Mary Beard on the QT Panel
Mary Beard has been pulled up on this subject before. When the BBC went out on a limb and aired her series of documentaries Meet the Romans many people, specifically AA Gill took great offence that Auntie hadn't gone down the traditional Academic Sexpot documentary host route. No heaving bosom over any artefacts in Meet the Romans, no sir. Just Mary Beard in a red coat (so she would stand out in crowd scenes on camera) laughing at all the little in-jokes the Romans had left behind in Latin for her to find.
Perhaps you know this, maybe I should put a trigger warning...ugliness ahead. In spite of AA Gill's warnings Mary Beard recently returned to the small screen. Worse, she chose not to stick to the subjects of history and Latin - at which the average person can only nod and 'suppose so'. No, no, no. Beard went on TV and had opinions! Not just opinions, disagreements! I did give you a trigger warning.
The last time there was a small debacle concerning Beard's looks she wrote in the Daily Mail that: “Throughout Western history there have always been men like Gill who are frightened of smart women who speak their minds.” You might think that would be enough to shut this particular line of criticism towards Beard down. More people should point out the odd discomfort we seem to have with a woman with highly informed opinions and expertise. Who wants to go to his grave with the fond anecdote: 'he was frit of smart women'.
The last time there was a small debacle concerning Beard's looks she wrote in the Daily Mail that: “Throughout Western history there have always been men like Gill who are frightened of smart women who speak their minds.” You might think that would be enough to shut this particular line of criticism towards Beard down. More people should point out the odd discomfort we seem to have with a woman with highly informed opinions and expertise. Who wants to go to his grave with the fond anecdote: 'he was frit of smart women'.
| After appearing on Question Time Beard has received more criticism. This time those criticising are merging their hatred of what she said with how she looked saying it. The crime of casting doubt on an audience member's concern that Boston, Lincolnshire was being overwhelmed by immigrants was apparently all the more infuriating because of what she looked like as she uttered her points. | Like Lady Macbeth she is oddly unsexed and for some reason it does not bring strength |
Since her Question Time appearance Beard has blogged about being inundated with nasty tweets and comments on a site called Don't Start Me Off airing their disagreements with her politics (fine) but also her looks (not fine). "I am sure that there are many who have suffered worse than me from this sort of stuff. But this site is truly vile" If there is worse suffering, than why bother complaining? Because this online abuse: “would be quite enough to put many women off appearing in public, contributing to political debate”.
Just because you put yourself in the public eye, aware that you are inviting criticism, should not automatically mean you simply grow a thicker skin. Considering a woman is being let off lightly if she invites speculation and is photographed breathing out -- is she pregnant? Letting it all hang out? Comfort eating? It is no wonder many choose to stay out of the public eye.
What is very interesting is that Beard has escaped one thing. Listen out for this next time a woman is introduced on a panel of experts. You will be informed whether or not she is a wife and/or mother. If she is unattached you will learn she is a dedicated aunt or godmother. What she has trained for or worked towards is secondary to how she functions in relation to others close to her. Sister, mother, wife, aunt. As it happens I can't recall a time when Mary Beard has been introduced with the mother 'disclaimer.' I wonder why she has been separated and I despair at how it is to her disadvantage. Like Lady Macbeth she is oddly unsexed and for some reason it does not bring the strength I, nor Lady Macbeth (or Lady the Scottish Play, if you prefer) imagined.
It is interesting, because what is the biggest problem, or issue, here? Are a set of people up in arms about what Mary Beard said, or how she looked when she said it? Well, we are all talking about either how she looked when she spoke, or what people have commented upon regarding her looks. If the goal was to stop us actually hearing what Mary said then job done. She is silenced.
But Mary Beard is not a Cambridge professor for nothing. How do we confront these trolls that can't stand a woman talking whilst in posession of a potentially ungroomed undercarriage? Take a look at Mary Beard's Twitter feed and you will see her graciously accepting apologies from grovelling people who tweeted "crap on the spur of the moment" shamed after she retweeted them. Even better Beard suggests we "flood the site with comments, or Latin poetry..."
Be public, be fearless, be poetic. And use the retweet function to its full advantage. #silentnomore
Squeamish Kate
Just because you put yourself in the public eye, aware that you are inviting criticism, should not automatically mean you simply grow a thicker skin. Considering a woman is being let off lightly if she invites speculation and is photographed breathing out -- is she pregnant? Letting it all hang out? Comfort eating? It is no wonder many choose to stay out of the public eye.
What is very interesting is that Beard has escaped one thing. Listen out for this next time a woman is introduced on a panel of experts. You will be informed whether or not she is a wife and/or mother. If she is unattached you will learn she is a dedicated aunt or godmother. What she has trained for or worked towards is secondary to how she functions in relation to others close to her. Sister, mother, wife, aunt. As it happens I can't recall a time when Mary Beard has been introduced with the mother 'disclaimer.' I wonder why she has been separated and I despair at how it is to her disadvantage. Like Lady Macbeth she is oddly unsexed and for some reason it does not bring the strength I, nor Lady Macbeth (or Lady the Scottish Play, if you prefer) imagined.
It is interesting, because what is the biggest problem, or issue, here? Are a set of people up in arms about what Mary Beard said, or how she looked when she said it? Well, we are all talking about either how she looked when she spoke, or what people have commented upon regarding her looks. If the goal was to stop us actually hearing what Mary said then job done. She is silenced.
But Mary Beard is not a Cambridge professor for nothing. How do we confront these trolls that can't stand a woman talking whilst in posession of a potentially ungroomed undercarriage? Take a look at Mary Beard's Twitter feed and you will see her graciously accepting apologies from grovelling people who tweeted "crap on the spur of the moment" shamed after she retweeted them. Even better Beard suggests we "flood the site with comments, or Latin poetry..."
Be public, be fearless, be poetic. And use the retweet function to its full advantage. #silentnomore
Squeamish Kate
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