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