Bridget Jones was a tremendous function mannequin for this one shocking purpose | Films | Entertainment | EUROtoday

“Is she, like, a real person?”

I bear in mind the primary time I ‘heard of’ Bridget Jones.

One of my colleagues would herald a replica of The Independent into work. Once per week she would flip to me – our chairs have been again to again – and we’d pore over the Bridget Jones’ diary column collectively. Another feminine colleague would be part of us and we’d speculate on her actual id, as we knew – from colleagues on the paper – that she was a pseudonym.

“No – she’s a writer,” my colleague replied. “I don’t think she’s a journalist. And it looks like her story is based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.” Cue some disillusioned sighs; as to be a columnist – we have been jobbing reporters then – appeared just like the factor to be.

We didn’t know Bridget Jones was the creation of writer Helen Fielding then- however the column was a must-read and a responsible pleasure; it was accompanied by an image of a girl smoking a cigarette.

It was in silhouette, with smoke curling away from her.

I believe it might have even appeared cool on the time – and no I did not smoke!

Just a few months later the precise ebook got here out. I hadn’t learn it then however then I did not have to.

“Oh yeah you remind me of Bridget Jones” or “Oh that’s something Bridget Jones would do.”

Apparently I used to be dwelling Bridget Jones’ life, so my associates advised me. All as a result of I used to be single.

Unlike Bridget I didn’t care about being single although and neither did my associates.

It was the Nineteen Nineties. We had loads of male associates (none of whom have been we romantically or bodily concerned with) and life was arduous work however enjoyable.

Who would wish to get married? Or who wished to tie your self down with one job and even (gulp) having to purchase a home and stay in the identical residence.

Bridget even appeared a bit boring, along with her mortgage and her bizarre fascination with Christmas jumpers.

But she did get one factor proper.

See the one factor Bridget was good at was being herself; as Mark Darcy identified, she was alright “just as you are.”

We’d seen our moms develop up having to energy costume and act like males and it felt exhausted.

The energy dressing of the Eighties was out and like Bridget we have been rocking sporting fluffy angora cardigans into work (a development which carried on into the noughties) to offset our knee excessive boots from wanting too…nicely you realize.

Growing up within the Eighties had been about cash and materialism and Bridget gave us a job mannequin that wasn’t all that. She wasn’t imply, she did not act robust, plus she did not have act like a bloke to have bloke associates and/or get promoted at work, and she or he had good associates.

Bridget obtained by effective by being herself, she obtained her males by being herself. She did not must chase Daniel Cleaver – despite the fact that she fancied him. She did not must swipe on Tinder, she did not have to color her eyebrows or have botox or stick unusual stuff in her lips.

Bridget Jones was of her time, however for all her obsessive notetaking she did not pander to anybody. She moaned about consuming too many energy however loved her meals anyway.

She knew Daniel Cleaver was an entire p***okay however she went alongside for the trip (actually and metaphorically).

I did gobble up the second ebook when it got here out, and I took on board that folks like Bridget – ones which can be themselves – are the individuals I wished to be round, and the individual I wish to be.

Bridget obtained the stuff she wanted, totally different to the issues she wished. Because she was ‘her’.

She can be symbolic of the carefree, careless approach of the Nineteen Nineties, after we did not must stay our lives out in public. Before social media meant immediately we have been compelled to curate ourselves.

Bridget Jones wasn’t self aware.

But she would have gotten roasted if she had put her antics up on Facebook although.

It’s actually very arduous to be ‘you’ really you on any type of social media.

In some methods I’ve tried to maintain that bit Bridget with me. But if you don’t play into at this time’s social politics, as she did not, you’re setting your self on the highway much less travelled.

Now we’d like filters for every little thing, to barter the company ladder, to cope with prolonged household, mother and father on the college gates and so on and so on. My beautiful broad social circle has contracted, primarily as a result of persons are simply so ‘cautious now’, and you’ll’t simply hang around with anybody anymore.

It’s exhausting!

So I shall be sitting with a bucket of salted and candy popcorn, a glass of chardonnay and a bunch of my finest associates (all my women as a result of when you get previous you’re allowed to have your personal male associates now) to look at the brand new and final BJ movie.

I’ll in all probability shed a tear for her and the period that she – prefer it or detest it – lived and breathed in. It was enjoyable, it was actual and that i