Female antihero representation in media is a catalyst for something, but what is that something?
Four of the six actresses nominated for Emmys this year have committed murder (well, their characters have). Strange coincidence or indicative of the "enough is enough" mantra that women are feeling.
It’s no coincidence that the shows that speak to me most feature strong female leads that often do unpredictable things and exhibit bold behavior. Since I was a kid, books and shows that featured outlier girls and women jived with my sensibilities. They were generally unliked by the populace because let’s face it, people don’t generally like bold women and curious girls, although these females had winsome qualities that typically revealed themselves through a few, close friendships, and were generally empathic. “Wise beyond their years” was something that they all had in common. They also cared deeply - whether about their friends and family, their professional pursuits, animals, etc.
Still, Anne Shirley (protagonist in the Anne of Green Gables series), and one of my childhood heroes, who had smarts in spades, a flair for the theatrical verse, and a fiery temperament which typically flared when injustice prevailed which was often enough, was not displaying antisocial or defiant (big word) behavior so much as challenging the status quo and seeking parity in her employment opportunities and the desire for personal fulfillment.
She wasn’t going around planning for the demise of her chief “mean girl” enemy, Josie Pye, by means of a drug lord (Laura Linney, aka “Lady MacBeth” and Emmy nominee for her turn in Ozark) or so seduced by the pleasure of planning and executing kills (Jody Comer as Villanelle in Killing Eve) as to show up at a kids’ birthday party dressed as a clown ready to kill a parent, or alternatively, so turned on by the thrill of the chase of said assassin, Villanelle (nominee Sandra Oh in Killing Eve) that she legit falls in love with her. I guess to say these woman are complicated would be an understatement. But pushed to the limits or just in pursuit of the goal, they aren’t shying away from taking matters into their own hands, because society certainly isn’t operating in their favor.
Also, I don’t watch Euphoria but Zendaya won last year so maybe she’s not winning again? In the show though Zendaya plays Rue Bennett, a teenager who struggles with mental illness and her sobriety.
Then we have the versatile Melanie Lynskey for her turn as the pragmatic, seemingly insecure, and definitely smart Shauna in Yellowjackets which is by far one of this past year’s best shows, alongside Station Eleven, Severance, Somebody Somewhere, The Old Man, Pachinko, Tuca & Bertie, and Physical. Shauna is skilled at skinning game and chopping these formerly live beings into their fundamental parts (deer, bunnies, humans) to be eaten by humans or just part of ritualistic sacrifice. Considering she had to survive for 18 months in the wilderness with her fellow soccer team, this is a good life skill and there was a lot of practice. Lots of trauma to unpack here.
I wrote this passage below after re-watching the first episode of Yellowjackets. I highly recommend rewatching this series as there are some good Easter eggs.
In general, Shauna tows the line of vulnerability - a lack of confidence but displaying an inner confidence at the same time - very well. Could be in how Melanie Lynsky plays her but it’s really effective and makes for a layered character. She's a born survivor.
Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson in The Morning Show is probably the least society-rejecting, make up my own rules of the Emmy contenders for lead actress. I’m pretty sure she’s never broken any serious laws and she’s like “good girl bad.” That said, Witherspoon’s characterization in season 2 also does a solid job of showcasing Bradley’s insecurity coupled with exploring more of her backstory and her past trauma. She’s reeling from some serious “imposter syndrome” vibes as she’s taking over as a major anchor at the news station after Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) left the studio. That, and her mentally ill brother who is dependent on her and drops himself into her life just as she’s adjusting to her new job, new queer relationship with Julianna Margulies, and you get the gist here.
If surviving trauma is potentially a red thread here in all these characters, is this to say we all have to face our share to emerge strong, bold mavericks? The stoics might have something to say about this element building strength in character and forming our beings but if these nominations teach us anything it feels to me that it’s also in order to showcase strength in women in media representations, they need to be suffering in some way mentally. I call this the Carrie Mathison complex. The BBC show Marcella had a similar slant. To be genius at your profession, women need to be a little mad and is this really the story we want to tell?
Ladies & gents…This year’s Emmy nominees for Best Actress and the “Yes, we’ve had to ‘break bad’ in our own way to survive and thrive” List:
There’s a reason it’s really hard to like people like Wendy and yet to feel sympathetic towards, equally calculating and ruthless individuals, like Marty, her husband. It has to do with something called the competence-likeability paradox and it’s working against women. It basically states that the more competent a woman, the less likable she is. Similarly, the less competent, the more likable.
Check out this TedTalk below on the woman leader “likability dilemma” by documentarian Robin Hauser:
And then there’s this:
Who do you think should win the Emmy for Best Lead Actress?
If this topic interests you and you’d like to read more about disruptive women of 21st Century TV:
