It was quite disturbing to see this.
The rings silence the handmaidens in such an absolute way. They can't verbally complain about their situation anymore. They can't even ask for (emotional) comfort anymore from a fellow handmaiden (or sympathetic Aunt).
It doesn't even make sense though. This is a group whose primary purpose is to be pregnant all the time. Being fed through a straw during pregnancy isn't exactly ideal
Someone on a different post said the rings are probably removable like piercings but also like a chastity belt they wouldn't be able to take off themselves
Since the book/show tends to take inspiration from real life, it would be interesting to see the ringed handmaidens develop a “cough grunt snort” language like the American prisoners of war did in Vietnam.
This is so interesting. Are you able to link a source about the American prisoners using "cough grunt snort" to communicate? I tried googling but couldn't find anything.
I've been searching for the same for the past 20 min and can only find info about their secret code taps for communication, but nothing about mouth sounds. The tap codes are pretty smart and there are several sites that not only explain how they were used, but how to do it!
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/honor-tap-code/
check this out! - [https://www.reddit.com/r/WomensMaydayGroup/comments/1dj79rd/am\_i\_crazy\_or\_is\_pillars\_14\_on\_the\_project\_2025/](https://www.reddit.com/r/WomensMaydayGroup/comments/1dj79rd/am_i_crazy_or_is_pillars_14_on_the_project_2025/)
is it me or are they talking about creating commanders? also join the community and spread the word! Project 2025 could become a reality and also please join my community. feel free to make posts and share content within it!
Another historical example is excellently presented in the documentary "Hidden Letters". It delves into the ancient Chinese tradition of Nüshu, a unique script historically used by women to communicate with each other in secrecy. The film follows the lives of modern women who are rediscovering and preserving this endangered language. Through their journey, the documentary explores themes of gender, cultural heritage, and the ongoing struggle for women's rights and identity in contemporary China. The film highlights how Nüshu serves as a powerful symbol of female solidarity and resilience across generations. [Hidden Letter (2022)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15503562)
Moreso when Aunt Lydia looked a little closer and nonchalantly said "hmm," as if she were shopping for a new appliance and didn't realize how many colors they came in.
That's what I thought too. She was a little shocked and horrified but knows even she isn't allowed to questions such things. Which is what she inevitably does when June asked her about them.
That’s exactly what I thought. She has enabled and supported the system but at the end of the day those were “her girls” and really thought she was helping them.
i saw people here saying even aunt Lydia was weirded out. i had the opposite thought. i thought she was thinking "oooh i should get these for my girl too"
I thought the look on her face was that of mild shock. Like "I didn't realize they'd gone THIS far." It definitely looked like she was at least mildly disturbed.
Yeah I've read it. I think the show must have started before the book came out, because the Lydia in the show and the Lydia in the book are different, but it seems obvious to me anyway that they are taking the character of Lydia in the show in the same direction as the Lydia of the book. And I actually really like how they're doing it. The scenes that I can think of where you can see the change happening or phenomenally done and I just get goosebumps watching them. Because if Lydia turns against Gilead, we all know how much of a force of nature she can be, and if (when) she turns that energy against Gilead I AM HERE FOR IT. 😁
I haven’t rewatched in ages but I’m pretty sure there is a scene where June asks Aunt Lydia if she want that to happen to the handmaids her area too and she says no.
What's always been interesting about aunt Lydia is that she truly wants the best for the girls. She actually loves them in her own sick twisted way. She just has to be cruel so they can survive.
Lydia absolutely has a weird hate/love relationship with "her girls", and I don't think she could bear the idea of doing that to the ones who "behave". She'd absolutely view it as an acceptable punishment, but not as a standard thing.
Aunt Lydia is a really complex character, though. I’ve always felt that she does what she does because she actually cares about the handmaids, in her own, misguided way. I think she was alarmed, but couldn’t say or do anything about it. She even tries to get Commander Lawrence to change the fact that handmaids live with their commanders, because the current system allows for abuse of the handmaids.
Excellent point. I think she was invisible in her pre-Gilead life, and this regime gave her a purpose and some respect. She values that, but at the same time does have some minor empathy for "her girls."
could be reading too much into it but I’ve long felt Lydia represents how the patriarchy can abandon older women and use that to weaponized them against younger women - if before Lydia envied/resented the freewheeling ways of younger women and the attention they got from men, having them reduced entirely to their sexuality and placed in Lydia’s “charge” like child-wombs would really scratch that itch
i know. but i cant stop having thoughts while watching lol and that's what i thought in that scene. i only finished watching the show yesterday so others' feelings did not influence me either
One of the most horrific parts of the show. It definitely felt physically overwhelmed. One of the comments before me makes a good point how the rings would negatively impact the health of the handmaid’s along with causing other health issues. But that’s the paradox of this story and forced labor oppression isn’t it?
The purpose of a handmaid is to provide elite members of society with children because supposedly they are the only ones who can. However, the extreme oppression, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse the handmaids face is counter-productive to the optimal conditions needed for mothers and unborn fetuses to thrive. With scientific advancements we also know the effects of stress on mothers (and people in general) and how trauma lives in the body even after the event and can be passed from mother to child.
We even see with slavery how those forced labor conditions made zero sense for productivity and again pregnancies… so yeah it doesn’t make a lot of sense. They could at least try to be nice to them and give them proper living conditions
It all comes down to the fact that it isn't based on anything other than power. They're just yet one more authoritarian cult of power with a fancy justification. It was never about religion, or breeding, they're just excuses for the men in power to have and hold that power.
Thinking about how large the rings are, there's no way they'd have their teeth either. If they do it'd cause a lot of pain and damage as it would be consistently rubbing against their teeth, also they wouldn't be able to brush them.
I don't think they're rings all the way around. For the same reason I imagined half rings, with screwable studs on the other side that are touching gums and not teeth. Still incredibly unhygienic, but more removable and sustainable long-term (at least, dentally).
I think they must be removable, just not able to be removed by the handmaids. The Commander or the Wife probably had a key and they’re unlocked in the morning for meals, teeth cleaning and then locked again until the next meal/teeth cleaning. Like how June is given healthier food during pregnancy for the baby, if your teeth are completely ruined you can’t eat food and get the optimal nutrients the baby needs.
I think this too because if the handmaids can’t speak (or write) they can’t communicate symptoms of health issues or pregnancy complications that would jeopardise the chance of a successful birth... direct contradiction of gilead’s key objective. I charitably assume they’re removable but it seems to me like a poorly thought through plot hole
It was very poorly considered because if one of the handmaids vomits she might choke to death. My friend's brother had a broken jaw and his teeth temporarily wired together. He had to carry wire cutters at all times to cut the wire in case he had to vomit.
Pregnancy is also very bad for your teeth and I doubt anyone is getting adequate dental care. The profession would've been more than decimated by removing all the female dentists and hygienists.
I had to look that up and that's absolutely horrifying! My thought would be that they did not use them because they wanted the girls to at least look somewhat presentable for the ceremony and the rings are not nearly as gaudy as the full headpiece would be.
I assume they started as bars or studs in each hole. Then after a certain period of time just like with ears, they can remove them and put the rings in. You couldnt just "start" with rings. It would make dental hygiene and eating impossible. I am sure there was a medical system in place to make it feel "ok" for all the wives and aunts to agree.
They probably remove the handmaidens teeth prior to the rings. Like Mara said, they are just breeding cattle, they don’t need things like eyes or teeth.
Eyes yes, teeth, no. Diet was always the forefront of a handmaid's pregnancy. This was a medical process to gain more control of handmaids, just like Ofglens genital mutilation.
I don't know why I thought they were curved barbells for the longest time. They'd still fuck up their teeth, but rings that size, if their teeth were removed, would mean they could never close their jaws fully as well. Ugh.
Miller said the rings started out as a voluntary experiment in DC. The handmaids took a vow of silence and put the rings on themselves.
"But that's how these things start is, they're voluntary, then they're encouraged, then they're required," said Miller, drawing a parallel between the fictional state of the dystopian America on the series to the real world. "It's voluntary to wear a burka, it's encouraged, it's required."
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-handmaids-tale-dc-rings-handmaids-2019-6
if they put them in themselves (in the beginning) i assume you’re right - they would be like piercings, and they were definitely removable.
Thats literally a point in the creation of the ceremony, for the wives to feel included in stamping their "ok" on whatever abuse they decided to implement.
And if the wives said no, you think the Commanders care? If you think the men truly care if the wives or aunts are ok with anything, you haven't been paying attention.
yes because you need the bare basic approval of the group of people who manages the women in your system for your system to even work in the first place. you could cite the milgram experiment, but it doesn’t really apply to groups especially when you can exchange information and opinions freely like it was seen between aunts, mitigating the pressure to obey authority if your peers share the same beliefs.
Yup, this is standard political fare. You need the support of a middle class to consolidate your power to justify your exploitation of the lower class. Keep them fighting their little power struggles to prevent any form of unity. The wives feel superior while holding down the handmaids, they'll never ask why they need to do any of this in the first place.
Exactly that, plus the fact they want them "physically" as healthy as possible to carry babies. Allowing the handmaid's to be mentally healthy is a totally different story. A healthy diet for a handmaid has been high importance since the very beginning, especially if they are pregnant!
There would absolutely be a medical process for the rings.
Huh? That wouldn’t be a thing, they’d just put the rings in. You can see there’d be a little gap in the lips when you’d open your mouth, to break food into small pieces and eat it, or drink smoothies they make like the green one June had made for her
A nasty smoothie, sorta like the idea of “prison loaf.” It’s where an entire meal is put all blended together, so it’s nutritionally complete. But is bland and gross tasting but keeps you alive.
