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89: Rumor Has It pt.2: Dearest Reader

Updated: Aug 8


Was Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown based on a real person? This week, Maia talks to us about the original Lady Whistledown, Mrs. Crackenthorpe, and whether her true identity is Thomas Baker, or, more likely, Delarivier Manley. Join us as we dive into the gossip pages that were all the rage during this period of whispers and intrigue. Women get published, reputations get ruined, and we attempt to separate fact from fiction. Oh, and do you want to meet the real Lady Cowper? With their signature warmth and wit, Maia and Grant unpack the emotional power of gossip and the fine line between public storytelling and private damage. They explore why some rumors stick, how we weaponize silence, and what it means to reclaim narratives, even the cringey ones. This is an ode to the whispered stories that shape us, haunt us, and sometimes make us laugh until we cry. This week, on Well, I Laughed!


00:20:00 Story starts

 

Photos Referenced:


Example of the Female Tatler while authored by Mrs. Crackenthorpe - courtesy of the University of Michigan
Example of the Female Tatler while authored by Mrs. Crackenthorpe - courtesy of the University of Michigan
Portrait of Emily Lamb, aged 16, by Sir Thomas Lawrence - courtesy of the UK National Gallery
Portrait of Emily Lamb, aged 16, by Sir Thomas Lawrence - courtesy of the UK National Gallery
Lady Emily Palmerston in 1860 (age ~73) - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Lady Emily Palmerston in 1860 (age ~73) - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Lord Henry Palmerston c. 1830-1840s (age ~50) - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Lord Henry Palmerston c. 1830-1840s (age ~50) - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

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Sources:

Delarivier Manley

 

Sociology

 

The Female Tatler/Mrs. Crackenthorpe

 

Misc


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