If A Man Can Show Anger, Why Can’t A Woman?
Let me set the scene: it’s the climax of the show, popcorn in hand, you are ready to binge-watch 5 seasons in one sitting. The camera pans to the leading lady, and suddenly, all you see is a single tear rolling down her cheek as her fists clench at her sides. She’s shaking; it’s evident that she is frustrated, mad even, but she remains silent. You’re on the edge of your seat, waiting and waiting, even praying that maybe she would showcase her anger in another way rather than just tears welling up in her eyes.
Sure, I guess one could say that her very silence has the largest impact; it could be the greatest emotion. But why does a male lead get to scream his heart out, shout, and throw a tantrum all at once just because one small thing didn’t go according to plan? Why, then, is there a reservation about showcasing the same amount of emotion in women? Stereotypically, women have been criticised for centuries for showcasing “too many emotions.” So why isn’t rage one of them?
Crazy Or Powerful?
I’m sure we have all come across that one Anya Taylor-Joy interview where she very calmly claims, “I have a thing for feminine rage” with a little leg kick. I guess this was the first time I came across this topic. The silence of female characters is often attributed to being written from a male perspective, catering to the ideal characteristics women are supposed to uphold: silence, calmness, and gentleness.
In widespread media, movies, TV shows, and even the Instagram reels we scroll through, the art of remaining silent is gradually internalised. The truth of this is so much so that the concept of women raising their voice at even a decibel higher than that of men causes heads to turn. Labelled as unladylike, mad and crazy, feminine rage is more often than not criticised for not upholding the ‘right’ standard set by society. It creates an alienation between the concepts of logical reasoning and cold rage, proposing no in-between. It leads internet browsers to believe that if a woman were to speak up, it would most likely be because she lacks self-control.
Feminine Rage In The Right Light
In instances where the movie or TV show actually captures the precise emotions behind feminine rage, it isn’t quiet or timid; it is loud. It is so loud that you can feel the emotions penetrate the screen. Doors banging, glasses breaking, and voices are finally being heard. Modern depictions are not about remaining silent, but rather speaking up when wronged. Take Euphoria, a show I’m sure everyone has heard of. The female leads are not quiet or subdued in any way.
It is important for shows like this, which have a broad reach into the public eye, to portray feminine rage accurately. It destabilises and challenges the centuries-old belief in a singular tear rolling down the cheek. Rather than women being self-sacrificing and accommodating, female characters are now written as being more outspoken, regardless of the situation they find themselves in. All in all, it breaks the cycle of upholding the male gaze.
Irony Within Feminine Rage
Through constant interaction with media that presents feminine rage as the show’s main plot line, the ideology has gradually come to be romanticised. It is so easy to envy the true audacity of feminine rage, to think; Oh my god, a show portraying the female lead as loud and violent *gasp*, I wish I could be like that. This is the issue presented by the idea of feminine rage. It distorts reality. Characters with tears pooling and blood dripping down are now held to a higher standard. Feminine rage suddenly takes on a new leaf of becoming mysterious and alluring, aligned with the trope of the femme fatale.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no neutral way to showcase and interpret the feminine rage. It’s either the lack of emotion, portrayed by the clenched fists and watery eyes, or the other extreme of blood-stained hands and violent tendencies. So, while the depiction of feminine rage validates the expression of emotions long suppressed and brings to light stark differences in the male and female gaze, it also acts as a catalyst that can distort reality.