This was amazing and I'm glad that I read it before your second novel (which I got on preorder but haven't had time to crack open yet) because I needed this context. This dude is fascinating even in his dirtbaggery.
I'm now envisioning a novel of my own where I collect some of the most eccentric dirtbags across history, lightly fictionalize them, and invite them to a dinner party that ends in murder, where everyone is literally both a suspect and a terrible witness, and they all scurry around and flounce about the mansion where the party takes place, each one striving to outdo the others. It could be a riot!
Love this and loved that he was true to himself during times when it was probably illegal to be LGBTQ+. Maybe the mega wealth and family name protected him. Too bad the fashion biz didn't work out. Great ode.
I am so delighted to find another person in this cold, cold world who hyperfixated on Felix Yusupov during the depths of the pandemic. Welcome to our very exclusive club.
No interior design suggestions, bc I don't have Felix's flair, just wanted to thank you for all the Dirtbaggery this year. Truly a joy to read for this history nerd!
I'm writing a fanfic that's going to explore the trans potential of Felix Yusupov! And not just of the crossdressing, this has even more trans potential imo:
"In my early youth, I was a prey to every disease known to childhood and remained small and sickly for a long time. I was ashamed of my skinniness, and longed to find a means of fattening out. Then, one day, I happened to see an advertisement which gave me high hopes. It extolled the merits of Pilules Orientales, a French patent medicine warranted to turn the flattest breasted lady into a harem beauty of opulent charms. I managed to get bold of a box of these pills and took them on the sly, but, alas, without result. The doctor who attended me saw them in my bedroom and asked what they were for. When I told him of my disappointment be was much amused, but advised me to discontinue the treatment."
Oh, also in his memoir Felix Yusupov says that a French friend nicknamed him Charlotte Corday... Definitely trans vibes lol. I'm sure there were famous men assassins to choose from.
I mean I actually think this is EXACTLY like Timothee trying to assassinate Gwyneth. A person who sells people ridiculously expensive healing vagina eggs is just asking to be assassinated by a dumbass.
No but it should be illegal that someone involved in the assassination of Rasputin was still chilling in the LATE SIXTIES. he could have met my dad as a child, I don't understand
Besides from being dumb as a loaf of bread, but being also rich and useless like hell (but isn't that true for most of the rich people, anyway?), what makes Felix Felixovich a true dirtbag? Compared to all the others you mention in your series, he's an amateur.
dirtbag is a flexible word! sometimes I use "dirtbag (affectionate)" instead of "dirtbag (derogatory)." helps me not depress myself writing this newsletter :) he's an amateur everything, bless him.
He was, then, a dilettante dirtbag, combining the old meaning of the word dilettante (competitively but self-taught) with the new one (completely lost amateur).
Great post, just what I needed to read on a cold, wet day. I would have loved to wear Felix and Irina fashion. Have a great festive season and look forward to seeing you in 2024.
That was SO good! I wrote a screenplay with him as a character. But I had to change the name. No this is a part of the story you missed. When he was suing those movie companies for not telling the story properly--he sold his story for huge coin, and then tried it again--the movie company involved changed his name. He went from Yusopov to Chegodiev, which was the name I used in my movie because sing his name was basically illegal. I had written him in as a cross-dressing bisexual who was wearing his wife's undergarments. Apparently, I didn't go far enough with him! If this guy didn't exist in real life, you'd be hard pressed to write him as a fictional character.
Hahahaha. At first sight of his picture my first lame thought was that no one that beautiful could truly qualify but i was so wrong. You have filled in the background details of a story i knew but incorrectly assumed Yusupov was a more upright, muscular, older-brotherish type and that Rasputin used miraculous powers to almost defeat him. The truth is far more sordid and banal. Thanks Alison, you just demolished another battle of the titans fantasy for me. I prefer my glowingly vague world but am compelled to read you because you are so damned funny. Season's greetings (carefully PC)!
This was amazing and I'm glad that I read it before your second novel (which I got on preorder but haven't had time to crack open yet) because I needed this context. This dude is fascinating even in his dirtbaggery.
I'm now envisioning a novel of my own where I collect some of the most eccentric dirtbags across history, lightly fictionalize them, and invite them to a dinner party that ends in murder, where everyone is literally both a suspect and a terrible witness, and they all scurry around and flounce about the mansion where the party takes place, each one striving to outdo the others. It could be a riot!