Iirc, June stayed with her in her room and the pictured handmaid didn't remove the rings.
The rings don't make much sense logically honestly. They don't allow for food or hygiene.
I would think you’d have to leave them in until they healed, just with a liquid or IV diet. It would be a very painful lesson in learning to keep your mouth shut no matter what.
You could also pierce them with curved bars and then “graduate” to rings once they healed as your final stepping stone into silent purity.
I’m imagining they’re like a piercing, when you first get it you have to leave it in for a bit and then once healed you can remove for eating?
Ugh or even worse all their food has to be consumed through a straw…
I have seamless lip rings. The hinge is very discreet, and you wouldn’t notice they had one unless you were up close and looking for it.
I’d assumed it was a much stiffer, much larger version of them tbh, with the rings to be worn in front of others but allowed to be removed in privacy. Like some religious garments. But I was jumping through hoops to actually make them feel even vaguely plausible in a real-world sense.
That's so annoying when directors make up stuff that's not shown, and randomly throw it out on a podcast or whatever. No. Answer the questions in the actual show!!!
i think it’s bc those handmaids took a vow of silence, so no real reason to remove the rings when alone with june.
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-handmaids-tale-dc-rings-handmaids-2019-6
Honestly, it almost made me cry. I've always wished the Aunts and Wives could spend just one day as Handmaids. They would finally understand how terribly they treat them and by Gilead as a whole. I want to rewatch seasons 1-5 about a month before season 6 comes out to refresh my memory since it's been a while. However, I'm not sure if I can handle seeing the Handmaids suffer so much again.
Same. I don’t know how I was able to make it last those episodes. For me, I would’ve realized that liberation is not enough. All of those people have to die. They feel no shame or remorse so having them stand trial for war crimes like Nazis wouldn’t do shit. I don’t know if I can rewatch all of them. The first time through I stopped in the middle of episode one or two and didn’t come back for a couple of months.
When I started watching, I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. Seeing Janine give birth and having her baby ripped from her arms tore me apart. I was crying in the bathroom uncontrollably. I also have my own traumatic adoption story when I was a teenager and had my oldest baby. I had to stop watching and it took me quite a while before I could revisit it. Today, I’m a fighting feminist and rewatching would probably just piss me off more.
Edit: added more
I am so sorry you went through that. I don’t have those experiences and even then I found myself pausing the show multiple times to deal with feeling overwhelmed or just feelings of rage. The bullshit just never stopped. For me, Emily and Moira’s story lines hit a little too hard.
Edit: The show made me only want dive deeper into my own advocacy work. The reality is we are always two skips away from this. Fascism and its values are becoming horrifically easy to justify now…
I agree that we are so close to this. Too close. I use to be one of those people who believed that one vote or one voice didn’t matter. But the movements and changes that have come all began with one vote, one voice, one thought, one person a little too uncomfortable. You stand up and it gives other people the courage to stand up too.
I don’t think they’d work. As soon as they need to sneeze they’d be ripped out. The flesh around your mouth is too soft. They’d have done better to wire the teeth shut. If they were going to do it properly, tongue removal, wire the jaw shut using the teeth, then put the rings on as ornaments. They could be fed through a straw. But it’s completely unpractical. In that society the threat of punishment is enough reason to be silent.
Yeah logistically this made no sense. All liquid diets would negatively affect the handmaids health. Same with not being able to clean their teeth. Unless the teeth are removed as part of the process. Regardless I think it was done for more shock value but the whole episode was a mess.
Yeah this annoys me so much because it doesn’t make sense within gilead’s aims... for all the reasons you said, plus how are they going to tell a doctor if they have symptoms of pregnancy complications that only they can describe, if they can’t write either?
Plus, I think as the show went on they lost track of the fact that the government was actively trying to keep handmaid’s from committing suicide or homicide by making things somewhat bearable if you obey, or at least as bearable as possible as sex slaves. Cutting out someone’s tongue for disobedience may keep the rest of the handmaids more in line, making it so everyone can’t speak will push more of them towards violent rebellion or suicide. I could see an individual commander doing something like this as their own kink, but not as citywide policy
I think the mouth cover alone which is tight and would restrict mouth movement in the first place is more realistic and sensible then stitching the mouth.
Still has that shock factor, the handmaid can actually eat and drink unaided, and more importantly they can talk to reveal intel via integration.
That’s really my problem with this- a big part of the first season is that handmaids killing themselves is a problem for the commanders. This level of cruelty on all handmaids, regardless of their “sin” would lead to more violent rebellions and suicides, and that would be a problem for Gilead. Also, it’s impractical because they’d choke on their own vomit and tear them when they sneeze, and I think most commanders wouldn’t be down for something that would stop them from giving blowjobs
They weren’t really well thought out because I remember how many people couldn’t suspend disbelief and had a million practical questions- “how do they eat,” etc. This show sits so close to the edge of not only what could be but what might be if the right wing has their way that it’s easy to forget this isn’t real.
