I am super-there for Feud: Capote Vs The Swans and I hardly ever watch television. Yes, I know I should be watching something about arable land or microplastics but when I realized this was happening, I actually yelped.
Is it escapist, gossipy, nostalgia-noire, bitchy, style-obsessed and nothing to do with the pressing realities of our era? Fuq I sure hope so. It tells the story of how Truman Capote, the iconic Libran writer, essentially committted “social suicide” with one devastating, crazy article that revealed the secrets of all his most elite contacts.
In this case, they were the It-Woman – not girls – of his generation and they wielded more than mere social influence. The piece – La Cote Basque 1965 – was 13,000 words long and published in the November 1975 issue of Esquire magazine.
One of the bitchiest, weirdest and most extraordinary things ever written, the article purports to be about one lunch at this particular restaurant and uses that construct for the info drop plus observations.
Trigger warning for obscene language and every ‘ism’ you can think of – it’s still fantastic writing.
No matter how much people loathed Truman Capote, the iconic Libran writer, no-one ever denied his magnificent wit. He had Mercury in Virgo opposite Uranus, FYI. It’s interesting as he was drawn to the heights of his era’s society and with his Leo Venus conjunct Neptune probably idolized the scene and it’s charismatic swans but his Mercury won out.
He’d already become famous for his breakthrough books – In Cold Blood, Breakfast At Tiffanys etc – so why did he need to do this? It was undeniably cruel to the women involved, regardless of their privilege. Capote had Pluto on his Mercury all 1965 and it was on his Libra Sun in 1975, when he sprung this article.
It immediately sparked a vicious feud that naturally captured the eye of the writer-producer Ryan Murphy. I’ve been a big fan of this Scorp* since Nip-Tuck 20 (!) years ago and think his Sun being conjunct Neptune, gives him something extra. Apart from his obvious story-tellinh nous, his ability to style and showcase sub-genres is flawless.
So Feud: Capote Vs The Swans has a cast that includes a cotery of luminaries as well as peripheral Gen X icons like Diane Lane and Calista Flockhart, who I thought had retired to be Mrs Harrison Ford full-time.
Oh and the two main “swans” that Capote fuqed over in La Cote Basque 1965 – Babe Paley and Slim Keith – were Cancerians, who really know how to work a grudge. What was he thinking?!
Thoughts?
*Ryan Murphy lied about his birthdate to Madonna in a job interview because he’d been told she doesn’t work with Scorpios.
Image: Babe Paley & Gloria Guinness
Watched the first episode but the actor playing Truman Capote’s voice grated on me. That high camp artificial sound is irritating to my ears. Could be PST from Demented Virgo Neighbour, nevertheless find it intolerable.
Love that Naomi has not had ANY botox or fillers, those lines there for for all to see as a statement that you can be interesting beautifully presented without any invasive procedures but i do predict she WILL succumb being an actor….’i’m ready for my close up Mr De Mille’ :-).
That is quite a read LOL!
Totally off article but just discovered Earth Star Tarot. Thought it was a purchasable deck of cards so was surprised it was FREE!
Anyway it came ‘8 of Water’ that corresponds to Pegasus. And water lilies that i love.
This gave me a little thrill 🙂
La Cote Basque what a read that was, Capote at his scathing wittiness. Just subscribed to an Esquire newsletter. A friend with whom i visited frequently subscribed to it & always a good read especially the cartoons close to the back page.
I love these type of posts, Mystic. So much here to indulge oneself in. And fuq me, what WAS he thinking? Did Pluto on his Merc & later Sun make him think that he was untouchable somehow, because of his own success? I do think you are right – that trixy Mercury won out. And what a Mercury – exalted in Virgo, opp Lets-Blow-Shit-Up-Uranus, & square Saggo Jupiter… Sooner or later it was gonna get the better of him. Thanks for this.
Vanity Fair used to waited on with anticipation every month. The articles were so well written plus loved the goss & gloss goings by USofA wealthy. My Cap rising all about quality & VF was IT! There were articles about Truman & the Swans all of which showed a rarity of reality in all their life style actions. Looking forward to seeing it ‘live’, anything with Naomi Watts has me excited. On HULU? Damn. Have Netflix & Binge how many more can i join without breaking the bank!
Just checked and it is coming to Binge on 1 Feb.
Excellento, Thanx for that info shall extend my Binge trial for 3 months :-).
Babe wouldn’t even talk to him on her deathbed.
I’m on the Swans’ side. Don’t gain a woman’s trust and then write up all her secrets in the press.
I cannot wait. I’ve always been fascinated by this story and have so enjoyed all the recent films on Truman Capote.
“My only advantage as a reporter is that I am so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrustive, and so neurotically inarticulate that people tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests. And it always does. That is one last thing to remember: writers are always selling somebody out.”
(Joan Didion)
Yes, I gasped when i saw the trailer: the fashion, the Gen X heavy-hitters, the camp backstory… heaven. And I was obsessed with Nip/Tuck back in the day. I had a love/hate relationship with Glee & American Horror Story, but the highs in both series are VERY high (American Horror Story: Coven was brillllliant)
Just finished viewing “Delicate’ the one with Emma Roberts & Kim Karshadian’s overdrawn lips mesmerised me especially the side profile of them. 6 episodes & ‘to be continued’. Think she gives birth to …a spider…? Will check if i have already seen’Coven’ on DVD previously.
Hells yeah! I can’t wait to watch this, not only for the fantastic talent and costume design but I also read about this story years ago too when leaning more about Truman Capote and have been fascinated with this scandal ever since.
yes, you get it!
And thank you re Earthstar – it is nearly ready but the ‘ask again’ button and links at the bottom are not good on some mobile browsers…
But soon!
This Guinea pig loves it!
Oh, how I love cold, damn-near evaporated vintage tea! Glittering secrets from under History’s skirts!
This bitchfest-exposé makes you gasp in a way contemporary gossipmongers like DeuxMoi never, ever will. They simply do not possess the range. Capote had to socially-downgrade and hang out with the Studio 54 hoi polloi after that. Some parts of it still occasionally reverberate in my head. Like, wow.
Only a once-in-a-lifetime Pluto transit could bulldoze over a life like that.
Also, I love the little I’ve seen of the Earthstar Tarot! This is such an unique deck — beyond the design and practical recs — because I can tell this is the result of real experience, intuition and profound knowledge from many different sources.
Really, the physical-spiritual fruit of a witchy lifetime.
Yes, Earthstar is already exceptional!
And I’m excited for the real launch 🥳
(That Star/iris card is SO calling out to me, hahaha)
Just discovered Earth Star Tarot so your mention must have stayed in my subconscious. YES it’s a delight Iris.