Now the Cancel Mob Cries Victim
Monisha Rajesh has forgotten the first rule of the victim club. When Mary Beard tweeted a picture of herself weeping in 2018, her critics showed no mercy. Even four years later, travel writer Monisha Rajesh harshly referenced the moment, saying “Mary Beard did her white tears.”
The widely shared narrative accused the Cambridge classics professor of previously making a subtly racist tweet and then “weaponising” her pain from the backlash in a way that black and brown women could not access. Beard’s tears were portrayed as a calculated act, as intentional and blameworthy as sharing the photo publicly.
Though Rajesh, being a person of color, was considered immune to the power of “white tears,” this week she revealed her own public display of emotion. In an Instagram reel, she tearfully paid tribute to Beard, but the response was as harsh as before.
In a now-private post, Rajesh sobbed heavily and lamented the announcement of an upcoming BBC podcast featuring her, criticizing the producers for exposing her to online harassment.
"Mary Beard did her white tears."
Rajesh blamed bosses for exposing her to online abuse as a result of the podcast.
Author’s summary: Monisha Rajesh’s public emotional displays mirror past controversies around Mary Beard’s ‘white tears,’ highlighting the complexities of victimhood and online backlash.