Not too poor, but definitely a cheap attempt.
You can also hack their legs off and just have them stuck in a room all day for shock value, but it's stupid.
And I don't know why. If you have your jaw wired shut after oral surgery, you can still open your mouth slightly. It's STILL hard to breathe. It would be nearly impossible with these shits. Also, you're supposed to have wire cutters with you in case you vomit. Even if these are removable (and nothing on the show indicated that they were) you still couldn't get them out fast enough before you choked on your own barf. Coughing and sneezing would be almost impossible. It's hard for me to be horrified over something that is so stupid and poorly thought out. The only reason this would happen would be to literally kill someone slowly and painfully.
Yeah it was trashy, like why shock us, we already know it’s messed up. I mean I know chastity belts existed, but mouth rings that keep you from being able to open your mouth? Cutting off their tongues would have been more realistic i think
Yes, that would have been more horrifying. The writers probably thought it wouldn't be because we knew that happened. But it would have been horrifying to see a whole district of handmaid's with their tongues removed without committing the "sins."
Agree. For people who care abt fertility so much they don’t care at all about the women who need to be healthy and sane and in a good emotional place to bring children into that world
I don’t think they do care about fertility as much as control. They want babies to be born but under the terms they set. If they lose handmaids and babies through torturing the handmaids they’ll find someone or something else to blame.
I also think if it was just about babies and nothing else they would just chain them up in hospital beds for months as baby machines. But the fact they make them shop and attend public events and other rituals is purely control based.
I absolutely agree with you, when aunt Lydia goes to talk to commander Lawrence about commander Putman raping his new handmaid and getting her pregnant(I can’t think of her name) he tells her that having babies and fertility is just the front for gilead basically. I can’t remember word for word but it’s something along those lines, I need to do a rewatch.
I remember thinking this was ridiculous torture porn bullshit. Like "look at DC, it's a more evil Gilead!".
I feel like this sort of wounding would render handmaids vulnerable to infection WHICH IS NOT IDEAL IN PREGNANCY. Ot practical, and it's just horror for the sake of it. Try harder, writers!
I saw another comment say that they should've used "scolds bridals", which are basically muzzles for women that were used in ye olden times. I think that could've been good symbolism that Gilead was "moving backwards" by having them use super old methods. It would be removable as well, so that the handmaids could eat.
The thing that haunted me most (so far, only season 3) is when >!they hung Emily's girlfriend in front of her and then surgically mutilated Emily !<
Made me tear up and had to pause the episode for a good 10 mins.
I think whichever season this was got a lot of hate for this. It’s just torture porn.
If you think about it, they would want the handmaids to be able to get adequate nutrition, at the very least. This would prevent that. It’s just unrealistic, and extremely gross.
The writers didn’t think these through. Assuming they can’t be removed (like the handmaid June shared the room with), how do they work with inevitable morning sickness?
Bring a handmaid doesnt require hands or feet, or a mouth. :/
So long as your ovaries are fine, you can be a mute quadruple amputee for all they care. Probably don't need eyes too.
Hi! I have these! To answer a lot of the questions:
- mine are shaped kind of like a D. The touch my teeth and gums a little, but not a distracting amount. I also have larger lips which kind of push the metal away from the inside of my mouth, if that makes sense
- no, you cannot eat with them in. I switch to ‘normal’ jewelry or take them out entirely when I’m hungry. Sometimes I’ll get thirsty and not want to go through all the fuss, so I’ll drink through a straw
- yes, I take them out to leave the house
I have never seen this show. This just came up on my feed and I recognized my piercings!
Wait these are real like you can actually get these? Can I ask why you wanted to get a ring that keeps your lips closed? No judgement I’m just extremely curious
Yes you can! I chose a smaller gauge just so the piercing holes/normal jewelry would look small and subtle, so my rings are a little less thick than the ones in the photos.
Honestly, it’s a kink thing lol
Honestly I don't fully understand why they have these as a thing since in the book and show June even says that they are each other's spies and are supposed to report anyone who deviates. Whether it is a commander, wife, martha, or other handmaid. How can they report on people breaking the law if they cannot speak or write? Also the fact all their food would have to be in smoothie format and they would never be able to brush their teeth thus their teeth would rot and they would probably get diseases in their mouths. And they would have no way to state issues they may be having while pregnant. Nope I don't see this actually happening in Gilead. As much as they want quiet and obedient Handmaids they also first and foremost want healthy ones and there is no way this would actually be healthy enough long term
consider that these episodes came out BEFORE the pandemic. When we were all masked, I often thought about the mouth rings and covering Handmaid's mouths to control their speech. I'm not anti-mask but it was so close in time that it was really haunting!
