Opinion: Ryan Murphy's "Feud" and Why This is Probably a Bad Idea

Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange in "Feud" (March 2017)

Come March 5, Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) will be bringing a new story to his home channel of FX. Instead of serials of famous trials (American Crime Story) or recreations of infamous classic horror scenes, "Feud" will be based on the acquired script "Best Actress" by Jaffe Cohen and Michael Zam exploring the behind the scenes drama during Robert Aldrich's "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and the relationship between Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange). "The series will offer a seductive insightful look at what lies behind legendary personality conflicts" explains FX CEO John Landgra.

A good majority of the public, classic film appreciators or otherwise, is perhaps a little too aware of the "rivalry" between Crawford and Davis but never knowing how it started or even why. The antagonism started as early as the '30s when Crawford's divorce to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. took over the headlines over Davis's newest film "Ex-Lady" or perhaps it was simply Davis falling in love with her "Dangerous" (1935) costar Franchot Tone who was dating Davis. Joan would end up marrying him making Tone her second husband.

Between the '30s up until coming onto the set of "... Baby Jane" in 1962, there were many choice words between Crawford and Davis ranging from "[Davis] never had a happy day, or night, in her life" and the prior having eyebrows like "African caterpillars." (Bette Davis vs. Joan Crawford - Hollywood's Most Notorious Feud) But it also did not help that Hollywood or its marketing overlords also took part in this to some degree, consciously or otherwise. Warner Bros. would place Davis's other rival Miriam Hopkins and herself in boxing gloves for publicity stills in the movies where they war over a man (1939's "The Old Maid" and 1943's "Old Acquaitenance"), mirroring real life as Davis had a brief affair with Hopkins's husband, director Anatole Litovak. 

This blog post should really be titled "Ryan Murphy's "Feud" and Why This Blogger Will Forever Have a Beef with Him" because I do, in fact, have a beef. The Guardian best describes my feelings with the following: "Many of his series, especially Glee and American Horror Story, which he writes with co-creator Brad Falchuk, have been uneven and afflicted with ludicrous plotting." "Glee," for one, "deflated" after season 3 and basically became a fan fiction for characters than plot from season 4 onwards. Each season of American Horror Story tends to take ridiculous turns midway through and coming out as something completely different at the end. Thankfully, Murphy will have material that will ground the pilot as well as real life events, but what about the next 7 episodes? The first credits him with a writing credit as "developed by," so will he be helming plotting as well? But there are bigger issues than a not-that-great TV writer and his inconsistencies; this will be the blogger stepping into her natural INFJ ability for seeing this show in the wider scope and what this could mean in the distant future.

On my bio page, I mention that "people [do not change] over the last few decades" and film and TV will mirror this. "Feud" will certainly have no different appeal than the "Real Housewives" franchise or any other reality show, therein lying my first impression upon learning about this upcoming project. In our current political and sexist climate here in America, is it very fair to be putting out one more TV show highlighting on two women, although biographical figures, hating each other? Is this how we want younger generations of classic film fans to get their start watching two very tactless women of celebrity status as the actresses themselves or the magnificent characters they have helped create in such classics as "Jezebel" or "Mildred Pierce?" It's something to think about.