Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Jessica Jones: Your Secret Initiation into Feminism 101

Let’s talk about Jessica Jones.

More specifically, let’s talk about Kilgrave.


This is going to be slightly different from my usual posts (also, um-- hey! yeah, it's been over a year.  Sorry about that) because what I want to talk about here is not a review of the show (just watch it; it’s phenomenal and I promise this won’t contain major spoilers) but why this show left such a major impression on me.  In short, I have very rarely seen a piece of pop culture—especially one explicitly designed to appeal to the masses—be so invested in critiquing white men.

Jessica Jones is, for the uninitiated, a Marvel Universe television show about a private detective with super strength.  The show itself has heavy noir influences, and honestly the first episode reminded me so strongly of Veronica Mars I half expected Keith Mars to show up and make an ill-advised “who’s your daddy?” joke.  Jessica, when we meet her, wears her anger and sadness like armor, pushing everyone (except for childhood best friend Trish Walker) away to keep them safe.  Kilgrave, the villain, is a shadowy presence for most of the first half of the season, lurking in Jessica’s worst memories, tormenting her with new victims wherever she turns, and relishing in his own superpower—mind control.

Kilgrave likes the finer things in life: pretty women, fancy dinners, and expensive apartments.  He picks a victim—usually a pretty, young woman—and commands her to essentially be his girlfriend.  He takes her to those fancy dinners and buys her nice clothes, and then rapes her.  From the outside, she seems to have won the boyfriend lottery.  From the inside, it’s a living nightmare from which she can’t escape.  Kilgrave himself thinks he’s doing these women a favor, even though he’s very aware that they are being held against their will, because after all, it's not like he's one of those rapists.  After, his victims are left with no way to prove he forced them because “mind control” isn’t something you can prove.  In fact, in one desperate episode Jessica Jones attempts to get herself locked up in supermax so there would be video evidence of Kilgrave mind controlling guards to get to her—a terrible plan, to be sure, but one that reveals the depths of her despair because despite the fact that she knows his powers exist, Kilgrave knows it, and dozens of other people around New York City know it, there is no way to prove it incontrovertibly.  His victims tend to face questions reminiscent of how our society treats rape victims: did you really not want to?  Why didn't you fight harder?  But he took you out for a nice dinner first-- are you sure this isn't just a case of morning-after regret?  The parallels are stunningly obvious, but no less frustrating in Jessica's world than they are in ours.  

It is because of how his victims are received that Kilgrave is probably most terrifying villain I’ve seen in the comic book genre.  He is terrifying because he’s the most realistic.  Now wait a minute, you’re saying, a man with mind control powers is realistic?  Well, for one thing, he’s not an alien bent on global destruction, so he’s at least more realistic than many other Marvel villains. 

But the reason Kilgrave struck a chord with me is that he is a very specific type of terrifying when you’re a woman.  He’s every guy that has followed you down the block “complimenting” you (but also making sure you’re intimately aware that he could hurt you at any moment); he’s every guy who has talked over you in a meeting; he’s every shitty ex-boyfriend you have had who insisted that any of your emotions that he found inconvenient were an “overreaction;” he is every guy that thinks "treating women with a bare minimum of decency" warrants a reward with sex.

Kilgrave is nothing less than White Male Privilege made flesh.

“Now wait,” I can hear my white male readers saying, “I’m not like him.”  And sure, chances are, you aren’t.  But guess what?  White Male Privilege is real, even if you don’t see it.  You probably take advantage of your innate, unearned privilege all the time without even realizing it.  Because women encounter Kilgraves every goddamn day even though every single man in earth would swear up down and sideways he’s not like that.  Someone is lying and I am here to tell you:

White dudes, it’s you.

What is so insidious about Kilgrave’s powers is they are entirely invisible, and that is what makes Kilgrave a walking, talking example of White Male Privilege.  Because every white man in the United States has this privilege, but there’s no “evidence” it exists—because that evidence will always rely on the testimony of women, and men will always be able to discount that testimony.  It doesn’t matter how many women have stories of being followed on the street by hissing men (seriously dudes, what is with the hissing?), or being dismissed in a conversation, or being talked over, or lectured, or hit on repeatedly despite polite dismissals, or the hundreds of other microaggressions that women navigate every day—a man can still look at all of that evidence and deem it “not enough” because he didn’t witness it. 

