American designers (Anne Klein, Roy Halston, Stephen Burrows, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass).
The behind-the-scenes games surrounding the preparation of this social event are worthy of a real world war strategy. I won’t tell you which clan came out on top.
I also notice that we very often like to portray the fashion world as a battlefield. The new series The New Look is largely based on the rivalry between Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. We are currently preparing a series on Karl Lagerfeld. What will it be about in particular? From the rivalry between this designer and Yves Saint Laurent.
Every day, the show Big Brother Celebrities brings back its share of alliances and rivalries through a highly entertaining game. Because we come to be amused by these cathodic distractions which, ultimately, feature people fighting… to crush others.
I realize how prevalent rivalry storylines are on screen and in books. We gorge ourselves on these bloody stories without realizing it. For what ? Because we ourselves live surrounded by rivalries. And this since childhood.
I remember this elementary school teacher who fueled the rivalry between me and a classmate with whom I shared first or second place in terms of dictation or composition grades. It was the time (watch out, young psychologists, you’re going to scream) when papers were given to students by proclaiming the grades out loud, starting from the lowest to the highest.
A great method to promote self-esteem and confidence in children!
We live every day with rivalry and its main aromas: jealousy, pettiness, competition, envy, covetousness and also sycophancy. Racine is right when he makes Nero say: “I kiss my rival, but it is to suffocate him!” »
The disproportionate rivalry intrigues that television or cinema offer us put into perspective those that we experience at work, at school, with our ex or within the family (rivalry between brothers and sisters, rivalry between grandparents, etc.) .
When you think about it, the rivalry is everywhere around us: Montreal-Quebec, Ontario-Quebec, Quebec-Ottawa, CAQ-PQ, Trudeau-Poilievre, sovereignists-federalists, left-right… Do you want other examples?
We love stories of rivalry so much that when they aren’t solidly based, we inflate them. Talk to Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton. Art magazines are full of these stories. Rivalry excites as much as it calms, but it also sells.
The screenwriters and authors are not fools. They understood that this engine is a guarantee of success. We love being a spectator of a rivalry. We then return to the Roman arenas. Why do you think there is a strong desire for the return of a National League hockey team to Quebec? To relive the famous Canadian-Nordic war.
The true principle of rivalry is primary and animal. In many cases, it ensures the survival of species. Without battle, no female or male, therefore no mating.
For several summers, I have been observing the behavior of red-winged blackbirds that arrive in the spring. The most conquering and competitive males fight to obtain privileged and secure places so that their female can brood in complete peace of mind. It is the law of the strongest.
The rivalry comes from there, deep down. But over time, we have turned it into a behavior that feeds our pride and our thirst for power. So let’s leave these juicy rivalry stories to the writers. When you look at them from a distance, they hurt less.