Woman
Palm Royale; The Inspiration You Need to Reignite Your Life!
When a Woman puts her mind to something, there is no stopping her!
Palm Royale, is the latest series from Apple TV+. The show focuses on the life of one woman, Maxine Dellacorte, and her social journey in Palm Beach’s high society. Palm Royale is set in 1969, a time when hairstyles were bigger, eyeshadows bolder and fashion was iconic.
The main character of the series, Maxine Dellacorte, was a former pageant queen from the south. Chattanooga, Tennessee to be exact. She married a trust fund baby (at the time) from Palm Beach, Florida, who later became an airline pilot.
Instead of bringing her to his glamorous world, filled with champagne and high society events, she found herself living a rather dull life as the wife of a local airline pilot, residing in a motel in Palm Beach
She had no money, no connection, and no job to her name, but she had one thing. A dream. Her ultimate goal was to be featured in the Shiny Sheet, a society page similar to the Lady Whistledown papers on Bridgerton or the New York Times Page Six. Maxine’s heart’s desire was to be part of Palm Beach’s elites and to become a member of the Palm Royale, an exclusive country club for Palm Beach’s crème de la crème.
Maxine is the embodiment of a Southern Belle, with her long blond hair, charming southern drawl, and feminine demure. Maxine wears her heart on her sleeve and is a gal’s gal. Her determination is her greatest asset aside from her good looks. She is an elegant woman that many women aspire to be.
In the first episode, we are shown Maxine climbing up the side of the wall to enter the Palm Royale. She dressed for the occasion and I can’t help but admire any woman who can climb a wall with a dress, hat, and sunglass in tow. Her spunk and determination are admirable, even in 2024.
Upon gaining entry into the club, Maxine tries her best to fit in, but unfortunately, what works in Chattanooga, Tennessee, doesn’t work in Palm Beach. Maxine’s obsession with the Palm Royale goes beyond shallow and superficial.
If you think Maxine is a social climber and gold digger, that’s not entirely true. In episode 5, Maxine revealed her backstory when a reporter cornered her. The reporter had been chasing Maxine because Maxine Dellacorte didn’t exist.
The reporter informed Maxine that there were several pictures of the same woman who had won pageants in Chattanooga, but she used a different name. Maxine finally shared her life story. As a baby, she was an orphan and was found inside a bucket. Her last name was the brand of the bucket’s manufacturer since nobody knew what else to call her.
As she grew older, she decided to take on the name Maxine, a name which she had seen on the Shiny Sheet. She swore to herself that she would be somebody someday. For Maxine, being admitted into the Palm Royale was validation for her that she has made it in life. That she was no longer a nobody. No longer an orphan found in a bucket but an elegant lady and a member of high society.
Watching Palm Royale reminded me that although Maxine was a fictional character in the 1960s, her story resonates with us today. All of us have a Maxine Dellacorte within us. We all want to belong somewhere and we all want to have a better life for ourselves.
Maxine may have climbed a wall to get into the Palm Royale, but how many of us are climbing walls today to gain entry into places that deem us unworthy to be there?
Whether it is at our workplace or in our network and friends circle, there are always invisible barriers that society puts on us. An extra hurdle that makes life just a little bit uncomfortable. A brass ring that is within our reach but gets moved just an inch further every time we are close to reaching it.
For some, it’s the IT bag that everyone has to have. For others, it could be a professional degree or education that is needed to have a seat at the table. Whatever it is, there are always barriers that are created by the few, to hinder the progress of the many.
It’s easy to be spirited and fight the system in our 20s and 30s. We feel that the world is still ahead of us and there are limitless opportunities. But for many of us, especially women, fighting the system and getting a seat on the table above the age of 35 is nearly impossible.
By that time, many women have families, children, husbands and just want to settle into a quiet life and routine. Palm Royale reminds us that if Maxine, played by Kristen Wiig who is 50, can still fight and claw her way into the most exclusive society and club in Palm Beach, by climbing a wall and hustling her way in, then we all can.
All the characters in Palm Royale, especially the women, are past their 20s. They may no longer be spring chickens, but they are most definitely fine wines. The grace, composure, finesse, and wisdom these women have, can only be obtained after living a full life.
Living in our world today, with the deluge of content and platforms in our daily lives, it’s hard to feel inspired. Not because there isn’t any inspiration left, but because what we see daily is content that has high demand. Demand coming from Gen Z and Gen Alpha who consume digital content daily.
Sure, it’s great to scroll TikTok or Instagram and see a 20-year-old influencer with her GRW routine or a workout that will get you the thigh gap you want in two weeks, but in my opinion, these women still have a long way to go.
Comparing their journey in life to trekking the Great Wall of China would be an understatement. Because that’s what life is, an uphill battle to reach the top of the mountain, only to find out that the law of physics determines what goes up, must come down.
Maxine Dellacorte and the characters of Palm Royale serve as a reminder that age is nothing but a number. Where we were born, doesn’t determine where we will be. Who we were doesn’t have to be who we are. But most of all, Palm Royale reminds us that if we have a good heart and a strong determination, nothing can stop us.
Maxine Dellacorte, cheers to you!
