“Janet King” is a TV series about a character with the same name who works as a Crown Prosecutor. “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” is set in the 1920s and involves a rich, female detective who was born in Australia but has a British accent. She came from a humble background and worked hard to become successful. The two films describe how women have exuded feminist ideas amidst many challenges. Janet King also shows women that they can have aspects of both traditionalism while being feminists as she has a family and a career. Phryne Fisher, the heroine in “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” defies all traditional attitudes towards women as she is adventurous and has a non-feminine hairstyle. Thesis statement: Post-feminism and neoliberalism in “Janet King” and “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.”
Neoliberalism, Post-Feminism and Gender Roles
Post-feminism and neoliberalism refer to the ideologies, which revolve around women’s freedom to make their own decisions. Post-feminism also analyses matters such as female sexuality (such as lesbianism) and does not support the traditional gender roles. Neoliberalism is mostly used to refer to women with jobs (Rottenberg, 2014, p. 418). Both Janet King and Phryne Fisher are women who defy the traditional expectations of women. They both have successful careers. However, the two differ in their personal lives. Janet is a mother of two and lives with her partner, Ash. On the other hand, Phryne is a more refined version of an independent woman. She is rich, single, and has sexual relations with several men without any commitments. As much as they are both financially independent women, Phryne goes against all societal expectations and has traits that are considered manly compared to Janet.
In the two films, women are expected to carry out the traditional gender roles. Phryne does not support the conventional gender roles of women. Before World War 1, women did not have careers. They stayed at home and took care of their husbands, children, and the household. Women were judged based on their ability to fulfill domestic roles and other feminine qualities such as politeness. On the other hand, Phryne is an independent woman who works as a detective, drives her car and has excellent flying skills as she manoeuvres difficult angles skilfully. She lives alone and is financially stable. Occasionally, Phryne wears trousers, which was a symbol of power and independence for women during the period that the film is set. Phryne came from a poor background and worked hard to become a wealthy, independent woman (Segura, 2016, p. 50). In the 1920s, women from impoverished homes gained wealth by marrying wealthy men. Phryne’s transformation into a classy woman is also proven as she had an English accent but was born in Australia. Her mastery of the English language prevents anyone from looking down on her due to her background.
Similarly, Janet King defies the odds by being a successful, career woman. She is a successful woman who works as a Crown Prosecutor with a demanding job. She makes difficult decisions at work every day. Her colleagues respect her based on her skills, not her feminine looks (Shattuck, 2016). Unlike Phryne, Janet is a mother. Janet shows women that their families should not prevent them from having careers. She is called upon to lead a royal commission to investigate a firearm crime due to her competencies. Janet’s prowess in law is further proven when she gets closer to determining how illegal firearms entered the country. Her success in the investigations leads to slanderous information about Janet to sabotage the case. Someone tries to spread rumours that Janet and Erin have an affair to make her colleagues question Janet’s professionalism. However, the plan does not work as Janet ends up solving the mystery.
Sexual liberation is another feature of the two films. Janet King defies the traditional expectation of women regarding sexuality. Typically, women are expected to get married to men and have children. However, King is a mother of twins and is openly gay; her wife’s name is Ash. Contrary to tradition, Janet King did not conceive through sexual relations with a man. She got pregnant through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). The film indicates that there is no difference between heterosexual and bisexual relationships since they both go through the same issues. They live as a family and struggle to jumble between their careers and domestic responsibilities (Stucky, 2016). Both Ash and Janet have desires and aspirations, just like heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples often receive backlash from the rest of the population because most people do not understand their relationships. Most people expected Janet and Ash’s relationship to display purely sexual scenes. However, their domestic situation proved that they have the same issues as heterosexual couples; the only difference is their gender.
Phryne is also a sexually liberated woman. The first scene depicts Phryne Fisher informing her maid that she is carrying birth control pills. During the course of the series, Phryne has several lovers and does not feel guilty for her actions. The men were of different characters, as some had bad personalities while she parted ways with others on a good note. Moreover, Phryne does not cling to her lovers. Sexual Freedom among women was unheard (Tadeo, 2016, p. 49).Normally, women are expected to be emotionally attached to their sexual partners. However, Phryne defies this logic as she does not expect one-night stands to turn into relationships. Phryne is not a spinster who aspires to marriage, as the traditional gender roles demand. In the film, none of the characters judge Phryne according to her sexual behaviour. Therefore, women should not be afraid of exploring their sexuality as people will judge them on other grounds apart from their sexual partnerships.
Finally, society expects women to be timid creatures. Janet is a strong woman who prospers despite threats on her life, career and the death of her fiancé. While working on a case about illegal firearms, Janet’s career is almost sabotaged by false rumours. Furthermore, her long-term partner, Ash, is shot dead when they are together. Janet then realizes that the bullet was meant to kill her, not Ash. She is heartbroken but does not succumb to grief. In fact, Janet’s drive to solve the case increases. Phryne is fearless and courageous. When one of the criminals she is investigating threatens to expose her visits to the gigolo, she does not flinch. Phryne is not easily intimidated and is not concerned about society’s perception of her character. She also wears a short, bob hairstyle, which makes her look edgy. In the 1920s, most women spotted more feminine hairstyles such as long, curly/ wavy hair.
Conclusion
The characters, Phryne Fisher and Janet King, depict feminist attitudes. Both women have careers and are highly respected by their colleagues. Traditionally, women are supposed to stay home and take care of their husbands and children. However, neither Phryne nor Janet have husbands; the former is single while the latter has a female partner. Therefore, the two reject society’s notion of female sexuality. Also, the two women are fearless, and some individuals try to sabotage their careers, but they still prosper. A further depiction of sexual freedom is shown when Janet conceives via IVF. Traditionally, spinsters are supposed to aspire to marriage. However, Phryne does not want a serious, committed relationship with any of her lovers. Also, Phryne shows more non-feminine qualities as she flies a plane comfortably in dangerous situations and wears trousers from time to time.
References
Rottenberg, C., 2014. The Rise of Neoliberal Feminism. Cultural Studies, Volume 28, pp. 418-437.
Segura, C. R., 2016. Phryne Fisher: A Post-Colonial Female Detective in Ruddy Gore. Coolabah, Volume 20, pp. 48-66.
Shattuck, K., 2016. ‘Janet King,’ a Legal Drama Down Under. The New York Times.
Stucky, P., 2016. Marta Dusseldorp on the Australian Crime Drama Janet King and the Changing Landscape of Television. Huffington Post.
Tadeo, J. A., 2016. Sex and the Lady Detective: Re-Imagining the Golden Age in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. The Journal of Popular Television, 4(1), pp. 49-67.
