The manosphere is not the only place misogyny is rife - the call is coming from inside the Married At First Sight Australia couple's retreat house. Internalised misogyny enacted by women towards women is not new, yet the cruelty shown in the series 13 of Married at First Sight Australia, which is now airing in the UK, is astonishing. Watching MAFS Australia, it is evident that some of the cast are extremely aware of drama buying them screen-time. But at what cost?
This is the year of women on women attacks; it is dripping in misogyny. But there was one moment that made my jaw hit the floor. One bride silenced another by saying: “The men are speaking.” Season 13 of Married At First Sight Australia has been a horror-show of viciousness and internalised misogyny. Ladies, we can do better than this. We have to do better than this.
The Silencing Moment
In this couples retreat episode, Gia Fleur and Bec Zacharia are again at each other’s throats, arguing about yet another minor drama, no doubt heightened by the onlooking camera crews. Their respective partners on the show - Scott McCristal and Danny Hewitt - are discussing the tension between their wives. Bec tries to interject, as the exchange of words between the men stems from her and Gia's previous feud. Though, she is quickly shot down by her fellow bride Gia who utters that galling put down, that the women should be silent as the men hash it out on their behalf.
Then in a glaring moment, Bec shames her 'friend' and fellow bride Rachel Gilmore by discussing her sex life with her husband Steven Danyluk, not just in front of the cast but on international television. The objective of humiliating another woman is then laid bare, as Bec jokes about making merch. It is blatant: the drama is seen as a vehicle to continued success beyond the show.
Manosphere Rhetoric on Display
There have been numerous incidents throughout this season of blatant dog-whistling to a sexist ideology. Groom Tyson Gordon, who was matched with Stephanie Marshall, repeatedly stated on the couch that he wanted a 'submissive' wife. He is concerned about her being too 'frigid' in one instance, and then again about her 'body count'. This could be lifted right from the manosphere’s playbook, where women are prized for their 'value' (their attractiveness), where they are expected to be sexual but not too sexual. Misogynists dream of women walking this tight rope walk to please men’s needs.
The Overton Window Effect
Misogyny buys airtime. It is a dangerous domino effect, where these views are shown on screen to shock, yet at the same time inevitably normalising harmful views about women. A term often used by the extremist right groups comes to mind: the Overton window, which shifts as hateful, previously fringe rhetoric’s are moved into the range of acceptable political and social discourse. MAFS Australia has contributed to making misogyny mainstream.
