“Have you ever wondered why it was the woman who was tempted into taking the forbidden fruit?” There’s no doubt Eve got a bum deal in the Bible and Jo Fidgen’s exposé of misogyny in popular books began by questioning the biggie. “Snivelling creep” Adam got off lightly, while Eve was doomed to painful childbirth. The lesson is clear: women should behave. Sadly, it’s an idea that has never gone out of fashion, at least as far as the books discussed on this programme \are concerned.
Fidgen’s convincing arguments move from Genesis to Stephanie Meyer via fairytales, Shakespeare and DH Lawrence. Despite the depressing and uncomfortable truths explored, this wasn’t a miserable moan but a debate with humour and a razor-sharp bunch of contributors.
Charlotte Cornwall, who played Gertrude at the RSC, was on the receiving end of Hamlet’s abuse as her character was accused of – shock horror – enjoying sex. “It really is pretty gross, isn’t it?” says Cornwall. “She’s not allowed a sex life, she’s not allowed pleasure. It’s brutal.” Hamlet had a lot to answer for, but is “Frailty, thy name is woman” any different to telling someone to “man up” in the modern day?
Next, fairytales came in for a hammering – nothing new, but it’s alarming to think that their modern equivalents, such as Twilight, also rely on women so sappy they might as well be sitting in a tower waiting for their prince to come. Sparky young teacher Rosie, who was 13 when she read Twilight, spells out the influence it had on her.
“At the time, I thought it was really romantic,” she says. “As I got older I did end up in quite a few abusive relationships with men who were very controlling. Sex was definitely a power play.” She was left feeling angry with herself rather than her ex-boyfriend, whom she excuses as “a product of the pornography he was watching”. You could argue that it’s the scumbag of a man who is to blame rather than the fact that Rosie read Twilight but it’s a complex story, and one which leaves Fidgen close to tears.
Fidgen’s punchy and convincing series isn’t just feminist fire. It’s common sense, delivered brilliantly. Watch out 50 Shades – The Misogyny Book Club is coming for you and your abusive tendencies next.
