Notions of emotionality : reconstructing the emotional label.

The paper provides a discursive analysis of
notions of emotionality in women and examines
the ways in which women who have been
portrayed as emotional construct themselves and
their actions. It focuses on Diana, Princess of
Wales and Monica Lewinsky. The content of
television interviews with them is examined to
determine how they use notions of emotionality
in their discourse in order to account for their
actions. Diana allocates blame by accusing the
media and royal family of applying the label
‘emotional’ to her. She constructs them as being
threatened by her strength of character. In
contrast, Monica Lewinsky embraces the label
‘emotional’, using her emotional nature to excuse
her actions and to blame others for her
circumstances.