Anyway, The Archers has a particularly strong storyline at the moment following the abusive relationship between Helen and Rob. The poor actor seems to have had to stop tweeting, so involved is the audience in his compelling performance as a controlling, manipulative, sexist ... I'm doing it now.
The script writers are taking a risk with this storyline because it is a long slow burner of a plot and they haven't rushed it. There hasn't been any easy crisis point yet where the apparently intelligent Helen has walked in on Rob faxing fivers to his ex wife or blackmailing his former boss. Ok, so Helen is the vulnerable anorexic daughter of a former feminist whose last relationship ended in the suicide of her older lover, but she had independently given birth to an ivf baby as a single mother. Her descent into victim has been well written and many of the discussion threads (yes, don't judge) seem to admire the portrayal of her.
One of the main aspects of his character that rings so true is the way he controls her under the guise of love and care, there is no physical abuse. "You're so tired, darling, sit down and put your feet up while I arrange to have your wages paid into my account / spend your grandma's inheritance / sabotage the relationship with your best friend / mother / son." Brilliant.
Like some men, Rob seems to doubt the competence of women and negates their ability while on the surface, building up their role in another way. Women can do this to other women too. "But you're so good with the children darling." "Wouldn't it be nice to be at home for a little bit longer." This links (indirectly, but bear with me) to the Koln attacks on women at New Year. Police officers have been accused of playing down some of the common features of the attacks and the chief of police has lost his position.
The main common features of these attacks were that men attacked these women. That is the main point. And I'm not a 70s style all men are potential rapists feminist. All men don't do these kind of things. Some men do. And some men escape a life from a terrible country and adjust to life in a European country. And some men attack women.
The appropriate reaction is surely to question society's respect for women but not use this as a vehicle for criticising immigration policy. Just to top it all off, Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the EDL trotted off to a Pegida rally to stir up some trouble. Nice to see parties like that promoting cross cultural unity between our German neighbours. "They come over here (I paraphrase) and attack our women (I quote)."
Whose women? Sorry? Who was he talking to? Well not me, I don't think I have any women. Don't get me wrong, I didn't really think he was talking on my behalf in the first place, I strongly believe that that man and I have never had an opinion in common, but that doesn't mean I am not offended by his failure to assume that any women could be listening to him.
Perhaps there are no racist women in the world, what a nice thought. Oh. there are you say! So he's just addressing the men, in the full knowledge that there is 50% of the population who apparently need protecting by their men.
Following this, the mayor of Koln, Henriette Reker suggested that women should stay at arm's length from men. Women don't need that kind of protection, men don't need protection from themselves. The vast majority of men do not find themself accidentally and randomly groping women on the way past. They should not be treated with any more suspicion than a group of men who are apparently immigrants.
So thank you Rob, and Henriette and even Tommy, but I and other women don't need defending against immigrants, or men for that matter. We need protecting from scare-mongering and the media excitement over the commodification of women's bodies that continue the myth that we are anyone's for the taking.
