Blythe Baird - Pocket-Sized Feminism
Summary
TLDRThe script is a powerful spoken word piece addressing the deeply ingrained issues of sexism, rape culture, and the societal pressures women face to stay silent. It reflects on personal experiences of harassment, the internal conflict of staying quiet, and the guilt that follows. The narrator critiques a world that demands women carry the weight of their own safety while minimizing their voices. The piece explores themes of feminism, fear, and the painful contradictions women navigate daily in a patriarchal society, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.
Takeaways
- 👩🎤 The speaker observes a woman standing up for feminism at a party, surrounded by dismissive, toxic behavior.
- 🤐 The speaker remains silent, feeling empathy but conflicted, unsure of how to respond in a hostile environment.
- 📌 The metaphor of 'wallpaper women' reflects societal pressure to stay silent and not stand out.
- ⚖️ The speaker struggles with balancing self-preservation and activism, feeling guilty for not always standing up.
- 💔 The speaker expresses guilt over not reporting a predator who later harmed others.
- 🛡️ The constant fear women live with is illustrated through various defensive inventions, like mace disguised as lipstick.
- 😶 Silence in the face of trauma is portrayed as a painful, secondary form of violence, reflecting the weight of inaction.
- ⚠️ The speaker recounts past experiences of sexual harassment and being dismissed when asserting her power.
- 👩💼 The piece critiques how women are often reduced to supporting roles, like 'beautiful assistants' in a magic trick.
- 🌍 The stark difference in how society treats girls and boys is highlighted, with girls told to be careful while boys are free to explore.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the script?
-The main theme of the script is the societal challenges women face, including sexism, objectification, and the internal conflict between feminism and societal pressures to conform.
What does the phrase 'wallpaper women' signify in the context of the script?
-'Wallpaper women' refers to women who are expected to blend into the background, remain silent, and not speak up, much like wallpaper in a room—decorative but unnoticed and unheard.
Why does the narrator feel conflicted about standing up in the party scene?
-The narrator feels conflicted about standing up because doing so would make her vulnerable and noticeable in a space dominated by male voices, where women are expected to remain silent and compliant.
What is the significance of the line 'I'm ashamed of keeping my feminism in my pocket, until it is convenient not to'?
-This line expresses the narrator's guilt about only expressing feminist views in safe or supportive spaces, such as poetry slams or academic settings, rather than consistently standing up for her beliefs in more hostile environments.
How does the narrator feel about her past silence in situations of abuse or assault?
-The narrator feels deep guilt and regret about her past silence in situations of abuse and assault, believing her inaction contributed to further harm to other victims.
What societal issues does the script highlight in terms of safety and fear for women?
-The script highlights the normalized fear women experience, such as carrying pepper spray, using apps to walk home safely, and texting friends when they arrive safely, contrasted with the freedom men experience without such precautions.
What does the metaphor of the 'beautiful assistant' in the magic trick represent?
-The metaphor of the 'beautiful assistant' represents the way women are often seen as necessary yet secondary figures in male-dominated spaces, valued more for their appearance than their voices or agency.
Why does the narrator mention nail polish that changes color in drugged drinks and underwear designed to prevent rape?
-The narrator mentions these products to highlight the extreme measures society expects women to take to protect themselves from assault, rather than addressing the root causes of violence and misogyny.
What is the narrator’s response to a boy accusing her of misandry and asking if she wants to 'take over the world'?
-The narrator responds by clarifying that she doesn't want to take over the world; she just wants to see it and know that it’s accessible to someone, implying she seeks equality and opportunity, not domination.
What does the narrator's father represent in the script when he claims 'sexism is dead' while advising her to carry pepper spray?
-The father represents the contradiction in society where people may believe sexism no longer exists while still acknowledging the need for women to protect themselves from gender-based violence, showing that sexism and fear are still very much alive.
Outlines
🗣️ The Only Other Girl at the Party
The narrator reflects on a woman speaking out about feminism at a party filled with men who dismiss her opinions. The room is full of sexist jokes and indifference, and while the narrator empathizes with her, she stays silent, caught in the dilemma of wanting to act but fearing the repercussions. This moment serves as a critique of societal expectations placed on women to remain quiet and decorative, much like wallpaper. The narrator grapples with her internalized hesitance to speak out, and the underlying pressure to be likable, even when faced with misogyny.
😔 Guilt of Inaction
The narrator admits to suppressing her feminism in situations where it would be inconvenient, acknowledging that she often remains silent rather than confront injustice. She shares a deeply personal story of having forgiven a predator in her social circle, only for him to harm another person later. This guilt weighs heavily on her, symbolized as something she carries with her daily. The narrator reflects on the numerous ways society has adapted to rape culture, from creating tools to prevent assault to the normalization of silence in the face of such violence.
😨 Trauma and Silence
The narrator recounts multiple incidents where she was sexually harassed or assaulted, and like many others, chose not to speak up due to fear and societal pressure. She reflects on the cultural tendency to remain quiet in moments of trauma, grappling with the moral implications of her silence. Her shame and regret extend to moments where others suffered because of her inaction. The haunting memories of other victims, younger and more vulnerable, weigh on her as she questions her role in perpetuating this cycle of silence.
💬 Dismissed Power
The narrator shares an instance where she confidently declared her power to a boy, only to be dismissed and told to mind her own business. She explores the broader theme of being belittled for asserting her voice and power. The conversation evolves into a reflection on how women are often accused of misandry or trying to dominate, when in reality they are merely seeking to exist in a world where their voices are heard and valued.
