'Jessica Jones': A Feminist Manifesto - Part Three: Kilgrave and Rape Culture

Written by Kate McHargue

TRIGGER WARNING...THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS A DISCUSSION ON SEXUAL ASSAULT AND RAPE CULTURE...READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED...

Truly great TV shows are more than just entertainment. They tackle difficult issues, shed light on the darker corners of humanity, and perhaps even teach us something about ourselves in the process. Jessica Jones, by virtue of superpowers, sex appeal (of every kind), and the occasional comic relief is undeniably entertaining. The show continues to impress, however, in its complex depiction and firm stance against rape culture.
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For the purposes of this article, I am using the broad definition of rape culture as the socially accepted and perpetuated misunderstanding of what constitutes consent and therefore what constitutes rape.

From Episode One and the introduction of Hope Shlottman we get a sense of Kilgrave’s depravity. True, no one is safe from his powers or his malicious use of them, but it becomes abundantly clear throughout the series that his favorite targets for long term mind control are young women he finds desirable. And from this we recognize that Kilgrave is not just a super villain, he’s a predator.

One would think that there should be no debate about the fact that forcing someone into sexual acts of any nature is rape, but unfortunately our society often times argues that there are supposed “gray areas” or “blurred lines”. Jessica Jones addresses these arguments in Episode 8: “AKA WWJD?,” when Jessica accuses Kilgrave of rape. Kilgrave insists that that was not his intention and questions how staying in nice hotels and being offered other luxuries could possibly mean that she wasn’t happy with the situation. Jessica replies with a much needed clarification of the difference between intent and actions. She screams at him:

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“I didn’t want to do any of it! Not only did you physically rape me but you violated every cell in my body and every thought in my goddamn head! It doesn’t matter what you were trying to do! You raped me, again and again and again.”

Kilgrave responds with a disdainful, “I hate that word,” and then argues that he’s not to blame. He asks, “How am I supposed to know?” and Jessica, being the feminist hero she is, does not let him off the hook for this pathetic excuse. And she’s right not to.

Kilgrave may have to be careful with what he says / how he uses his powers and no one can deny that that must be a difficult thing to keep under control. But however much Kilgrave wants to pretend he thought Jessica (and Hope and whoever else he raped) was doing it of their own free will, the fact is he never asked them for their consent. He could have easily used the loophole in his powers by asking these women to be with him rather than commanding them to, but he didn’t. And the reason he didn’t is because he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. As with everything else in the world, Kilgrave took what he wanted with no regard to others’ well-being or free will. And as with every other crime he commits, he feels no remorse.

This show will forever astound me in the ways it takes difficult concepts to their ultimate extremes in an effort to combat the misconceptions and misinformation most popular media perpetuates. And while the show can, at times, be difficult to watch for this very reason, it is precisely this discomfort and brutal honesty that is necessary when challenging social norms. Everyone reading this knows a Kilgrave, someone who says things like, “What were they wearing?” or “How was I supposed to know?”. And in acknowledging this, I ask us all to be more like Jessica and not let these people off the hook. We may not have super strength or unbreakable skin, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be heroes.

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