And here’s the thing: sometimes, that man did witness it.  But because it is so normal—because white men are so used to being the undisputed centers of attention and bastions of rationality and righteousness—they do not even realize what they saw.  Like the police officers in Jessica Jones who witness Kilgrave’s powers but still prefer hold his victims accountable instead, white men don’t want to believe white male privilege exists.  It’s hard and uncomfortable to admit that you are benefiting from an unjust system, especially when that very system allows you to deny that the injustice exists at all. 

Watching Jessica Jones was both frustrating and cathartic for me, because every woman understands just how powerless Jessica feels.  Every woman knows a man who thinks catcalls are harmless expressions of appreciation; every woman has had a man explode on her because she politely rejected his affections; and every woman has recounted these stories to men in her life only to have them tell her she’s exaggerating, or that maybe she should be grateful she was getting attention, or maybe he was just trying to be nice and she misunderstood. 

Every woman has met a Kilgrave, and every woman has been told she made it all up.


And to my white male readers—those of you who haven’t rage quit from this piece yet—if this makes you uncomfortable…good.  You should be.  Watch Jessica Jones with this in mind, and then the next time a woman in your life tells you about her experiences, do me a favor:


Believe her.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The 100: Currently The Best Show on TV

Yeah, you’re probably not watching it, and that’s a shame, because you know what?  Our long-awaited heir to the mantle of “Sci Fi Show That Asks Good Questions About Humanity” previously belonging to LOST and Battlestar Galatica has arrived.

But you probably aren’t watching it because it’s on the CW, and everyone knows that only girls ages 10-17 watch that channel.*  But if you can put aside your prejudice—and let’s remember that our culture reserves an absolutely obscene amount of totally unwarranted derision for “things teenage girls like” but that’s for another post—trust me, it’s worth it.  Now, it’s not without it’s flaws.  In fact, if after reading this you only watch the pilot, I fully expect you to show up on my doorstep with sad puppy dog eyes, asking “How could you?”  (The pilot is garbage, is what I’m saying.)  The pilot was so clearly pitched towards what people think the primary audience of the CW should be that it stumbles out of the gate.  But stick with it—the second episode is leaps and bounds better than the first, and by the fourth episode, it’s phenomenal.

*If you avoid the CW solely because of this idea, you’re missing out my friend.  It really airs a lot of quality TV that is also entertaining.  Arrow, Reign, and The 100 are all shows that are defying the “CW Is for Idiot Girls” stereotype that is in and of itself problematic. 

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Reign, which should really be called "Anthropologie hosts a 16th century-themed prom at Coachella."

First things first:  the fashions on this show are ridiculous and amazing and you're damn right I'm going to be talking about them.  One thing they are not, however: within spitting distance of historical accuracy, much like the show itself.

Second: how on EARTH do you pronounce Coachella?  Co-AH-chella?  Coach- ella?  How many syllables are there?  Do I even need to know?  (For the record, my brain always says Co-AH-chella, which is probably wrong).

Anyway, Reign is CW's attempt to capitalize on Game of Thrones' popularity, only with actors who look like they've showered in the last decade and based on the real Mary, Queen of Scots.  However, it appears just about the only thing they are keeping from actual history are the names, and they've jettisoned most of those too.

Now, a note: I am a historian* but definitely not of this era, and considering the massive liberties they are taking with this story I really can't tell you what happened and what didn't (although I'm fairly certain Francis did not spend some time hunting a woodland demon, which is a thing that happens in this show.)  However, I do know the big stuff, that being: Mary did marry Francis, the crown prince of France, but he died shortly after their marriage.  His mother, Catherine de Medici, maybe/possibly/almost certainly ordered the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, during which most of France's Protestant leaders were murdered AT HER OWN DAUGHTER'S WEDDING, which sparked days of Catholic violence against French Protestants and a death toll of some 10,000, and was overall a rather terrifying and badass Queen Regent.**  After Francis' death, Mary left France and returned to Scotland where she married a series of good-for-nothing drunks and was arrested by England for plotting to overthrow her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, and spent her house arrest continuing those plots.  Eventually, Elizabeth had to be all "Dammit, Mary, could you stop trying to overthrow me for, like, ONE SECOND?" and Mary was all "LOL, no" and then Elizabeth had her beheaded.***

*It's "a" historian not "an" historian and anyone who tells you otherwise is a pretentious asshole.
** Catherine de Medici: a real life Tywin Lannister, only way more hardcore.
*** Exact dialogue between these two 16th century monarchs has been painstakingly replicated here.


