45°
ISSUE ONE (OF MANY)
This zine is as helpful as plucking the petals from a flower to know the intentions of a potential lover. Allured by an aesthetic cover, typically, the purpose of an introduction is to convince the holder of its meaning to validate its contents. Yet this zine holds no purpose but to exist. It’s simply an A5 32 paged book currently nestled in an A5 space in the palm of your hand. Through the medium of fashion imagery, this is a safe space in which women can vocalise their feelings and experiences without the need for justification or validation from anyone. It serves to visualise the thoughts of many, or simply one. This A5 space in the world is a 14.8 x 21.0 cm space where women aren’t told to minimise or slim their thighs. Or to make room and accommodate for man-spreading, or even mansplaining that reduces women’s suffering to mere complaining. Just because you don’t choose to understand something doesn’t mean it ceases to exist. You may decide it’s not for you and put it down without turning another page, but it still proceeds to take up space. Bias Cut: (adjective) The technique of cutting on the diagonal grain (at 45 degrees) of the fabric.
Gender bias: (noun) The inclination towards or prejudice against one gender.
(ZINE, WORDS, AND IMAGERY BY ALICE PEARSON)
Why should I have to sit here and wallow,
The Hysterical Women
F
or centuries, doctors readily diagnosed women with “hysteria,” an alleged mental health condition that explained away any behaviours or symptoms that made men uncomfortable (1). The condition of hysteria became an integral part of the Victorian zeitgeist (2). In 1980, the condition was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (3). Yet, the ramifications of hysteria are still ingrained in modern medicine and significantly affect the treatment of women.
“Brave Men” vs “Emotional Women” A 2018 study was conducted to investigate how gender bias manifests in pain treatment, especially in clinical practice and in the patient-provider encounters. ‘The results of these studies showed that women received less adequate pain medication and more antidepressants compared to men. The reviewed studies showed that women with pain can be perceived as hysterical, emotional, complaining, not wanting to get better malingerers, and fabricating the pain, as if it is all in her head. In addition, a pattern of parallels between gendered norms and gender bias could be demonstrated in the results. For example, gendered norms were expressed through presumptions such as “women are more emotional than men”. The psychologizing of women’s pain reflects this norm, and that antidepressants are more often described
“
Our results showed that women with pain can be perceived as hysterical, and fabricating the pain,
as if it is all in her head.
to women compared to men could be a consequence of it. In summary, our results confirmed a paradox, highlighted by Hoffmann and Tarzian; compared to men, women have more pain, and it is more accepted for women to show pain, and more women are diagnosed with chronic pain syndromes. Yet, paradoxically, women’s reports of symptoms and pain are taken less seriously.’ (4) (4) These findings were extracted from the research conducted by: Samulowitz, Anke (PT, RPsych, MSc ), Ida Gremyr, Erik Eriksson, and Gunnel Hensing. “Brave Men” and “Emotional Women”: A Theory-Guided Literature Review on Gender Bias in Health Care and Gendered Norms towards Patients with Chronic Pain.” Pain Research & Management 2018 (2018):635862414. Web.
‘In many nineteenth-century artists, we find hysterical reverberations in the many depictions of the romantic but tragic figure of Shakespeare’s Ophelia’ (2).
Ophelia by John Everett Millais (1851-52)
‘Ophelia is a character in William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet’s crazed actions, ends up in a state of madness that ultimately leads to her drowning.’(5) ‘The early modern understanding of the distinction between Hamlet’s madness and Ophelia’s were severely genderstructured: melancholy was understood
as a male disease of the intellect, while Ophelia would have been understood as suffering from hysteria.’(5) Before her death, after being rejected by her potential lover, Ophelia would wander aimlessly, singing songs whilst handing out flowers, citing their symbolic meanings.
(1) Female hysteria: The history of a controversial ‘condition’. https://www.medicalnewstoday. com/articles/the-controversy-of-female-hysteria (2) Hysteria and Victorian Women in Art by Joel L. Schiff https://jvc.oup.com/2021/03/04/hysteria-and-victorian-women-in-art/ (3) What Is Hysteria? The Past and Present: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-hysteria-2795232 (5)Characters Ophelia: https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/character/
I was naive when recruited, They sold me the benefits Eyes racing over the fine print with no sufficient warning. This pill now a burden that I carry, Gulping at the same time each morning Do you have a period too short or too long? Acne? Mood swings? “Condoms just don’t feel as good.” Lucky for you, one size fits most, so take this magic pill! Anxious and nauseous, I think I’ve gained weight. My doctor says it’s all in my head, Since when have my feelings turned into a debate? “This is normal…You’re just hormonal, You’re just having a bad day.” Why should I have to sit here and wallow When I just don’t feel myself, Knowing the reasoning lies in the pill that I swallow I want to rip up the sign that says ‘package deal!’ Now you’ll never be late. I spoke to my mates, and they feel the same Our doctors keep saying it’s all in our heads Yet consistency suggests this little pill is to blame I’ve switched brands with the change of every season There’s not a constant cloud over me without reason The doctor says it’s all in my head, Ironically, that’s what I’m trying to express. This little pill is making me fucking depressed. Bit of a tough pill to swallow, I guess.
Luce I’m late Hit snooze one too many times Overdue to greet her. I should have known better When every morning at this time I meet her. As usual, she’s sugar-coated Dressed in a sickening shade of pink. But despite her appearances, her allure has eroded. All my other mates agree That her looks are nothing more than a marketing trick. Because beneath her agreeable exterior, Lucette is a dick.
This zine was as helpful as plucking the petals from a flower to know the intentions of a potential lover.