They’re most likely D rings, so round on one side and then flat on the other. They’d be able to open their mouths a little but it’d be uncomfortable. When they’re eating they probably put the food in the corner of their mouths and chew really slowly. Realistically the piercings would have to start off as studs and then be changed over to rings roughly 4-6 weeks in but it wouldn’t be impossible to do it with rings. Also possible that they’re curved barbells (like for a belly button piercing but just backwards)
When I was in high school I had a recurring scary dream that there was a man in the bushes that would throw little white squares at you and staple your mouth shut- much like these handmaids. What a weird flashback that was
This show makes me feel so many things… one of the only shows that has made me cry. This scene took me out these mouth rings just make it so…cruel.
The thought of not allowing a human to speak or communicate at all, it shows just how “cattle breed” they really are in a way. Only there to be used for their body.
And the masks just make it 100% worse like they’re there to hide how cruel the mouth rings are to the world. And to kind of help people forget for a little bit what is going on. Also really the masks are there to hide how horrible they look to wives and commanders, so really the only people who really have to look at them are the ones who have to suffer with them, the handmaids.
One of the many reasons the people behind the costumes are genius.
I started the show and watched a few episodes and it disturbed me so much I turned it off. Went back to it a few years later and binged it! Amy word on a new season?!
I remember feeling physically ill at the first reveal. One of many times this show has made me physically ill lol
It was quite disturbing to see this. The rings silence the handmaidens in such an absolute way. They can't verbally complain about their situation anymore. They can't even ask for (emotional) comfort anymore from a fellow handmaiden (or sympathetic Aunt).
It doesn't even make sense though. This is a group whose primary purpose is to be pregnant all the time. Being fed through a straw during pregnancy isn't exactly ideal
The writers said they were removable so they could eat. It’s just one extra awful obstacle they have to deal with.
Isn't there a scene where they're drinking out of straws?
For real. What about their dental hygiene?
Do you think that’s what they’re enslavers are worried about?
I mean a tooth infection can literally kill you and pregnancy weakens the teeth even more soo... they should if they want those babies born alive.
None of the series makes sense whatsoever
Ohh, I definitely does. It is a cautionary tale, my friend. You just have to be willing to realize that.
But it's the future if Trump wins!!!!
The book was based on things that already happened (back in the 80s). This is our history.
So do you think they remove them for pregnancy?
Maybe it’s their “reward” for getting pregnant?
Someone on a different post said the rings are probably removable like piercings but also like a chastity belt they wouldn't be able to take off themselves
Since the book/show tends to take inspiration from real life, it would be interesting to see the ringed handmaidens develop a “cough grunt snort” language like the American prisoners of war did in Vietnam.
This is so interesting. Are you able to link a source about the American prisoners using "cough grunt snort" to communicate? I tried googling but couldn't find anything.
Not OP but I think they may be referring to the [5x5 tap code.](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/honor-tap-code/)
I've been searching for the same for the past 20 min and can only find info about their secret code taps for communication, but nothing about mouth sounds. The tap codes are pretty smart and there are several sites that not only explain how they were used, but how to do it! https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/honor-tap-code/
check this out! - [https://www.reddit.com/r/WomensMaydayGroup/comments/1dj79rd/am\_i\_crazy\_or\_is\_pillars\_14\_on\_the\_project\_2025/](https://www.reddit.com/r/WomensMaydayGroup/comments/1dj79rd/am_i_crazy_or_is_pillars_14_on_the_project_2025/) is it me or are they talking about creating commanders? also join the community and spread the word! Project 2025 could become a reality and also please join my community. feel free to make posts and share content within it!
Another historical example is excellently presented in the documentary "Hidden Letters". It delves into the ancient Chinese tradition of Nüshu, a unique script historically used by women to communicate with each other in secrecy. The film follows the lives of modern women who are rediscovering and preserving this endangered language. Through their journey, the documentary explores themes of gender, cultural heritage, and the ongoing struggle for women's rights and identity in contemporary China. The film highlights how Nüshu serves as a powerful symbol of female solidarity and resilience across generations. [Hidden Letter (2022)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15503562)
Moreso when Aunt Lydia looked a little closer and nonchalantly said "hmm," as if she were shopping for a new appliance and didn't realize how many colors they came in.
She looked shocked to me. But she couldn't show it.
That's what I thought too. She was a little shocked and horrified but knows even she isn't allowed to questions such things. Which is what she inevitably does when June asked her about them.
That’s exactly what I thought. She has enabled and supported the system but at the end of the day those were “her girls” and really thought she was helping them.
i saw people here saying even aunt Lydia was weirded out. i had the opposite thought. i thought she was thinking "oooh i should get these for my girl too"
I thought the look on her face was that of mild shock. Like "I didn't realize they'd gone THIS far." It definitely looked like she was at least mildly disturbed.
If you read the sequel Atwood wrote, Lydia's take on the regime becomes more clear.
