The season of female rage: Taylor Swift, Lady Whistledown and Free the Nip Met Gala

I don’t need to explain that Taylor Swift has just released a 31 track anthology of her articulated anger, sadness, grief and female rage since her heartbreak.

But lately, she’s not the only one that takes a stab at the female struggle and scars left behind from the impossible expectations and persistence at being good enough for our society that leaves no room for female imperfection.

Penelope Featherington, soon-to-be lead of the new season of Bridgerton 3, was revealed last time to be the secret writer who exposes the scandals and bad behaviour that happens in a 19th century society, to make her mark as the talented writer she is.

Writing under ‘Lady Whistledown’, Penelope holds the power as she is pushed to the corners of society for not acting and looking as the beauty standard they expect.

Although best friend and feminist Eloise was left feeling stung her best friend was the masked savage, fans have hope that she will join Penelope on the quest to make their mark on society for the talented and creative women they are. 

The storyline surrounds being married off, the purpose of their life, which the two young women feel they do not relate to, hence the ‘female rage’.

Years later, Taylor Swift is writing what is in front of her too. She uses savage poetic descriptions of the spikes in her road and the cyclone she committed to, just to stay in a relationship that was no good to her.

On reflection she feels that anger and frustration she didn’t leave but like most women, we are trained to rely on another, hold out for a relationship as it should be the lead role in your life. 

Taylor talks about the rules she followed to stay safe, and accepted by a man, and we have seen the previous turmoil Penelope felt as she changed her clothes, her style, her friends and passion for writing to be accepted all the same.

A different field, but the very same message is being pushed by women at the Met Gala this month too, hundreds of years after women started the eruptions that they aren’t being treated fairly. 

Nips out, see-through tops and wide smiles on women such as Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, Doja Cat and Rihanna to name only a few push the message we are no longer following these unfair rules and expectations set out for us hundreds of years ago, and they are doing it with their names and their faces for the world to see.

This is another example of a public statement of the barriers we have been trying to shake for years and years that is merely a birth given right to men. 

Although we know the ending for Taylor as she pushes the billionaires list, breaking records and taking the world by storm, fans are desperate to see Penelope’s fate as she continues the love affair with her quill. 

This summer, women have really said, I’m over it. 

Men, step aside, you won’t be able to see my nipples or my anthology by standing so close.