Why ‘White Rabbit’ is the feminist anthem TV needs right now
By Erin Qualey
The Handmaid’s Tale — “Jezebels” — Episode 108 — The Commander surprises Offred with a secret adventure in Gilead. Nick’s troubled past leads to his recruitment by the Sons of Jacob. Offred (Elisabeth Moss) and Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), shown. (Photo by: George Kraychyk/Hulu)
In a year of stellar TV soundtracks, ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane has been the belle of the ball. That’s no mistake.
‘White Rabbit’ starts with a familiar tingle. A steady bass line and percussive heartbeat confidently lead the way into a curiously psychedelic world. The first few notes almost hit something deeply primal in the way they invite the listener to bend their mind and come along on an unmistakably exciting journey.
Written and performed by the enigmatic Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, there are no promises of safety in ‘White Rabbit’. In fact, quite the opposite. Loosely based upon Lewis Carroll’s beloved book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Slick’s cryptic yet straightforward lyrics implore listeners to swallow a healthy dose of adventure, no matter where it might lead. It’s a song about a woman, by a woman, and ultimately for women.
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So it’s no coincidence that the tune has been selected to heighten many a female-focused moment on TV this past year.
Where exactly have you heard the song lately? Well, Big Little Lies called upon the song to underscore a bonding moment between a mother and son, Stranger Things used the tune to score Eleven’s bold escape from the clutches of her evil father in the very first episode, and The Handmaid’s Tale borrowed it to emphasize a spine-chilling reveal in a recent chapter.
Deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole these women go. Led by a strong sense of autonomy and spirit, these ladies dare to ask rebellious questions in worlds led by often cruel and irrational men, and ‘White Rabbit’ provides the distinctive soundtrack of feminine freedom.
Let’s break it down, shall we?
Shailene Woodley, Iain Armitage.
photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/courtesy of HBO
This spring, HBO’s lady love fest, Big Little Lies, called upon Slick’s vocals in a scene where a young mother named Jane (Shaliene Woodley) takes her six year-old son, Ziggy (Iain Armitage) on a trip to the famed Monterey Aquarium. It’s a bonding moment between mother and son, made even more powerful by the fact that they seem to know all the words. In a sing-a-long on the ride home, they belt the lyrics with abandon. It’s a rare moment of freedom and connection between two people stuck in a town that wants to persecute them for being outsiders.
If ‘White Rabbit’ helped to provide a connection between a mother and her son in Big Little Lies, Stranger Things did the exact opposite. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) became an overnight sensation for her role in Netflix’s 80’s throwback extravaganza, but her character’s supernatural powers were born of a life based on trauma and neglect. Eleven’s father had imprisoned her for Demagorgon knows how long, sending her into horrifying situations, doing grotesque, inhuman experiments on her, and generally winning a Worst Father of the Year award. When Eleven finally escapes, she finds a kindly diner owner and starts chowing down on a greasy hamburger.
Stranger Things. Millie Bobby Brown. Photo: Curtis Baker. Acquired via Netflix Media Center.
What happens next? Strains of ‘White Rabbit’ slowly start to float in from a radio in the back room. Right on cue, a team of sinister scientists come to collect Eleven, but she bolts. As the song begins to crescendo, Eleven escapes, leaving a path of rebellion and mayhem in her wake. For the moment, she’s free.
Physical freedom isn’t necessarily the name of the game in the most recent episode of The Handmaid’s Tale. Entitled ‘Jezebels’, the installment follows our heroine June (Elisabeth Moss) as her Commander, Fred (Joseph Fiennes), takes her to a forbidden location. As a handmaid, June lives by a strict set of rules imposed by the laws of totalitarian society Gilead. She is to be impregnated by her Commander only in a very specific situation – fully clothed, while his wife is present, and only for the purposes of procreation. However, Fred decides that he’s above the rules and takes June out for the night.
First, he treats June like a real life sex doll. He creepily shaves her legs, gives her makeup, and then gives her a barely there dress to wear. There’s oh-so-much fear as he smuggles his newly shined prize out into the world, past the guards, and into an abandoned-looking building. What’s happening? Where is he taking her? The mind reels with awful possibility. But then ‘White Rabbit’ kicks in, and everything changes. In that very moment, June reclaims the narrative as her curiosity takes hold and doesn’t let go.
The Handmaid’s Tale — “Jezebels” — Episode 108 — The Commander surprises Offred with a secret adventure in Gilead. Nick’s troubled past leads to his recruitment by the Sons of Jacob. Offred (Elisabeth Moss) and Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), shown. (Photo by: George Kraychyk/Hulu)
Being inquisitive, even just in her own mind, is an act of rebellion for June. Despite the horrific control and oppression established in this scene, she’s not cowed by this experience. It only serves to strengthen her resolve to fight.
The song plays in its entirety here, leaving off with the potent lyric, “feed your head.” That’s exactly what June does. She immediately starts asking questions, piecing together the debauched and disturbing tableau in front of her. Even if she can’t currently do anything about her situation, damned if she’s not going to understand it.
While all three of these TV series were conceived and filmed prior to the Trump era in America – an era which seems to increasingly threaten the freedoms of women both at home and abroad – the scenes in which ‘White Rabbit’ are utilized certainly have a common theme. Yes, bad men are a catalyst for many of these stories. No, men aren’t pure evil. Of course not. But in a world in which men seem to hold the vast majority of the cards, women should never stop asking questions, and should always dare to go further down the rabbit hole if it means maintaining a semblance of control. Grace Slick herself commented that ‘White Rabbit’ is a song about “chasing curiosity”, and that’s what each of these shows aim to illustrate with their use of the tune. Coincidence? I think not.
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Given the fact that I’ve been listening to the song on repeat since I rediscovered it in this week’s Handmaid’s Tale, it seems only a matter of time before it becomes the de facto opening theme of some yet-to-be released critically acclaimed series about women seeking adventure in dangerous places. If that concept sounds all too familiar, you’re right. And while women are consistently placed in compromising positions, we should take a cue from Alice – via Grace Slick, of course. Never stop dreaming. Never stop questioning. And always feed your head.