Gilded Age Episode 6's Doll Party Is Way Tamer Than The True Story
Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Gilded Age episode 6!
Though Mamie Fish's «doll tea party» in The Gilded Age episode 6 is a decidedly bizarre moment in the show, it's tamer than other real-life parties thrown by the Gilded Age hostess. Born Marion Graves Anton Fish, Mamie Fish, was a real historical figure famous for her eccentric gatherings. These were considered the opposite of the prim, proper affairs hosted by the likes of Mrs. Astor and provide an expanded view of what life for old money New Yorkers was really like during the late 19th century.
In The Gilded Age episode 6, Mamie Fish invites Larry and Gladys Russell to her doll tea party. This event is significant to the show's plot because it seems to be the beginning of a friendship between Gladys and Mrs. Astor's daughter, Carrie Astor. However, the setting is unusual: dolls sit at every chair, with doll-sized food at the tables. Each guest is even required to take a doll in their lap as they eat.
Related: The Gilded Age True Story: What Brooklyn Was Really Like In The 1880s
The historical Mamie Fish also threw parties such as this one, but, more often than not, her parties were more extravagant and considerably more bizarre than depicted in the HBO series. Despite her eccentricity, she was deeply embedded in the Old Money set, a group that The Gilded Age so far has portrayed as largely formal and strait-laced. The real Mamie Fish proved that this was not always the case. The Gilded Age should explore the wilder gatherings she was most known for to give a better impression of the era it is trying to do justice to.
One wasn't fashionable unless invited to Mamie Fish's parties, which often consisted of quick dinners followed by vaudeville shows in the
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