Thursday, February 27, 2014

Friday Night Lights: In Which I Jump on the Bandwagon Eight Years Too Late

Friday Night Lights is a show that is universally beloved and criminally underwatched.  I should know-- I'm one of those people who didn't watch it until very recently, through the magic of a major Netflix binge.  And it really is one of the most thoughtful shows I've ever seen.



Monday, December 23, 2013

Home Alone: Rather Different When You're the Grownup

Home Alone came out in 1990, meaning I was five-almost-six, aka the perfect age to see it.  The other day, I watched Home Alone for the first time in years, and definitely for the first time as an adult.  It still holds up, although my perspective has shifted a bit.



15 Things I noticed watching Home Alone as an adult:

1) I vaguely remember my parents not loving this movie because of all the back-talk from the kids.  As an adult, I can confidently say HOLY SHIT THOSE KIDS ARE RUDE.

2) Kevin's dad is astonishingly incompetent as a person, much less a parent.  (Can he do ANYTHING without his wife telling him too?  It doesn't appear so).

3) You know that part where Kevin is being sent to bed in the attic, and he tries a last-ditch apology to his mom?  I remember thinking, "Wow, his mom is SO MEAN she didn't even accept his apology" and now I'm like, "YEAH NICE TRY YOU LITTLE BRAT GO TO BED."

4) "Look what you did, you little jerk," is still part of my lexicon, complete with Uncle Frank's inflection.

5)  Uncle Frank is a jackass.

7) Also, Buzz and the rest of the siblings are spectacularly awful.  No wonder Kevin hates his family.

8) Kevin is no innocent in this.  I'd probably leave him behind too.

9) What family dresses their daughters in DRESSES AND TIGHTS for a transatlantic flight?  They're going to be on a plane for 9+ hours, they don't need to look nice.  They need to be able to pee without adult assistance.

10)  Even if Kevin is the youngest, those kids are too young to be sitting by themselves in coach with their parents in first class.  That's a dick move, Mr. and Mrs. McCallister.  Everyone else on the plane officially hates you.

11) I never understood why they were trying to get EVERYONE on a flight back to Chicago.  Clearly, it would be easier to just find ONE seat, not fifteen.  This isn't exactly a Gordian knot, McCallisters.

12)  There's an article on the internet by a doctor detailing all the injuries Kevin inflicts upon the Wet Bandits.  It really makes the movie take a different tone when you realize it's actually about an eight year old who tortures two grown men to death.

13) John Candy's midwest accent is a thing of perfection.  Give me two beers and put me in a room with a bunch of my high school friends and that's exactly how I sound.

14) And Sheboygan, WI is EXACTLY where you'd sell 700 copies of a polka album.

15)  I like that Old Man Marley rescues Kevin-- from two grown men who are trying to BITE OFF HIS FINGER-- and then he doesn't even check to see if Kevin's parents are home.  I don't know about you, but even as a recluse if I rescued an eight year old from that sort of trauma I'd probably want to talk to his mom for a second.


BONUS: That's still the definitive version of Carol of the Bells in my head.  And the music still means Christmas to me.  Well played, John Williams.  Well played.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Sons of Anarchy: Biker Shakespeare

If you've ever wanted to see Shakespeare with a side of motorcycles and excessive violence, boy oh boy do I have the show for you.  Sons of Anarchy follows the adventures of a motorcycle gang (excuse me, motorcycle "club") in North-Central California, but it's also so much more than that.  It's about family and secrets and politics and a little bit about a monarchy but I'll get to that.  Also, lots of hugging.  So. Much. Hugging.  More hugging than you can possibly believe.  Apparently, bikers are big on hugs and it's adorable.

A note: I'm only through the fifth season, and the sixth season is currently airing.  But don't worry about spoilers, because I'll keep this review confined to the characters and just a little bit of the first season.


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Sleepy Hollow: Bonkers and loving it.

Sleepy Hollow is the most delightfully insane TV show I've ever seen, hands down.  Instead of being a boring novel I probably didn't read* when it was assigned to me, it's about time travel and the apocalypse and Ichabod Crane looking like he's on the cover of a romance novel. (The actual plot: Revolutionary War hero Ichabod Crane comes back to life in the present day to stop the apocalypse and solve crimes.  I told you it was bonkers).

*Early American lit just isn't my thing, y'all.  It's BAD.