Monsters and Morals: Vengeance, Virtue, and Emotional Labour

Paranormal Pajama Party

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What do a trickster forest goblin, a horse-faced seductress, a desert phantom, and a deer-footed avenger have in common? They’re not just the stuff of nightmares – they’re symbols of women as society’s moral guardians.

In this episode of “Paranormal Pajama Party”, you’ll meet the Shishiga, the Siguanaba, Umm al-Duwais, and the Deer Woman – female monsters tasked with warning, protecting, and punishing men who transgress societal moral codes. These ladies, while terrifying, are also a lens we can use to explore how women have been historically cast as moral guardians. From their cultural roots in folklore to their modern-day counterparts, these figures embody a paradox: women are expected to uphold society’s moral fabric yet are often demonised for doing so.

In this episode, we talk about this complex expectation of women, connecting it to the Cult of True Womanhood, the suffrage and temperance movements, and the modern-day emotional labour women continue to bear. We’ll also discuss how public figures like Greta Thunberg and Senator Katie Britt have become modern moral authorities – and then face misogynistic backlash when they step into this role.

Why do women’s moral efforts often go unappreciated, even when they lead to positive change? Why are we expected to shoulder this burden without recognition? We unpack these questions and explore how the modern concept of emotional labour is merely a rebranded version of women’s historical role as society’s moral enforcers.

Tune in to “Paranormal Pajama Party” for a spooky yet insightful exploration of folklore, feminist thought, and the evolving roles of women in societal change.

Key moments

• 0:00 – Content warning
• 0:59 – Umm al-Duwais on the streets of Al-Satwa
• 4:23 – Meet the Shishiga, Umm al-Duwais, the Siguanaba, and the Deer Woman
• 7:27 – Female monsters as guardians of morality
• 14:28 – Women's moral guardianship paradox
• 17:49 – Burying the hatchet with Carrie Nation
• 22:04 – Emotional labour is the new Cult of Domesticity

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1. Content warning (00:00:00)

2. Al-Satwa and Umm al-Duwais (00:00:59)

3. Welcome to the Paranormal Pajama Party! (00:03:33)

4. The shishiga: The trickster goblin from the forest (00:04:23)

5. Umm al-Duwais: The desert phantom (00:05:05)

6. The Siguanaba: A warning to wayward men (00:05:37)

7. The Deer Woman: Avenger of the abused (00:06:34)

8. Female monsters as guardians of morality (00:07:27)

9. Monsters and ethics of justice vs ethics of care (00:09:08)

10. These stories aren't as empowering as they seem (00:10:19)

11. Women's moral guardianship paradox (00:14:28)

12. The "angel in the home", suffrage, and temperance (00:15:21)

13. Burying the hatchet with the axe-wielding temperance warrior Carrie Nation (00:17:49)

14. Female moral guardians throughout history, from Jane Addams to Malala (00:20:02)

15. Emotional labour is the new Cult of Domesticity (00:22:04)

16. Senator Katie Britt, welcome to the monster club (00:22:40)

17. What we can learn from these monsters (00:24:13)

18. Outro (00:25:26)