If you write Dirtbags in the Clue Mansion I cannot emphasize enough how many copies I will buy
also, thanks to this conversation I just started Let the Dead Bury the Dead. Just saying. 🤓
my long con is working!!!
Love this and loved that he was true to himself during times when it was probably illegal to be LGBTQ+. Maybe the mega wealth and family name protected him. Too bad the fashion biz didn't work out. Great ode.
RIP Felix Yusupov, you would've loved Queer Eye
(I had a hyperfixation on this man for a solid 3 weeks two years ago so I am utterly overjoyed to see him here! What a guy. :])
I am so delighted to find another person in this cold, cold world who hyperfixated on Felix Yusupov during the depths of the pandemic. Welcome to our very exclusive club.
No interior design suggestions, bc I don't have Felix's flair, just wanted to thank you for all the Dirtbaggery this year. Truly a joy to read for this history nerd!
I'm writing a fanfic that's going to explore the trans potential of Felix Yusupov! And not just of the crossdressing, this has even more trans potential imo:
"In my early youth, I was a prey to every disease known to childhood and remained small and sickly for a long time. I was ashamed of my skinniness, and longed to find a means of fattening out. Then, one day, I happened to see an advertisement which gave me high hopes. It extolled the merits of Pilules Orientales, a French patent medicine warranted to turn the flattest breasted lady into a harem beauty of opulent charms. I managed to get bold of a box of these pills and took them on the sly, but, alas, without result. The doctor who attended me saw them in my bedroom and asked what they were for. When I told him of my disappointment be was much amused, but advised me to discontinue the treatment."
From the beginning of chapter V of Lost Splendor https://www.alexanderpalace.org/lostsplendor/V.html
!!! I should have known I could count on fic writers to produce the content history needs <3
Oh, also in his memoir Felix Yusupov says that a French friend nicknamed him Charlotte Corday... Definitely trans vibes lol. I'm sure there were famous men assassins to choose from.
I officially hate all history except yours.
I mean I actually think this is EXACTLY like Timothee trying to assassinate Gwyneth. A person who sells people ridiculously expensive healing vagina eggs is just asking to be assassinated by a dumbass.
thank you for seeing things from my perspective 💜
No but it should be illegal that someone involved in the assassination of Rasputin was still chilling in the LATE SIXTIES. he could have met my dad as a child, I don't understand
THIS IS WHAT I AM SAYING
That first image of charming Felix is something. The rich dudes in Russia dressed the part, didn’t they?
Besides from being dumb as a loaf of bread, but being also rich and useless like hell (but isn't that true for most of the rich people, anyway?), what makes Felix Felixovich a true dirtbag? Compared to all the others you mention in your series, he's an amateur.
dirtbag is a flexible word! sometimes I use "dirtbag (affectionate)" instead of "dirtbag (derogatory)." helps me not depress myself writing this newsletter :) he's an amateur everything, bless him.
He was, then, a dilettante dirtbag, combining the old meaning of the word dilettante (competitively but self-taught) with the new one (completely lost amateur).
Great post, just what I needed to read on a cold, wet day. I would have loved to wear Felix and Irina fashion. Have a great festive season and look forward to seeing you in 2024.
That was SO good! I wrote a screenplay with him as a character. But I had to change the name. No this is a part of the story you missed. When he was suing those movie companies for not telling the story properly--he sold his story for huge coin, and then tried it again--the movie company involved changed his name. He went from Yusopov to Chegodiev, which was the name I used in my movie because sing his name was basically illegal. I had written him in as a cross-dressing bisexual who was wearing his wife's undergarments. Apparently, I didn't go far enough with him! If this guy didn't exist in real life, you'd be hard pressed to write him as a fictional character.
Hahahaha. At first sight of his picture my first lame thought was that no one that beautiful could truly qualify but i was so wrong. You have filled in the background details of a story i knew but incorrectly assumed Yusupov was a more upright, muscular, older-brotherish type and that Rasputin used miraculous powers to almost defeat him. The truth is far more sordid and banal. Thanks Alison, you just demolished another battle of the titans fantasy for me. I prefer my glowingly vague world but am compelled to read you because you are so damned funny. Season's greetings (carefully PC)!
He's just too delightful to be a dirtbag! Fascinating to discover the truth behind Rasputin's so-called invincibility.
I feel bad for the dog but I can’t stop laughing at the idea of Felix saying “WHAT?! THERES NO DOG” then shoots it