'Feud' and the Loneliness of Fame

The TV anthology series Feud hit the screens in March 2017 in America. When I first heard that Ryan Murphy was creating a television show based on the feuds of pop culture icons and that the first series would be starring Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, I was filled with excitement of what was to come. However, as the show was not aired in the UK at the same time, I was not able to keep up to date with each episode so had to wait until this week when the BBC aired the show on UK television and provided the whole series on BBC iPlayer. I have since became engrossed in the series and it is proving to be more enjoyable than I would have thought.

As this is a television show review/analysis, the content of this post will contain some spoilers.

The first season of the show presents a dramatisation of the famous Hollywood feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford - focussing on the one film they starred in together What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, the promotional tour which followed, and subsequent lives after the film. The casting of Sarandon and Lange fits perfectly as their characterisation and aesthetics are relatively close to the original stars. Each episode is filled with sneaky pranks, dramatic arguments, and all the campiness one would expect from a Ryan Murphy television show. And yet, there is an air of melancholy throughout the series which cannot be ignored.

Bette Davis, Jack Warner, and Joan Crawford

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were undoubtedly the greatest Hollywood stars of their time and the show conveys them as struggling with mother nature's time clock as they fail to compete with younger stars like Marylin Monroe. Whilst failing to accept that their time may be up in the Hollywood spotlight, Bette and Joan agree to star in a film together - knowing that their famous feud would help boost the film's popularity. The film was met with success though and their efforts paid off - probably exceeding peoples' expectations from two aging stars.

At its core, Feud portrays two established women who do not get along (most of the time) and who went out of their way to make each other's lives miserable, even for a little while. In reality, however, both women had a lot more in common than is immediately apparent and those similarities are ones which had the potential to form a strong, unique, and enduring friendship. A friendship where both women would be able to support and understand each other through the hardships in their lives. That being said, the two were not at each others' throats all of the time. There are moments in the show where the audience sees glimmers of a friendship growing - or perhaps a frenemies bond. The bond they form is unique and, underneath the insults and fighting, there lies a unity where Bette and Joan understand and appreciate the struggle that the other is going through. Obviously the television show dramatises things a lot so it is not totally accurate to the situation. However, Hollywood is a fake and manufactured machine which likely pitted the two women against each other and created a feud for PR purposes - and it worked. Interviews have confirmed that the two were not friends, but they did appreciate the talent that the other brought to the table and, perhaps behind closed doors, did not dislike each other as much as the media portrayed.

Both stars had their own demons to face and once all the fame and glamour are stripped back, you are left with two women who's life situations are easily comparable. Single mothers, immense loneliness, deep sadness, and lack of true friendship. Whilst in the spotlight, they have it all, yet once they leave the film set and return to their homes, they appear vulnerable and in need of support - which they seek from film director Robert Aldrich when they have nobody else to turn to. With their personal lives falling apart, the audience sees a more exposed view of the film stars - one which is perhaps more relatable than the glitz and glam of Hollywood.

One of the more touching points of Feud for me, was when Joan Crawford comes home from a long day of filming to an empty house - expecting her children to be there. Her maid, Mamacita, reminds Crawford that the children are away to camp for two weeks and Crawford expresses that she will have to get used to the empty house for that time. Here, a touching yet tragic moment occurs when Crawford find comfort and solace in Mamacita - confiding in her and later sitting in her bed with her whilst sharing a sandwich and watching a film. This moment in the series perfectly captures the lonely life of a Hollywood star - where stars are always surrounded by (fake) people and those who will turn their back on you if a better opportunity arises. At this point, I felt sorry for Crawford as she has no husband or close friends and the only person she can rely on to be there for her is her loyal maid. The melancholy theme arises from the realisation that Crawford seeks comfort from her maid and opens up to her like a best friend. The sad reality of the situation is that Mamacita is there because she is paid to be. Mamacita had a large family in Germany to support and, without the job, it must be questioned whether or not the two would have gotten along at all. Of course I will not deny that the real Joan Crawford and Mamacita had a real bond which was close to friendship and the two likely did get on, however one cannot help but wonder what Mamacita's true feelings of her employer were.

In the final few episodes of the series, Mamacita's role becomes more pivotal in Joan Crawford's life. After being ejected from a movie, Joan lashes out and throws a vase towards Mamacita who then reminds Joan that she has already warned her not to throw things at her. Mamacita leaves and Joan is devastated, whaling in the hospital hallway - knowing that she has lost the one person who was always by her side. Mamacita returns to Crawford's life later in the series when Crawford is living a recluse life in New York. She tends to her needs on a part-time basis and assists her when Crawford's life begins to lean towards insanity. The show definitely demonstrates the lonely life that Joan Crawford led - particularly in her final years, and one cannot help but sympathise with her, despite the questionable actions she did throughout her career.

The life of a celebrity initially seems to be one of dreams, but in reality it is probably not that great. A sacrifice of your personal life, privacy, and real relationships is (more often than not) made in exchange for wealth, fame, success, and other material goods. This theme reminds me of an emotional scene in Lady Gaga's documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two where she is shown submerged and rising out of the water, as if reborn or baptised. An audio clip of Lady Gaga crying and opening up about her loneliness is played on top of the visuals. In the clip (as linked below on her Instagram), Lady Gaga confides:

"I'm alone, Brandon, every night. And all these people will leave, right? They will leave. And then I'll be alone. And I go from everyone touching me all day and talking at me all day to total silence."

A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Aug 23, 2017 at 10:10pm PDT

This scene is very poignant and raw. We see a celebrity, who is known for her outlandish and vivacious personality and performances, at her most vulnerable. This scene perfectly captures the loneliness of fame. Although Lady Gaga is in the spotlight most of the time, she still has a personal life and when she goes home after a long day of work, she returns to an empty house - with empty silence. Despite being surrounded by people all of the time, she has come to realise that it is her part of her job and it seems that part of her personal life is missing something that cannot be achieved with fame and success. Like Bette and Joan in Feud, Lady Gaga seeks to find comfort, compassion, and solace in something out with her professional career. Something real and raw, something that is not manufactured by the Hollywood or music industry machine. Something which you cannot place monetary value on. What that thing is, I am not sure - but it is something that us regular people likely take for granted.

Overall, Feud is a great television show. On the surface, it provides entertainment and a gripping storyline. Look deeper into the show and you will see a complex story of a feud which pitted two successful women against each other in order to garner more success. I look forward to the next season of the show which will focus on the feud between Prince Charles and Princess Diana - a feud that was covered extensively in the UK and around the world. Although there have been many dramatisations and documentaries about the controversy surrounding Princess Diana, I am hopeful that the show's creators (Ryan Murphy, Jaffe Cohen, and Michael Zam) will do the storyline justice and create another gripping series of episodes filled with the drama, campiness, and suspense that one would expect. See the BBC trailer for Feud: Bette and Joan below: