CHAOTIC QUEE Love her
How relevant is Bridget Jones
WE first fell in love with her 28 years ago – and now she’s back in a fourth film, Bridget Jones:
Mad About the Boy.
But what will
Generation Z think about the chaotic heroine of the 1990s?
Here, Gen Z writer NIAMH KIRK asks if today’s viewers will be like Mark Darcy and love her “just the way she is”? Or will she become the next victim of our less forgiving cancel culture?
Known for her colourful language, huge knickers and unhealthy smoking habits, there’s still something truly lovable about Bridget Jones. But she is so unrealistic to the younger women of today.
I was only three when the first film starring Renee Zellweger was released and I wasn’t even born when Helen Fielding’s book hit the shelves in 1996.
Yet I remember watching the first film at 15 and being somewhat in awe.
Why was she so unlucky in love, why did she swear so much and why on earth did she not report her boss Daniel Cleaver, played by Hugh Grant, for being so unprofessional?
She was clumsy, kind and funny and it made her addictive to watch.
As I got to my twenties, Bridget became somewhat relatable – especially after finding out first-hand how treacherous the world of dating is, how crude men can be and how sometimes saying the odd profanity really can make you feel a bit better.
But is it really the type of film that should be made today?
The new movie will pick up with Bridget as a mum. But the original story is about a single 32-year-old woman who is obsessed with having a boyfriend and calorie counting.
I thought dreaming about your future husband was something you grew out of when you came into the “real world” but it seemed Bridget never did. As for the self-loathing about her weight, that would now be seen as triggering to many young women. She has a good career, granted, although one she often jeopardises for love.
Then there’s Bridget’s lifestyle, which is a far cry from what people would class as a “priority” these days.
Forget the impossibility of owning a flat in Central London, but the whole bar culture has changed. Many Gen Z people I know have ditched the pub.
None of my friends smoke and our idea of spending time together is seeking out a cosy coffee shop and sipping on an oat milk latte.
Many people my age prefer going to pilates classes, running marathons, drinking green juices and avoiding hangovers –something you could never imagine Bridget doing.
And then there’s that saucy work situation with her boss.
Remember their back and forth flirty messages about “the little skirt”?
In the modern day, Daniel would be cancelled so quickly. Think Metoo.
Bridget shows why men think they can get away with inappropriate actions.
As women, we’ve come a long way – and we don’t appreciate crude comments, especially at work.
As for having a relationship with him, if that was today, many people would probably be quick to cancel him instead.
I hate cancel culture, but Daniel
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