The phrase, used by Senator Kamala Harris during the vice-presidential debate against the vice president of the United States, Mike Pence, resonates with all women who have been interrupted and commented on in meetings, speeches or debates. Harris’I’m talking‘Pence’s return interrupting her over and over again has become a new anthem for anyone who’s been transplanted.
The Harris-Pence debate saw a number of situations unfold on important issues, but it was less chaotic than the Biden-Trump debate. Let us remind you that this is how a debate works: each speaker is allowed a time limit during which they must make their point. But clearly, the rules were lost on Pence, who kept interrupting Harris even when his time was up.
While Harris spoke during his allotted time, Pence, in a way eerily similar to Donald Trump’s behavior during the presidential debate, tried to speak about the former by deflecting the question and answering it. Visibly exasperated, Harris stopped, turned to Pence, and said calmly, “Mr. Vice President, I’m talking.”
Every time Pence interrupted her, Harris would smile and repeat the exact same phrase without losing his cool. Finally, moderator Susan Page had to remind Pence of the rules of the debate.
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Moments after the debate, “I’m talking” became the main trend on social media.
Men brutally underestimate the large number of facial expressions that women have to telegraph the emotions that society forbids them to express. pic.twitter.com/LAtIpvVSSZ
The Independent reports that the phrase, which has become iconic in just a few hours of use, has already started to appear on T-shirts, mugs and other products.
The phrase “I’m talking” is not very common. But when Harris, a woman of color and one of only four women to have participated in the debate, uses it to prevent an older white man from invading her speaking time, it becomes symbolic, symbolic of how it has been used. the mansplaining in the debate. ages to silence women and render them voiceless.
For the unconscious, mansplaining refers to the act of condescendingly commenting or explaining something to women, which implies that the latter have no knowledge of the topic being discussed.
In fact, Harris’s reactions, each time she was interrupted, are a complete state of mind. In one shot, taken through the Plexiglass that was installed to ensure safety in the days of the coronavirus, Harris can be seen smiling at Pence. And now Twitter thinks it should become the universal mansplaining meme:
Pence’s interruptions weren’t enough to dissuade Harris from his schedule. She called the response to the Covid-19 pandemic under Donald Trump the “greatest failure” of any US administration.
