On Womanhood, Jessica Jones, and Self-Preservation Among the Kilgraves Everywhere

Art by Mallori Taylor | Spoilers for Marvel’s Jessica Jones [quote_simple]”When we speak we are afraid / our words will not be heard / nor welcomed / but when we are silent / we are still afraid / So it is better to speak / remembering / we were never meant to survive.” – Audre Lorde [/quote_simple] As with most things Marvel, I came to Jessica Jones as I hope to one day come to my death — late, but ready. I saw the trailer months ago but avoided the show when it dropped because it all seemed a little heavy for me and I wasn’t then ready to walk down that particular dark alley. Just last weekend however, all that changed, I finally watched the show. Jessica Jones, as you might gather, is our hero and the villain is Kilgrave, a man whose power is mind control. Now, I have to be honest, watching the show I couldn’t help but think: is Kilgrave’s power male privilege? Good ol’ fashioned top of the line cisgender heterosexual white male privilege? He says “smile,” and the beautiful woman with the mahogany hair smiles. I didn’t want to, she says, but I couldn’t not. He says “you are delighted,” and the woman in the cream sweater repeats, I am delighted. He shouts “Shut up!” and the whole room goes quiet. For every year you left me stab yourself, he commands, and the woman with weathered hands, picks up a pair of scissors and stabs herself, again and again and again and again. At first the idea amused me. I’m so clever, I thought, male privilege is his power. Then it saddened me, u…