Women's collective anger

The feminist American writer and journalist Rebecca Traister (b. 1975) writes in Good and Mad about the revolutionary power of women's anger throughout history in the United States – from the suffragettes in the early 20th century to the Women's March and metoo in the 21st century. The book, which is a result of her efforts to channel her own anger after the 2016 US presidential election, pays tribute to women who have helped change the nation – and the rest of the world.

Time to be angry

In the chapter "The Winter of Our Discontent," Traister writes about the female opposition to Trump. When he imposes a travel ban on Muslims, about 70 percent of the volunteer lawyers are young women. Shortly after, The New York Times publishes scary stories about actors who have been sexually harassed – metoo is in progress.

Women tell stories they never told anyone, to each other and to journalists. The press gains tremendous power, and the fear spreads to men who have abused their position. In January 2018, American writer Ijeoma Oluo writes in Elle magazine: «To the men scratching their heads in concern and confusion: The rage you see right now, the rage bringing down previously invulnerable men today, barely scratches the surface. You think we might be angry? You have no idea how angry we are. ”

If a woman is openly angry, she is often labeled as hormonal.

In October 2017, at the same time as metoo flourishing in the United States, I join the secret Facebook group behind silent pre-recording, with fellow actor Iselin Shumba as one of the administrators. Female actors across the country share their intimate stories of sexual harassment and rape. Transparency is spreading, and several public figures are accused of sexual harassment. At the Oslo Academy of the Arts (KHiO), where Shumba has been involved in delivering notices about three men, two of them are fired and one resigns.

The quote by the American feminist and author Audre Lorde, from the essay Uses of Anger (1981) summarizes the message in the 320-page book: "Focused with precision it can become a powerful source of energy, serving progress and change."

Joy and fear

Men feel most threatened, but so do women. In the media we hear statements from both genders that MeToo movement engaging in witch-hunting, there is hysteria, a phase, which will pass as soon as people calm down. Traister writes: «Women's anger will – as long as it has been – cast as ugly, unappealing, dangerous, something to shut down or jeered. Nothing, we have long been assured, is more unattractive in a woman than anger (…). ”

If you are a man, you will be praised for your mind.

For if you are angry – and a woman as well – you break the norm of what is accepted and expected of you. Among other things, it is expected that you smile at all times. Traister mentions author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who writes about Michelle Obama: "Because she said what she thought, and because she only smiled when she felt like smiling, and not constantly and vacuously, America's cheapest caricature was cast on her: the Angry Black Woman . "

Halfway through the book, in the chapter "Dress Up Your Anger," Traister says that we often cover our minds with tears because we feel a grief over all the things we wanted to say but that we know we can't say. Studies reveal that if women who accuse men of violence show anger in court, the accused will come out of it more easily, but if the woman cries, the verdict against the accused will be harsher. If a woman is openly angry, she is labeled as emotionally unstable, irrational, hormonal, "psychobitch" and so on. Women's anger has always been a problem for the living.

Traister continues: "Anger has rarely been acknowledged as righteous and patriotic when it has originated with women (...)." If you are a man, you will be praised for your mind – the enthusiasm of the Americans for Trump's fiery face throughout the election campaign confirms this. But with Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and metoo the cat is out of the bag and new times are coming.

Women are furious

Now the roles have been switched – and women are furious. This rage, unlike anything else we have seen from the women's movement up through world history, results in powerful men losing their jobs: film producer Harvey Weinstein loses his company; journalist Charlie Rose gets fired; chef Mario Batali goes into exile from his restaurant empire; journalist Matt Lauer gets fired; Senator Al Franken is advised by his colleagues (many of them women) to resign. In Norway, three teachers at KHiO lose their jobs, Deputy Trond Giske (Ap) resigns from his position – and men who participate in the public debate are allowed to undergo, as Øystein Stene, a teacher at KHiO.

We are witnesses to the collective female mind that is changing the world. But first, we must make sure we are elected, Traister writes, and we must respect and pay attention to other women's anger: “Being mad can be joyful and productive and connective. Don't ever let them talk you out of being mad again. ”