The basic idea I have about this Dinner Party is hosting a nonconventional dinner party with carefully selected guests and an agenda or theme. I often think about this, and if I have to put something on a Bucket List ¹ it would be to realize my interpretations of this idea. It will make sense, don't worry...
I think I first heard the idea about hosting a dinner party with X number of famous guests and having to name them and perhaps the reason why, from an interview or article in the 1990's. It's very possible it was the lecture Gad Saad, Ph D, talks about in his article "Which Ten Historical Figures Would You Invite For Dinner?" in Psychology Today, Dec. 19, 2014. I know I had watched a movie with the theme years earlier, see below, but this was probably the first time I thought about it as a question:
Which Ten (Historical) Figures Would You Invite For Dinner?
As for other influences and inspirations I would consider the British short film The Dinner Party (2007) as one of the best movie style versions, it's definitely the most dramatic one. The film from 2020 (see here) isn't nearly as good as other dinner party themed movies but got some attention for its blood and gore content. But the movie that I am mainly thinking about as an inspiration and that made me interested in the theme is named The Last Supper (1995) and it is a really, really good, dark movie. (Don't worry, the murderous part isn't what I find intriguing, it sounds rather exhausting actually. You're safe. For now.)
There's also the TV show Come Dine With Me, originally a Channel 4 UK reality/game TV show (First episode in 2005) that is about a group of people that invite each other to dinner and compete about who cooks the best meal. It's a great show with an entertaining version of the theme.
The story The Dinner Party is a well known short novel written by Mona Gardner - listen to it here on YouTube . It has the message that both men and women are courageous but in different ways - a low key, right on point feminist novel. If you're interested in digging in deeper, there's a great little analysis of it on Cram.com.
There's also a quite famous art installation named The Dinner Party by the artist Judy Chicago, unveiled in 1979 and hailed as one of the great feminist art works of the era. For more information about the installation I suggest you read this in-depth article.
The Dinner Party is also the name of an online based community "of 21-45 year olds who have each experienced the loss of a parent, partner, child, sibling, other close family member, or close friend." ³ I deeply respect this initiative, it's a beautiful thing.
So who would I invite for dinner? I keep switching the invitees around but this is my current guest list... (Don't judge me!)
★ Charlie Chaplin, the person
★ Rihanna
★ Arnold Schwarzenegger
★ Karin Boye
★ Jordan Peterson
★ Norma Jeane Baker (Marilyn Monroe)
★ Carl Jung
★ Gretchen Whitmer
★ Albert Einstein
★ Olle Vavare - my father, of course.
Imagine the discussions we would have!
How about you, who did you invite?
/Annalogue75
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¹) Please don't make me!! 🙏
²) Read the full book here.
³) The Dinner Party website
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