Part 1: Female shame in memes by Marta Frej
One of the most popular, early memes by Marta Frej, a Polish painter, illustrator and cultural animator, shows herself checking the pockets before leaving the house. The text reads: „Keys I have, phone I have, shame I don”t have, I can go out…”. This is one of the many examples of Frej”s feminist memes where shame takes the centre stage. It comes from the recognition of shame”s power to control our behaviour. The internalised ideas around what is considered shameful affect choices, attitude towards the body and sexuality, and self-image. Frej”s message seems to be that only by getting rid of shame can one be liberated.
In 2017, I published a book titled Shame, Masculinity and Desire of Belonging, which looks at the ideas around shame in the literary works of contemporary male writers. The title of the book sums up the important truths about how shame works. It is a complex emotion, both private and public, and it can lead to social exclusion—being accepted gives one a sense of belonging, while feeling ashamed or being shamed leads to a feeling of exclusion. It is safe to say that the idea of shame, or what is shameful, changes across …