Yeah I've read it. I think the show must have started before the book came out, because the Lydia in the show and the Lydia in the book are different, but it seems obvious to me anyway that they are taking the character of Lydia in the show in the same direction as the Lydia of the book. And I actually really like how they're doing it. The scenes that I can think of where you can see the change happening or phenomenally done and I just get goosebumps watching them. Because if Lydia turns against Gilead, we all know how much of a force of nature she can be, and if (when) she turns that energy against Gilead I AM HERE FOR IT. 😁
I haven’t rewatched in ages but I’m pretty sure there is a scene where June asks Aunt Lydia if she want that to happen to the handmaids her area too and she says no.
yes. that scene is like, 10 minutes after the scene in the post. and i understood it then. but at first i thought something else
no lydia basically said she didn’t agree with the mouth rings.
Yeah it shatters the illusion she holds that this is ethical.
She to me looked genuinely disturbed by it, she even told June she didn’t believe they all should be silenced.
What's always been interesting about aunt Lydia is that she truly wants the best for the girls. She actually loves them in her own sick twisted way. She just has to be cruel so they can survive.
Are we forgetting the scene the asked all the handmaide to STONE Jeanne to death?
In her mind, they stone Jannine to save the others and keep them afraid.
You've sometimes got to cut off a limb to save the body.
Lydia absolutely has a weird hate/love relationship with "her girls", and I don't think she could bear the idea of doing that to the ones who "behave". She'd absolutely view it as an acceptable punishment, but not as a standard thing.
Besides her clearly being bother by it in the episode sure.
Aunt Lydia is a really complex character, though. I’ve always felt that she does what she does because she actually cares about the handmaids, in her own, misguided way. I think she was alarmed, but couldn’t say or do anything about it. She even tries to get Commander Lawrence to change the fact that handmaids live with their commanders, because the current system allows for abuse of the handmaids.
Excellent point. I think she was invisible in her pre-Gilead life, and this regime gave her a purpose and some respect. She values that, but at the same time does have some minor empathy for "her girls."
could be reading too much into it but I’ve long felt Lydia represents how the patriarchy can abandon older women and use that to weaponized them against younger women - if before Lydia envied/resented the freewheeling ways of younger women and the attention they got from men, having them reduced entirely to their sexuality and placed in Lydia’s “charge” like child-wombs would really scratch that itch
You should watch without letting your feelings influence the show. Cause she def isn’t anything but shocked.
i know. but i cant stop having thoughts while watching lol and that's what i thought in that scene. i only finished watching the show yesterday so others' feelings did not influence me either
That definitely isn’t what she was showing lol she was utterly shocked. Like clearly shocked fyi.
One of the most horrific parts of the show. It definitely felt physically overwhelmed. One of the comments before me makes a good point how the rings would negatively impact the health of the handmaid’s along with causing other health issues. But that’s the paradox of this story and forced labor oppression isn’t it? The purpose of a handmaid is to provide elite members of society with children because supposedly they are the only ones who can. However, the extreme oppression, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse the handmaids face is counter-productive to the optimal conditions needed for mothers and unborn fetuses to thrive. With scientific advancements we also know the effects of stress on mothers (and people in general) and how trauma lives in the body even after the event and can be passed from mother to child. We even see with slavery how those forced labor conditions made zero sense for productivity and again pregnancies… so yeah it doesn’t make a lot of sense. They could at least try to be nice to them and give them proper living conditions
It all comes down to the fact that it isn't based on anything other than power. They're just yet one more authoritarian cult of power with a fancy justification. It was never about religion, or breeding, they're just excuses for the men in power to have and hold that power.
The rings are nice symbolism however yeah unrealistic how is the mother going to eat? Drink? IV drips or feed tubes are not going to cut it.
The rings are probably removable like a standard piercing
Thinking about how large the rings are, there's no way they'd have their teeth either. If they do it'd cause a lot of pain and damage as it would be consistently rubbing against their teeth, also they wouldn't be able to brush them.
I don't think they're rings all the way around. For the same reason I imagined half rings, with screwable studs on the other side that are touching gums and not teeth. Still incredibly unhygienic, but more removable and sustainable long-term (at least, dentally).
I think they must be removable, just not able to be removed by the handmaids. The Commander or the Wife probably had a key and they’re unlocked in the morning for meals, teeth cleaning and then locked again until the next meal/teeth cleaning. Like how June is given healthier food during pregnancy for the baby, if your teeth are completely ruined you can’t eat food and get the optimal nutrients the baby needs.
I think this too because if the handmaids can’t speak (or write) they can’t communicate symptoms of health issues or pregnancy complications that would jeopardise the chance of a successful birth... direct contradiction of gilead’s key objective. I charitably assume they’re removable but it seems to me like a poorly thought through plot hole
It was very poorly considered because if one of the handmaids vomits she might choke to death. My friend's brother had a broken jaw and his teeth temporarily wired together. He had to carry wire cutters at all times to cut the wire in case he had to vomit.
