“Women Are Born With Pain Built In”: A Defense of “Fleabag Feminism"
Major
English – Literature
Second Major
Educational Studies
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
English-Literature
Faculty Advisor
Michael Theune
Location
CNS E103
Start Date
4-13-2024 8:30 AM
End Date
4-13-2024 9:30 AM
Abstract
2023 was the year of Barbie, The Eras Tour, and the TikTok phenomenon that was "girl dinner." There has been a massive effort, especially in the last year, to create media that is truly meant for women, and with that, there has been a lot of discourse revolving around what such media should look like. What is emerging from this conversation, however, is a lot of feminist media that tends to lack three-dimensional representations of women. Instead of focusing on what it is like to be a real woman with complex feelings, the current standard for female-centered media often portrays an incredibly attractive and powerful lead who not only objects to gender roles without hesitation but somehow manages to single-handedly tear down the patriarchy. Though this kind of media is marketed as feminist, it often ends up placing more unrealistic expectations on women to be perfect. My project explores the importance of flawed female protagonists through a close analysis of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s award-winning television show Fleabag. Fleabag features an anti-heroine who grapples with shame, grief, and broken familial relationships. Due to the trauma she experiences, Fleabag relies on humor and sex to cope. Though previous analyses view the show to be unfeminist because of this, I argue the opposite: that all women are flawed and are made to feel so much guilt and shame for it. It is characters like Fleabag who normalize this experience and allow women to feel seen, understood, and empowered in a way that other supposedly feminist media fail to do.
“Women Are Born With Pain Built In”: A Defense of “Fleabag Feminism"
CNS E103
2023 was the year of Barbie, The Eras Tour, and the TikTok phenomenon that was "girl dinner." There has been a massive effort, especially in the last year, to create media that is truly meant for women, and with that, there has been a lot of discourse revolving around what such media should look like. What is emerging from this conversation, however, is a lot of feminist media that tends to lack three-dimensional representations of women. Instead of focusing on what it is like to be a real woman with complex feelings, the current standard for female-centered media often portrays an incredibly attractive and powerful lead who not only objects to gender roles without hesitation but somehow manages to single-handedly tear down the patriarchy. Though this kind of media is marketed as feminist, it often ends up placing more unrealistic expectations on women to be perfect. My project explores the importance of flawed female protagonists through a close analysis of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s award-winning television show Fleabag. Fleabag features an anti-heroine who grapples with shame, grief, and broken familial relationships. Due to the trauma she experiences, Fleabag relies on humor and sex to cope. Though previous analyses view the show to be unfeminist because of this, I argue the opposite: that all women are flawed and are made to feel so much guilt and shame for it. It is characters like Fleabag who normalize this experience and allow women to feel seen, understood, and empowered in a way that other supposedly feminist media fail to do.