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

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The 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

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The 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

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RFI reported that Emma uses only her first name in an effort to "keep her 'work' and 'illustration' selves separate".[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Garcia-Alonso, Jennifer (April 10, 2019). "Lightening the Mental Load That Holds Women Back". BCG. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Seltzer, Sarah M. (May 24, 2017). "This Comic Nails the Extra Mental Work That Women Do at Home". Kveller. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  4. ^ Reviews in French:
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
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