Post-Modern Standards In Jackie Fleming's The Trouble With Women

As can be seen throughout history, standards have been imposed to trap and crumble minority groups from uprising to the changes of modern-day perspectives of liberation and equal rights. Jackie Fleming, an accredited cartoon activist and author of “The trouble with women” advocates for issues against young women including sexual harassment, gender stereotypes, and gender-based violence. Through the representation of these issues in her cartoons, often in a stylistic approach, Fleming exposes an awareness of post-modern standards that have been transcended into today’s generation acting as a barrier to modern-day female empowerment.

To begin, Fleming demonstrates her understanding that fundamentally, the absurdity of these standards relies

She often uses irony to show the contradiction between what society says and what it does, or between what is expected and what is realistic or desirable. In both cartoons, there is a woman placed in the center of the frame but in figure 4 the irony is placed in the captions stating that women who studied science also ran the risk of growing a beard. This statement is ironic because it invokes an outdated stereotype that women should not pursue intellectual pursuits or engage in traditionally male-dominated fields. It also implies that a woman's worth is tied to her physical appearance, rather than her intellectual abilities. The satirical nature of the cartoon and the irony of a man providing a viewpoint adherent to women convey the absurdity rooted in hindering women’s participation in society, and how this not only perpetuates the marginalization of women but is also degrading. Similarly, Figure 5 illustrates a woman crunched over and working but the captions portray the absurdity of the societal expectation that women should prioritize their appearance over their intellect. The statement that "due to natural selection and the sexual preference for girls with less intelligence, genius hair died out" is a satirical take on the idea that women with messy hair are somehow less desirable or intelligent than those who conform to traditional beauty standards. The statement that women with "genius hair" risked being put in asylums due to its association with mental instability is also a satirical take on the cultural biases and expectations that have historically limited women's potential and autonomy. This use of irony serves to expose the absurdity of these biases and expectations and reinforces the need for a more equitable society where women are valued for their abilities and not judged