The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic
"The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic" is a comic that went viral in 2017, by Emma, a French cartoonist and computer science engineer.[1] The comic was first released as “Fallait demander”, or "You should've asked",[2] and was later published in book form by Murdoch Books (ISBN 978-1760633646, 2018) and Seven Stories Press (ISBN 978-1609809188, 2018).
Plot
editThe comic depicts a mother hosting a reception in her home, taking care of her children and logistics while her husband chats with guests. When she explodes in frustration, her husband responds, “You should have asked! I would have helped."[2] The narrative shows how household responsibilities drain women disproportionately compared to men, and then references possible improvements to help balance the mental load, such as prioritizing paternity leave.[3]
Critical reception
editThe comic received immediate attention in the French press.[4] In 2019, Jessica Grose of the New York Times described concern over the children's health and well-being, combined with managing household schedules, as “'worry work' or, colloquially, the mental load", with a link to the comic.[5] Hillary Chute, in the NYT Book Review, wrote that the comic "creates an intimate flowchart of household routine".[6] BCG began an article on recommendations for family-friendly corporate policies with the comic.[1]
Author
editRFI reported that Emma uses only her first name in an effort to "keep her 'work' and 'illustration' selves separate".[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Garcia-Alonso, Jennifer (April 10, 2019). "Lightening the Mental Load That Holds Women Back". BCG. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Elzas, Sarah (August 11, 2019). "The 'mental load' of Emma, French feminist comic-strip creator". RFI. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ Seltzer, Sarah M. (May 24, 2017). "This Comic Nails the Extra Mental Work That Women Do at Home". Kveller. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ Reviews in French:
- "« Fallait demander ! » : Quand Emma croque la charge mentale qui pèse sur les femmes". L'Éclaireur Fnac (in French). 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Evenou, Delphine (2017-05-26). ""Fallait demander" : la charge mentale, une notion floue qui parle à tous les couples". France Inter (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Greusard, Renée (2017-05-12). "La "charge mentale" des femmes en BD : "Fallait demander de l'aide, minou"". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Marie., Recueilli par Salammbô (2017-11-21). "Charge mentale. Une bande dessinée à l'origine du phénomène". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Schetrit, Noémie (2017-05-21). "Détail d'article". parismatch.be (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- "« Fallait demander ! » : la charge mentale dans le couple". Women in Business (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Ferbos, Aude (2023-12-19). "Charge mentale : la dessinatrice Emma raconte le concept en bande dessinée". SudOuest.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- "Emma: changer le monde une BD à la fois". Châtelaine (in French). 2018-01-16. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Eltchaninoff, Michel (2018-08-18). "Charge mentale". Philonomist (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Lisle, Hélène (2017-05-11). "La BD sur "la charge mentale" et les femmes épuisées de "penser à tout" fait un carton". Femme Actuelle (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- AFP, E. H. avec (2017-05-25). "La "charge mentale" des femmes, épuisées de tout gérer, une notion floue qui parle à beaucoup". BFMTV (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- Linsingh, Stéphanie (2017-07-25). ""L'Attente", la nouvelle BD d'Emma, auteure de "Fallait demander"". Femmes d'Aujourd'hui (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ Grose, Jessica (June 11, 2019). "A Modest Proposal for Equalizing the Mental Load". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ Chute, Hillary (March 22, 2019). "Graphic Novels That Will Diagnose Your Disease". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.