A study by Yale post-doc Victoria Brescoll is being spun as a cautionary tale for certain women in politics.
According to Dr. Brescoll’s research, men are rewarded for being angry at work, while women are penalized.
This is a variation on the theme that women aren’t supposed to cry, either, particularly in a “professional” setting.
On the other hand, if a woman is self-controlled, she’s seen as a malevolent automaton, capable of who knows what, the lurid and unsubstantiated allegations about Vince Foster’s death being one example.
In the film “The Wrath of Khan”, the half Vulcan/half Romulan character Saavik captured the public’s imagination because of her stoicism, made palatable (even adorable) by her youthful, exotic looks.
This is in contrast to failed attempts to popularize warrior women like Boudica, who has been betrayed as fierce, angry and (the greatest sin of all) an effective leader.
It seems we’ll have to wait until Stardate 8130.4 for the kind of tolerance, humility and understanding reflected in Spock and Saavik’s famous dialog from “The Wrath of Khan”:
Saavik: Gishen worla ihk-banut
(Admiral Kirk is) not what I expect
Spock: Wakli ak’wikman – ot-lan?
What surprises you, lieuenant?
Saavik: Ish-veh ni komihn
He’s so human
Spock: Kling akhlami buhfik – Saavik-kam
Nobody’s perfect, Saavik