Now the Cancel Mob Claims Victimhood
Monisha Rajesh seems to have forgotten the primary rule of the victim club, as seen in the case of Mary Beard in 2018. When Beard shared a photo of herself weeping, she faced harsh criticism from detractors. Even years later, Rajesh was still mocking that moment, referring to it as “Mary Beard did her white tears.”
Mary Beard’s Controversy and Criticism
The popular narrative portrayed the Cambridge classics professor as having already faced disgrace due to an earlier tweet deemed implicitly racist. Her emotional reaction and sharing of the photo were then seen as “weaponising” her suffering in a way that black and brown women supposedly could not replicate. Beard’s tears were framed as a conscious and blameworthy act.
Rajesh’s Public Display of Emotion
Though Rajesh’s skin colour technically excludes her from “white tears,” she demonstrated her own ability to cry publicly. In an Instagram reel — later made private — she tearfully expressed frustration over an upcoming BBC podcast featuring her and blamed her employers for exposing her to online abuse.
“Mary Beard did her white tears.”
Rajesh, sobbing in her post, lamented the exposure to online abuse and criticized her bosses for it.
Author’s summary: The controversy over public displays of emotion highlights how accusations of weaponizing feelings are often shaped by race and public perception.