From the so-called Prince Charming who “steals” a kiss from his princess to the manipulative and even downright rapist “bad boy”, popular culture is full of characters as dubious as they are toxic, far from innocent. French journalist Chloé Thibaud has written a powerful essay on the subject, because no, it’s not “just fiction”.
This is also one of the most frequent criticisms that the author receives. Desiring violence, those whom pop culture teaches us to lovepublished these days by Hachette. Not a day has gone by since the release of her book without someone writing to her to call her a “mood-killer”. “No, but come on, it’s just fiction. Take a step back,” paraphrases the journalist, who can be read regularly in the feminist media Simone Mediain a Zoom interview on Thursday.
“It’s quite frightening,” she said, faced with the mountain of “aggressive, threatening and misogynistic” messages that had accumulated.
I think not everyone is ready to hear and admit what I mention in the book.
Chloé Thibaud, author and journalist
Note that in our country, the author India Desjardins published an essay more or less on the same subject, in 2021: Mister Big or the glorification of toxic love, where she rightly denounced these models of impossible love, where bad boys always have the good role.
Chloé Thibaud casts her net wide – her bibliography is also impressive – and touches on a number of classics (French and American) considered almost untouchable. Beyond the predictable James Bond, Indiana Jones, even Han Solo (“your favorite heroes are aggressors,” she writes, with specific scenes to back her up), she points the finger at Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)Barney (How I Met Your Mother), even… Ross (Friends), this “psychopath”. Not forgetting the Disney princes, several heroes of dramatic comedies and other dramas that have set a precedent: Bridget Jones, Pride and Prejudice, The Notebook…
Remember the so-called seduction scene, when Noah (Ryan Gosling), hanging from a merry-go-round, threatens to throw himself off the edge if the beautiful Allie (Rachel McAdams) doesn’t go out with him. Romantic, you say? Or… downright toxic?
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook
Unsurprisingly, Gérard Depardieu (The Valseuses) is there, but also… the director Cédric Klapisch (we will come back to him).
His thesis? That these films (and series), by promoting characters who are sometimes manipulative, sometimes downright aggressive (the rape scene in Saturday Night Feverhad you forgotten it?), thereby eroticizing the conflict.
With this book, I question what shapes our imaginations, yes, I accuse pop culture of having incited me to desire violence.
Chloé Thibaud, journalist and author
The author, who was a victim of domestic violence, does not hide the fact that she grew up with Tarantino films. She also worshipped Serge Gainsbourg, owned a bust of Woody Allen and even considered naming her son Roman (because Polansky was her favorite director for a long time). It is understandable that this will not happen. “I embody my words, I am not ashamed […]no one is perfect, she emphasizes in an interview. Yes, I myself have done a lot of work! “And quite a journey. Which she invites her readers to do in turn.
Contextualize first and foremost
Before we go any further, a clarification: we can already hear you screaming here about cancel culture (cancel culture). And you’re completely wrong. “That’s not what I’m defending,” says the author, who has published several books on the subject, including Rereading Gainsbourg (2021). I am not for the cancel culturebut for the cultural context. For me, the secret is to contextualize the works. A bit like in music or painting. For example, today, we know that Picasso was not the most charming man. Do I want his paintings to be burned? No, of course not. But I would like, on the other hand, for it to be explained that Picasso was a violent man.
PHOTO PAULINE DARLEY, PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR
Chloé Thibaud, author and journalist
In the cinema, she is not calling for the cancellation of Snow White either. “But I would like us to take our responsibilities and explain […] that a forced kiss is not romantic…
Speaking of forced kissing, do you remember The Spanish inn ? A cult film for generations of French people, it nevertheless stages a wonderful counter-example of consent. For the record, Xavier (Romain Duris) insistently kisses a certain Anne-Sophie (Judith Godrèche), despite her refusal, seven times rather than once. No, does that really mean yes? Chloé Thibault discussed it with the director.
I knew it was coming, I just wondered when it would happen.
Cédric Klapisch, director of The Spanish inn quoted in the book
“Cringe-inducing situations must continue to be our narrative fodder,” he replied to the author, who reports his words in the book. “But how can we show all these conflicts without advocating violence?” […] It’s all very complicated.”
“At least he questions himself. Which is already much more than the majority of French directors…”, she says happily.
As for her, she has no intention of giving up. “I invite you to face what you don’t want to see. What society turns a blind eye to,” she concludes. “But with popular culture, people are so attached, they don’t want to see the problem…”
And if you want to know everything, yes, Chloé Thibaud still listens religiously Friends. But she now asks herself many questions. Objective: “to detect sexual violence where it was not seen…”
In a previous version of this text, we incorrectly referred to the character Joey in Friends. Instead, the author refers to Ross as a “psychopath.” Our apologies for the confusion.
Desiring violence, those that pop culture teaches us to love
Hatchet
234 pages