Musings on...High Society OGs
Mean Girls, Housewives and Influencers, Oh My!
I’ve always been bookish, and I had a habit of writing reports on books and topics I loved. I actually assigned myself the task of writing book reports for no grade or recognition. In my free time, for fun! As an adult, I turned my teenage habit into its modern iteration- a book blog. Let’s be honest: a book blog is just a book report with SEO. After some technical issues beyond my coding ability, my website imploded. I was dragging my feet deciding if I should have it redesigned, when I thought of this Substack. Since I’m always musing about books, I’ll just house it here alongside my other miscellany and revisit the archives from time to time. Substack is also free, so my decision may have been heavily influenced. Let the bookish adventures continue!
I get (overly) excited when a book I love makes its way to the TV or movie screen. Since I read primarily nonfiction, it does not happen often. Fiction fans get to look forward to juggernauts like The Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter and even smaller screen options like The Summer I Turned Pretty and Bridgerton (actually, we all look forward to Bridgerton). For us nonfiction nerds, the choices are few and far between. The last time I was epically excited was awaiting the release of The Devil Wears Prada. My lifelong friend sent me a copy of the book when I was at home on maternity leave with my first baby. That baby is now 19 years old, so as I said, its been a minute. On a side note, I will go on record that TDWP movie is actually better than the book. That rarely happens, and I’ll fight anyone that disagrees.
So, I’ve been sitting on my hands and squealing to myself with delight since I read that Ryan Murphy was using one of my favorite books of 2021 for the next installation of his “Feud” series. Feud: Capote vs. The Swans is bound to be a delicious, decadent treat. I am an old NY kind of girl and the luxurious and fashionable lives of society doyennes makes for exceptional books. I have poured over the coffee table books of the Black and White Ball, the estates of Babe Paley and CZ Guest until the bookstore employees made me purchase them because I left too many fingerprints on the pages. When Laurence Leamer published his heavyweight tome of the most watched women in NYC and how they collectively took out the man that tried to destroy them, I read it at lightning speed. I’m sharing this with you because I generally like to seduce others into my obsessions. My husband didn’t drink coffee until I lured him into my favorite cafe and offered him a caramel cappuccino. He may have been humoring me as one does when dating, but he is now duly addicted and my willing Starbucks deliverer. I ask, who was humoring whom?
I want you to read/listen to the book, but here’s the backstory. Truman Capote was a poor country boy living a small life in New Orleans. He has big dreams of being a writer in the big city. He is extremely talented, but he has no connections. He writes a best-selling book In Cold Blood, (the impetus of the True Crime genre) and becomes famous (but not rich). He becomes the toast of New York and befriends the most prominent women of society. He positions himself as their witty companion. Their husbands are often inattentive, so Truman seemingly offers adoring male friendship. He has access to their lavish lives, grand estates and accompanies them on their luxe vacations. They share with him their secrets and inner confidences. He adores them and christens them “The Swans,” the most beautiful denizens of society. On his dark side, he is keeping notes, using their lives as material for a thinly veiled, but scathing book on New York Society. An excerpt of the book is printed in Esquire Magazine and although the names are changed, the ladies recognize themselves and the secrets they have shared with only one person-Truman. They retreat from him, removing him from their spotlight. Truman, a man of many vices, falls into deep depression, alcoholism, drug use and eventually obscurity and death. It is the first modern mean girl moment, and ripe for cinematic exploitation.
You Need to Watch the Series: What Ryan Murphy will get right.
Obviously, the baubles of this story will be wonderful eye candy. Ryan is extremely Hitchcockian in his obsession with cinematography and costuming. I forced myself to watch Ratched for the magnificent set design and wardrobe on that fabulous clotheshorse Sarah Paulson. I think I made it through episode 3: it was just too psychologically freaky for me, but I often visit many of the visual details renting space in my head. If Ryan and his team can weave such beautiful magic with the grimy tale of a psychotic nurse, I am drooling just thinking about the splendor this story will spin. Remember, these are the women married to the richest and most powerful men of the century. They had the biggest homes, wore the finest European and American designers, and spent their days lunching at the toniest restaurants. They were called Swans, but they were their wealthy husband’s finest peacock feathers. Louie Eyrich, who has been by Ryan Murphy’s side for 24 years, will undoubtedly regale us with a parade of the era’s quiet luxury. These women wore the original Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Givenchy. They called Mainbocher “Main”. Famed designer Zac Posen (known for epic dress moments) oversees the costumes for the Black and White Ball scenes. (The Met Gala of its day)
You Need to Read the Book: What Laurence Leamer got right.
The film production will be catty and focus on the scandal, the best Housewives reunion that Andy Cohen wishes he produced. However, the book gives us insight into the lives of the ladies. The central nervous system of the book is how these women navigated their lives to reach the top of society. They were expected to marry well, and they often moved from rich husbands to richer husbands with the skill of world-class chess player. And since monogamy and fidelity weren’t always negotiable in top tier marriages, they lived as trophies and breeders for the benefit of big international names like Roosevelt, Vanderbilt, Churchill and royal dynasties. Their pseudo-occupation was garnering placement on International Best Dressed Lists and spreads of their beautiful homes. These women were the original media influencers. Photos of Babe Paley’s handbag adorned with a scarf is the progenitor of the trend with the still active shelf life. The book explores what the newspapers have wrong-there are many more dimensions to the main characters. They were talented, multi-dimensional and obviously smart enough to build and achieve such masterful plans for themselves. They were true maestros of manifestation. There are lessons to be learned.
When one puts aside presentism, they were extremely resourceful and modern women. Post-Gilded Age and pre–Mary Tyler Moore and That Girl, these women sat squarely in a time when the only title most women could attain was Mrs. Their stories show that women are remarkable creatures in every era, utilizing all assets at hand to thrive when the decks are stacked against them. They are just as cunning and skilled as their titans of industry husbands, with a few managing to transcend societal expectations. Lee Radziwill wanted to be an actor, which Truman encouraged. CZ Guest became a scion of design in her later life, authoring books about horticulture and gardening. Gloria Guiness was noted as having such wonderful and authentic taste that she would have been a wonderful designer, if she would have pursued a career. And although feuds among friends are full of vicissitude, there was still traces of gentility and graciousness. Lee Radziwill and CZ Guest remained close to Truman to the end, even helping him to rehab. They are not one-dimensional stereotypes. They were complicated and real women with lives that warrant a look beyond the headlines and pithy articles. Come for the sizzle, but steak is on the menu.
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