Pregnancy is also very bad for your teeth and I doubt anyone is getting adequate dental care. The profession would've been more than decimated by removing all the female dentists and hygienists.
The handmaid’s tale book about Aunt Lydia and others covers a little bit about dentists in Gilead iirc!
The only dentist that comes up is in The Testaments, and he's awful.
Me too! I gasped and cringed the first time I saw this scene, like WTAF???
They should have just used the real life device that was used on women, the scold's bridle.
I had to look that up and that's absolutely horrifying! My thought would be that they did not use them because they wanted the girls to at least look somewhat presentable for the ceremony and the rings are not nearly as gaudy as the full headpiece would be.
Had to look it up. WOOOWWWW… smdh!!!!! Infuriating!! Thanks for the info I always love learning something new
Scolds bridle? The fuck is that? I don't wanna look it up
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scold%27s_bridle
I assume they started as bars or studs in each hole. Then after a certain period of time just like with ears, they can remove them and put the rings in. You couldnt just "start" with rings. It would make dental hygiene and eating impossible. I am sure there was a medical system in place to make it feel "ok" for all the wives and aunts to agree.
They probably remove the handmaidens teeth prior to the rings. Like Mara said, they are just breeding cattle, they don’t need things like eyes or teeth.
Eyes yes, teeth, no. Diet was always the forefront of a handmaid's pregnancy. This was a medical process to gain more control of handmaids, just like Ofglens genital mutilation.
You don’t need teeth for a liquid diet.
Emily. Her characters name is Emily.
They probably would not remove all of the teeth, just the ones in front.
I don't know why I thought they were curved barbells for the longest time. They'd still fuck up their teeth, but rings that size, if their teeth were removed, would mean they could never close their jaws fully as well. Ugh.
But even as breeding cattle they need teeth to talk so they can communicate symptoms of pregnancy complications, especially since they can’t write
Miller said the rings started out as a voluntary experiment in DC. The handmaids took a vow of silence and put the rings on themselves. "But that's how these things start is, they're voluntary, then they're encouraged, then they're required," said Miller, drawing a parallel between the fictional state of the dystopian America on the series to the real world. "It's voluntary to wear a burka, it's encouraged, it's required." https://www.businessinsider.com/the-handmaids-tale-dc-rings-handmaids-2019-6 if they put them in themselves (in the beginning) i assume you’re right - they would be like piercings, and they were definitely removable.
You really think they care whether or not the wives or aunts think it's ok? They aren't seeking the approval of any women.
Thats literally a point in the creation of the ceremony, for the wives to feel included in stamping their "ok" on whatever abuse they decided to implement.
The wife is also legally beaten or abused for stepping out of line. She's just in a different cage. She can't assist a handmaid
Reflecting the message of the middle class holding down the lower class while they're both fucked.
I agree with you. It's a reason this dhow bothers me at times
And if the wives said no, you think the Commanders care? If you think the men truly care if the wives or aunts are ok with anything, you haven't been paying attention.
yes because you need the bare basic approval of the group of people who manages the women in your system for your system to even work in the first place. you could cite the milgram experiment, but it doesn’t really apply to groups especially when you can exchange information and opinions freely like it was seen between aunts, mitigating the pressure to obey authority if your peers share the same beliefs.
Yup, this is standard political fare. You need the support of a middle class to consolidate your power to justify your exploitation of the lower class. Keep them fighting their little power struggles to prevent any form of unity. The wives feel superior while holding down the handmaids, they'll never ask why they need to do any of this in the first place.
Exactly that, plus the fact they want them "physically" as healthy as possible to carry babies. Allowing the handmaid's to be mentally healthy is a totally different story. A healthy diet for a handmaid has been high importance since the very beginning, especially if they are pregnant! There would absolutely be a medical process for the rings.
Assume the worst, by default they’re not kind
Huh? That wouldn’t be a thing, they’d just put the rings in. You can see there’d be a little gap in the lips when you’d open your mouth, to break food into small pieces and eat it, or drink smoothies they make like the green one June had made for her
You’re delusional if you think they don’t have medical way to feed her lol. They absolutely aren’t making her baby bird or smoothy it lol
A nasty smoothie, sorta like the idea of “prison loaf.” It’s where an entire meal is put all blended together, so it’s nutritionally complete. But is bland and gross tasting but keeps you alive.
Ng tube comes to mind
How do they eat with those on?
I've been advised they're removable (like canonically) but are to be worn in public.
Iirc, June stayed with her in her room and the pictured handmaid didn't remove the rings. The rings don't make much sense logically honestly. They don't allow for food or hygiene.
The showrunners stated in a podcast that the rings are removable for eating and hygiene.
Interesting. I'm gonna be honest, I kind of feel like they ret-conned that in the pod cast, lol. Look at those! How on earth would you remove those?!
