Oof. Daisy R really is the epitome of the white rich British woman isnât she? That interview really shed light on the kind of oblivious person she is. Itâs like sheâs only capable of the shallowest layer of wokeness which is having a fun time at Pride and the characters she plays being role models for girls, but when it comes to addressing her own class and race privilege she gets defensive and fragile. Iâm so disappointed
Iâm not disappointed because, aside from the fact that Daisyâs always given off big fake-woke energy imho, this is exactly the degree of self awareness that can be expected from middle-to-upper-class western folks. Itâs mostly performative and shallow, and when somebody points out privilege the immediate reaction is âbut I worked HARD to get where I amâ, or âbut I have anxiety and serious skin problems and Iâm a woman and so I Struggleâ˘â and⌠girl, nobody is denying that things can be individually difficultâeven impossibly difficultâfor people who have racial and/or class privilege, too (heck, here I am, having both and still being on the verge of an emotional breakdown every other day). Itâs just that, of all the stuff you need to worry about, your race (or ethnicity/nationality) isnât one of them, and neither are your financial means. Itâs something you need to acknowledge and not in a dismissive âI realize some people have it worseâ way but by admitting that your status made things easier for you even in ways you canât entirely recognize, because youâve always experienced the world from YOUR side of things (see: her saying she doesnât think Johnâs background & experiences are THAT different from hers⌠that was irritatingly naive).
What really makes me think, though, and I know I always harp on culture and education, is how someone with the level of education that Daisy has (boarding school, etc.), can be so hand-wavy and superficial and blissfully oblivious (even borderline insulting, without meaning it) when discussing certain themes. You would expect from these people better arguing skills and better impromptu critical thinking than ânobody ever asked me about this, and Iâm completely at a loss hereâ.
It certainly speaks of how some people donât really use their higher education in a proactive mannerâto continue educating themselves even after their university years are overâand how the most recent and nuanced discussions on racial & class (and yes, also gender) privilege are still a niche thing mostly confined to progressive spaces on social media, and havenât even begun to touch official spaces in the real world, let alone the education system whichâspeaking for my country, at leastâis like 20 years behind with these topics.