🛡️ Sexism, Fear, and Safety
In a striking contrast, the narrator reveals how her father assured her that sexism no longer exists, yet in the same breath reminded her to carry pepper spray for protection. This juxtaposition underscores the conflicting messages women receive about their safety and the ever-present fear they must navigate in their daily lives. The narrator delves into how women have normalized texting each other to confirm they got home safely, while men rarely share the same concerns. This passage powerfully illustrates how women internalize a state of constant fear as a natural part of life.
🎩 The Magic Trick of Misogyny
The narrator offers a chilling metaphor about how society views violence against women as something trivial—comparing it to a magic trick where even if a woman is sawed in half, it would be seen as entertainment. She highlights how women's roles in society are reduced to being silent assistants, always present but never the main act. This passage criticizes the way violence, objectification, and misogyny are ingrained in popular culture, where women are dehumanized and marginalized.
🚸 Daughters of Fear, Sons of Freedom
The narrator ends with a reflection on the differences in how boys and girls are raised. Fathers warn their daughters about the dangers of the world, urging them to be careful, while encouraging their sons to explore and play without fear. The narrator links this to a culture that places the burden of safety on women while allowing men the freedom to navigate the world unburdened. This closing statement is a powerful commentary on the inherited fears that women carry from childhood into adulthood.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Feminism
💡Silence
💡Guilt
💡Predator
💡Empathy
💡Safety
💡Rape culture
💡Objectification
💡Fear
💡Complicity
Highlights
The only other girl at the party is ranting about feminism while the audience is a sea of rape jokes and silence.
They gawk at her like her mouth is clogged with too many opinions, highlighting the dismissiveness toward women's voices.
The narrator struggles with the desire to stand up but fears losing her place in a world that keeps women silent.
The narrator admits shame in keeping her feminism 'in her pocket' until it's convenient, reflecting the internal conflict of wanting acceptance versus fighting for change.
She recounts forgiving a predator out of fear of causing conflict, only to carry the guilt after he assaults someone else.
The narrator reflects on the inventions like nail polish that detects drugged drinks, symbolizing how women's safety is a constant concern.
A man once shoved his hand up her skirt in public, but no one said anything, and neither did she to avoid making a scene.
The recurring theme of silence in the face of violence, where inaction feels like another form of violence.
She describes the haunting memory of a man who assaulted younger girls after she didn't report him.
A boy accuses her of misandry for claiming power, questioning why she wants to take over the world when she just wants to see it.
Her father tells her sexism is dead while reminding her to carry pepper spray, illustrating the contradictions women face.
Women live in a state of constant fear, texting each other when they get home safely—something that men don't always have to do.
The metaphor of a woman being sawed in half still being called a 'magic trick'—a sharp commentary on how violence against women is often trivialized.
The party is filled with boys who hang up naked posters of women and fantasize about violent acts, highlighting the normalization of objectification.
The closing remarks reflect on how fathers warn their daughters about danger, while encouraging their sons to go out and play.
Transcripts
The only other girl at the party
is ranting about feminism.
The audience is a sea of rape jokes and
snap backs and styrofoam cups
and me
They gawk at her mouth like it is a drain clogged with too many opinions.
I shoot her an empathetic glance and say nothing.
This house is for wallpaper women,
what good is wallpaper that speaks?
I want to stand up but if I do who's
coffee table silence will these boys rest their feet on?
These boys. I want to stand up but if I
do what if someone takes my spot?
I want to stand up but if I do what if everyone notices I've been sitting
this whole time?
I'm ashamed of keeping my feminism in my pocket
until it is convenient not to, like
at poetry slams
or women's studies classes. There are days
I want people
to like me more than I want to change the world
Once, I forgave a predator because I was afraid of starting
in our friend group,
two weeks later he assaulted someone else.
I am still carrying the guilt in my purse,
there are days I forget we had to invent nail polish
to change color in drugged drinks
and apps to virtually walk us home
and lipstick shaped mace and underwear designed to prevent rape
Once a man behind me on an escalator shoved his hand up my skirt
and no one around me said anything
So I didn't say anything.
Because I didn't want to make a scene.
Once an adult man made a necklace out of his hands for me
I still wake up in hot sweats haunted
with images of the herd of girls he assaulted
after I didn't report
all younger than me
how am I to forgive myself for doing nothing
in the mouth of trauma
the silence not an act of violence too
Once I told a boy I was powerful and
he told me to mind my own business
Once a boy accused me of practicing misandry
"You think you can take over the world?"
And I said no I just want to see it
I just need to know it is there for someone
Once my dad informed me sexism is dead
And reminded me to always carry pepper spray
in the same breath
We accept this state of constant fear as just another component
of being a girl, we text each other when we get home safe
And it does not occur to us that not all of our guy friends
have to do the same, you could literally
you could literally saw a woman in half,
and it would still be called a magic trick, wouldn't it?
That's why you invited us here, isn't it?
Because there is no show without a beautiful assistant?
We are surrounded by boys who hang up our naked
posters and fantasize about choking us
and watch movies we get murdered in
We are the daughters of men who warned us about the news
and the missing girls on the milk carton and the sharp edge of the world
They begged us to be careful
To be safe, then told
our brothers to go out
and play
thank you
(applause)
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