The ancient Greek myth of the sirens continues to fuel a harmful portrayal of women in the media
By JHANA RHODES — jsrho@ucdavis.edu
If Homer’s “Odyssey” taught me anything, it’s that the unfair stereotype of women as “sirens” is inherently dangerous and manipulative, with a long history dating back to ancient myth. While sirens aren’t the beautiful half-woman, half-fish mermaids prevalent in pop culture today, their original portrayal, immortalized by Ancient Greek poet Homer, depicts a much more terrifying hybrid: creatures with the body of a bird and the head of a woman.
To fully understand the genesis of the siren archetype, we must first look at how society has viewed women historically. Women have long been characterized as irrational and more easily swayed by their desires and, if left unchecked, capable of leading men astray. A real-life example of this stereotype includes (but is not limited to) the witchcraft trials in Europe and North America, where women were accused of witchcraft by those who feared their sexuality, power and perceived influence.
This perception of women likely contributed to the creation of beings like the mythical sirens. However, this archetype isn’t unique to Greek mythology. There are countless examples in ancient and religious texts, such as the Judeo-Christian narrative of Eve — a story that has been used historically to portray women as temptresses leading men to destruction or “sin.”
Given how society has historically viewed women, it’s interesting to note how the portrayal of sirens has shifted over time. Perhaps influenced by rising mermaid folklore or by varying artistic interpretations, the perception of sirens strayed from their original depiction, which relied less on their looks and more on the fact that their enchanting voices were their deadliest weapon.
In contemporary versions of the siren, retellings rely more on how these sirens appeared, luring men with not only their voices but their seductive beauty as well. This emphasis on physical beauty as a tool of temptation is what ultimately solidified a harmful archetype imposed on women today.
Even when we aren’t seeing a bunch of mermaids on screen, the archetype is heavily present in modern media tropes. The femme fatale, the cold and calculating career woman, the black widow — the tropes that have been used to label women are endless. Another familiar example is the “gold-digger”: someone who pursues a relationship with a (wealthy) person for the sole purpose of financial gain.
The late actress and model, Anna Nicole Smith (26 years old at the time), was a tragic example of how unfairly this label can be wielded. When she pursued a relationship and married American businessman Howard Marshall (89 years old at the time), Smith was relentlessly vilified by the media. The media’s narrative often focused closely on her supposed ulterior motives, without considering her own perspectives or experiences. This branding ultimately stripped her of her agency, reducing her to a caricature of a woman who used her physical appearance for financial gain. Of course, this issue isn’t unique to Smith, as there is an underlying societal bias about women who wield power and wealth — prejudices that can highlight the parallels between the label of the “gold-digger” and the siren archetype.
The constant, negative portrayal of women as “sirens” confines women to two extremes. They are either an idealized version of purity or a manipulative and cunning temptress. It’s important that the media and society remember that women have their own motivations, goals and agency beyond their physical appearance. Only by moving past archetypes like the siren are we able to foster a more respectful environment and facilitate a more authentic representation of women in the media.
Written by: Jhana Rhodes— jsrho@ucdavis.edu
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