I Am Ms. Nightingale, Not Mr. Nightingale
- Kamiki
- Nov 18, 2024
- 4 min read
On September 25, iQIYI announced a new project titled Mr. Nightingale on its official social media platform, claiming the show aims to “pay tribute to medical workers and depict warmth and healing in everyday life.”
However, this “warmth and healing in everyday life” seems to exclude the possibility of being created by women. For those unfamiliar, Florence Nightingale was a pioneer of modern nursing and a statistician. She was a woman, not a “Mr.”
As women, we find this offensive and infuriating. Taking the legacy of a female trailblazer and conveniently attributing it to a male character not only dismisses women’s contributions but also trivializes the immense struggles and sacrifices they endured to achieve recognition.
If the names of women can be so easily erased, then every woman’s contributions, across all fields, could eventually be erased as well. How can we expect women to believe in their potential and future opportunities when their names are so carelessly wiped away?
1. A Brief Life of Ms. Nightingale
Florence NightingaleBorn: May 12, 1820, in Italy
Died: August 13, 1910, in London
Florence Nightingale, a British national, was born on May 12, 1820, in Italy. Growing up, she witnessed dire medical conditions and, defying her family’s strong objections, chose to pursue a career in nursing.
During the Crimean War, Nightingale led a team of nurses and successfully reduced the mortality rate of soldiers from 50% to 2.2% by improving hospital hygiene, diet, and water supplies. Her nightly rounds carrying a lamp earned her the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp."
After the war, she used donations to establish a foundation and, in 1860, founded the world’s first modern nursing school in London. She emphasized the scientific and artistic aspects of nursing.
Beyond her nursing achievements, Nightingale was a brilliant statistician. She applied statistical methods to nursing practices, driving reforms in healthcare. Her innovative use of graphical data presentation became a vital tool for communicating complex information, leaving a profound impact on the field of statistics.
Nightingale passed away on August 13, 1910, at the age of 90. Her birthday is commemorated as International Nurses Day, and her portrait was once featured on British ten-pound notes.
2. Media Representations and Gender Stereotypes
Gender is one of the earliest and most prominent social categories through which people identify themselves and others. Studies show that basic gender stereotypes become apparent by the age of three, coinciding with the development of gender identity.
Media, a ubiquitous force in our lives, plays a critical role in shaping gender representation—how roles, identities, and characteristics are portrayed.
Media often skews toward male-dominated portrayals, reinforcing gender stereotypes. Men are more frequently depicted in professional roles, while women are relegated to non-professional or entertainment-focused ones. Even when women occupy leadership positions on screen, their decision-making abilities are often questioned.
For instance, women professionals are either underrepresented in film and television or reduced to male success templates. As cultural critic Dai Jinhua often notes, women in active societal roles are frequently portrayed as "Mulan-like" figures, implying that women must become "men" to succeed.
Turning Florence Nightingale, a historical female icon, into a male character perpetuates this pattern, limiting the representation of female role models.
Moreover, according to data from institutions like the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, male characters in films outnumber and outshine female characters in depth and complexity. Women also occupy fewer positions behind the camera as directors, producers, and writers. Adapting major female roles into male ones restricts not only the portrayal of women on screen but also limits opportunities for women in the entertainment industry.
3. Creative Freedom vs. Social Responsibility
“Gender-swapping” refers to altering the gender of a character from female to male (or vice versa). In many adaptations, this practice often results in narratives where women’s achievements are overshadowed by male counterparts.
For example, in The Flowers of War, Christian Bale’s character is based on the real-life American missionary Minnie Vautrin. In My People, My Homeland, Fan Wei’s role as a rural teacher was inspired by the female educator Zhi Yueying. Similarly, Jet Li’s father character in Ocean Heaven was modeled on Tian Huiping, the founder of China’s first autism charity.
While creators enjoy artistic freedom, it comes with societal responsibility, particularly when adapting real-life stories. The work should respect and honor its subject matter, preserving the integrity of the original inspiration.
To the creators of Mr. Nightingale: You have every right to tell a story about male nurses. But why name it after Nightingale? We question this choice and fail to understand its reasoning. As one online commenter aptly put it, “If you respect my legacy, why don’t you respect my gender?”
4. Erasing Women
The practice of erasing women’s contributions extends far beyond the entertainment industry. It exists in families, workplaces, politics, and academia.
Zelda Fitzgerald: A talented writer, her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, plagiarized her diaries for his novel The Beautiful and Damned.
Rosalind Franklin: Her critical data helped reveal DNA’s structure, but James Watson and Francis Crick received the Nobel Prize, omitting her contributions.
Margaret Keane: An artist whose husband, Walter Keane, claimed her work as his own until a court case vindicated her.
Nettie Stevens: A geneticist who discovered that chromosomes determine sex, yet Thomas Hunt Morgan overshadowed her achievements and received the Nobel Prize.
Ada Lovelace: A mathematician and the first computer programmer, her contributions were recognized only over a century later.
Chien-Shiung Wu: A physicist whose work was instrumental to Yang and Lee’s Nobel-winning theory, yet she was excluded from recognition.
Moving Toward Gender Equality
In today’s increasingly digital and globalized world, recognizing gender equality is more crucial than ever. Modern media platforms, from social networks to films, hold immense power to shape public perception and values. They should not only educate and inspire but also champion gender equality and diversity.
Florence Nightingale’s story exemplifies how women can be forces of change. Her contributions to nursing and statistics are invaluable and should not be distorted. Her name and gender deserve respect.
Let us work together to ensure that every woman’s achievements are recognized and treated with the fairness and dignity they deserve.
By Kamiki
Edited by Cynthia and Kamiki
Translated from Chinese, first posted on our Official Account:
Comentarios