My take on the trademarked âBridgerton horny food stareâ and why it matters to the themes of the show, and to depictions of desire as a whole:
As we know, itâs a reoccurring motif at this point for our Bridgerton romantic lead to get completely hot and bothered by our love interest eating food. This occurs in S1 and reoccurs multiple times in S3. S2 was more concerned with scent and the role that plays into desire, which is related to this as well.
This reoccurring moment represents the whole conceit of the show, which is that a polite/repressed society cannot quell our more animalistic/passionate drives inherent to human nature.
When a love interest is eating food in front of a Bridgerton, and it makes them go all glassy eyed and paralyzed with desire, we assume itâs because this action is drawing attention to their mouth, but I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
In these moments the polite and âcomposedâ is being interrupted with the vulnerability of a bodily action. Itâs hard to eat âpolitelyâ, we have to engage our mouths in a very non composed way, exposing tongues, teeth, less polite parts of ourselves. And in public!! Scandalous!! And of course everything feels elevated when you are obsessing over someone, especially mundane actions that are very tied to the Body and itâs Needs.
I always thought the horny eating scenes were a little silly, or at least looked that way, as none of the love interests look particularly sexy while licking a spoon or chewing on cake, but itâs less about the appearance of the action and far more about the association with and reminder of OTHER bodily functions and needs.
Honestly, kind of like sex, eating feels better than it looks, and the Bridgertonâs are making that mental leap to sexual activities from something more innocent. Bridgerton is good at putting a focus on smaller moments that indicate a larger sale desire, a touch, a look, seduction can sometimes be the art of paying close attention.
Is lots of romance media, it can be assumed that desire is just two hot people looking at each other and liking what they see, boom chemistry! but sexual desire is not always âprettyâ itâs often irrational, messy, and confusing. Colin eating the same cake as Penelope after lustily watching her eat it is nowhere near normal behavior, but to him in a state of desire, it feels like a way to be closer to her, to feel what she feels.
Another example is in s2, I was honestly a bit uncomfy at the brashness with which Anthony, on multiple occasions, smelled Kate and was obviously getting pleasure from her scent, but that is a very real part of sexual attraction!! Iâve experienced it and itâs strange, itâs weird!! And exciting!! Same goes for the eating, while not exactly âgood lookingâ, it is evocative and makes one feel. Emotion over appearance.
All this to say thank you Bridgerton for bringing back depictions of sexual desire so real that they verge on being uncomfortable.
Anyways letâs all eat some cake!!
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