The Apology of Anger | Miss Me | TEDxLausanneWomen

Quick Overview

Artist Miss Me advocates for reclaiming female anger and self-perception by subverting classical art and societal norms, using her masked persona to critique patriarchal systems that frame female desire and anger as inherently vain or taboo, ultimately asserting that acknowledging anger is a biochemical act of self-preservation and empowerment.

Key Points: Miss Me reclaims female anger by subverting classical imagery, such as Diego Velázquez's 'Venus at her Mirror,' by replacing the subject with her masked persona to challenge historical objectification. The speaker argues that society frames female desire and anger as taboo or vain, citing the example that when a woman looks at her naked body, she is judged as vain, whereas a man painting the same subject is considered a master. Miss Me's art, including her 'Vandale' series, aims to take physical space publicly and reclaim ownership of female bodies and experiences, countering the societal impulse to police female behavior. Anger is defined scientifically as an adaptive emotional and physiological response to perceived injustice or threat, mobilizing energy to restore control, safety, and dignity. The artist highlights the hypocrisy where male expressions of anger are accepted, but female anger is pathologized as hysteria or madness, leading women to internalize shame. Her goal is to encourage women to feel anger publicly and unapologetically, viewing it as a biological, self-preserving function rather than a flaw or something to be hidden. The talk concludes with Miss Me's personal commitment to creating art featuring her masked figures everywhere, reclaiming subjecthood for women.

Context: The presentation, given by the visual artist known as Miss Me at TEDxLausanneWomen, centers on the concept of 'The Apology of Anger' ('L'Apologie de la Colère'). Miss Me uses her characteristic persona—a masked figure with large, cartoonish ears—to confront societal double standards regarding female expression, particularly the policing of women's bodies, desire, and anger, often referencing classical art and contemporary censorship practices.