Mad Women: A Closer Look at Carrie Mathison

Mad Women: A Closer Look at Carrie Mathison

Definition and Ideology of Madness 

-       “The fact that they are defined as sick people, moreover, makes it possible to control their behavior, and often to confine them; even though they have done nothing illegal and would otherwise have to be allowed to go on living their own messy lives and sometimes making a nuisance of themselves.”
-    Definitions of Madness – Foucault

o   Madness is not a natural, unchanging thing, but rather depends on the society in which it exists. 

o    Various cultural, intellectual and economic structures determine how madness is known and experienced within a given society.

o   Example – Shakespeare and King Lear

§  the fictional character of King Lear reveals much about the role of madness in society.

Thesis - Through analyzing women in television, it is evident that women in positions of power are represented as mad. Specifically, looking at the character of Carrie Mathison from Homeland this paper will analyze the representation of mad women in politics. 

Madness in Film

-        Why are so many women protagonists crazy?
-        “Their flaws are fatal, or at least obviously self-destructive, and they seem designed to invite censure. Time and again, we, the audience, are cast in the role of morally superior observers to these nut jobs. “

-        “The more astute and capable women are, the more likely it is that they’re also completely nuts.” (The Atlantic)

- This is seen in many shows like Parks and Recreation, The Bridge, and Homeland.

Homeland

Professionalism?

-     Carrie is portrayed as highly unprofessional - risk of national security which is unrealistic
-   “Carrie is supposed to be brilliant, but she is also constantly on the verge of emotional breakdown, she has sex as part of her job, and she does not eat. And this is one of the rare examples on TV of a woman who has excelled in her career."

Tied to Sexuality

-    Even a women in the CIA is hyper sexualized. The main sex scenes involve Carrie. 
- Her unprofessionalism is tied to her sexuality
-  “Increasingly they see woman depicted either a sex objects, or worse, sexualizing themselves. In most cases, even when women are depicted as successful career women, their sexuality is still the focal point of their being.” (IBTimes)

Women and politics

-       “Cast women in politics as vacuous, unprofessional, and overambitious” (IBTimes)

-       What does it say about women in positions of power?
-    Is this the bar that is set for the representation of women in politics?

Flaws Ties to Strengths

-    Carrie would not be successful without these flaws and without her being crazy. 
-   “What makes Carrie such a superb intelligence agent is also her Achilles’ heel, and her journey over the course of the first season of Homeland was one of frustration, error, and ultimately being right” (Daily Beast)

Comparison to Male Counterparts

-       “The crazed antics of male characters like Don Draper, Walter White or Dr. Gregory House are reliably treated as bold, fearless and even ultimately heroic” (NYT)

 Realistic?

-   In an interview with two CIA agents they prove that the character of Carrie could never exisit in real life. Why in function can women be depicted in this way?
- The representation of women in the CIA is incorrect. 
-  “Ultimately, it is entertainment".(Telegraph)

Explain bi-polar disorder – PSA for America?

-        “And yet for all that, I feel the show’s creators, writers, and producers, and Ms. Danes, have done us all a public service: perhaps, with the show’s glowing reception, Americans can finally talk openly about bipolar disorder.” (Daily Beast)
- Even though Carrie is an unrealistic representation of women in national security  she is a powerful representation of a person suffering from bi-polar disorder, which is not portrayed in main stream media.

Conclusion

-       Women in positions of power are portrayed as crazy while there male counterparts are not

-       Co-creator of Homeland explicitly states that they exploited sexism

-       Will this ever stop?