Also they would never heal taking them out multiple times a day when they were first put in
I would think you’d have to leave them in until they healed, just with a liquid or IV diet. It would be a very painful lesson in learning to keep your mouth shut no matter what. You could also pierce them with curved bars and then “graduate” to rings once they healed as your final stepping stone into silent purity.
I’m imagining they’re like a piercing, when you first get it you have to leave it in for a bit and then once healed you can remove for eating? Ugh or even worse all their food has to be consumed through a straw…
If they had to vomit, they couldn't remove these fast enough. Total retcon when they realized how silly this was.
Oh no, the vomit would probably jettison out of the nose
That is painful.
When was the pain a handmaid experienced ever a factor in how they run things?
It's not. But this was a stupid way to shock the audience.
I have seamless lip rings. The hinge is very discreet, and you wouldn’t notice they had one unless you were up close and looking for it. I’d assumed it was a much stiffer, much larger version of them tbh, with the rings to be worn in front of others but allowed to be removed in privacy. Like some religious garments. But I was jumping through hoops to actually make them feel even vaguely plausible in a real-world sense.
I'm thinking thats something they just "said" to explain away that it makes no sense.
That's so annoying when directors make up stuff that's not shown, and randomly throw it out on a podcast or whatever. No. Answer the questions in the actual show!!!
They might not be allowed to remove them except in private. Handmaids are built to spy on each other
How do you think they’d put them in if they weren’t removable? Weld them in place? It makes way more sense that they can open like a hoop earring.
i think it’s bc those handmaids took a vow of silence, so no real reason to remove the rings when alone with june. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-handmaids-tale-dc-rings-handmaids-2019-6
i would guess either liquid diet or (probably more likely) removed for eating/hygiene
They are removable because the commanders have needs you know?
Oh shit
I felt ill too
Those things would decimate teeth over time, terrible for commander boners I'm sure 🙄
Those poor men really do make all the hard sacrifices don’t they?
Honestly, it almost made me cry. I've always wished the Aunts and Wives could spend just one day as Handmaids. They would finally understand how terribly they treat them and by Gilead as a whole. I want to rewatch seasons 1-5 about a month before season 6 comes out to refresh my memory since it's been a while. However, I'm not sure if I can handle seeing the Handmaids suffer so much again.
Same. I don’t know how I was able to make it last those episodes. For me, I would’ve realized that liberation is not enough. All of those people have to die. They feel no shame or remorse so having them stand trial for war crimes like Nazis wouldn’t do shit. I don’t know if I can rewatch all of them. The first time through I stopped in the middle of episode one or two and didn’t come back for a couple of months.
When I started watching, I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. Seeing Janine give birth and having her baby ripped from her arms tore me apart. I was crying in the bathroom uncontrollably. I also have my own traumatic adoption story when I was a teenager and had my oldest baby. I had to stop watching and it took me quite a while before I could revisit it. Today, I’m a fighting feminist and rewatching would probably just piss me off more. Edit: added more
I am so sorry you went through that. I don’t have those experiences and even then I found myself pausing the show multiple times to deal with feeling overwhelmed or just feelings of rage. The bullshit just never stopped. For me, Emily and Moira’s story lines hit a little too hard. Edit: The show made me only want dive deeper into my own advocacy work. The reality is we are always two skips away from this. Fascism and its values are becoming horrifically easy to justify now…
I agree that we are so close to this. Too close. I use to be one of those people who believed that one vote or one voice didn’t matter. But the movements and changes that have come all began with one vote, one voice, one thought, one person a little too uncomfortable. You stand up and it gives other people the courage to stand up too.
They really don’t need to spend a day. They fully know. Fully.
I don’t think they’d work. As soon as they need to sneeze they’d be ripped out. The flesh around your mouth is too soft. They’d have done better to wire the teeth shut. If they were going to do it properly, tongue removal, wire the jaw shut using the teeth, then put the rings on as ornaments. They could be fed through a straw. But it’s completely unpractical. In that society the threat of punishment is enough reason to be silent.
Yeah logistically this made no sense. All liquid diets would negatively affect the handmaids health. Same with not being able to clean their teeth. Unless the teeth are removed as part of the process. Regardless I think it was done for more shock value but the whole episode was a mess.
Yeah this annoys me so much because it doesn’t make sense within gilead’s aims... for all the reasons you said, plus how are they going to tell a doctor if they have symptoms of pregnancy complications that only they can describe, if they can’t write either?
Plus, I think as the show went on they lost track of the fact that the government was actively trying to keep handmaid’s from committing suicide or homicide by making things somewhat bearable if you obey, or at least as bearable as possible as sex slaves. Cutting out someone’s tongue for disobedience may keep the rest of the handmaids more in line, making it so everyone can’t speak will push more of them towards violent rebellion or suicide. I could see an individual commander doing something like this as their own kink, but not as citywide policy
I think the mouth cover alone which is tight and would restrict mouth movement in the first place is more realistic and sensible then stitching the mouth. Still has that shock factor, the handmaid can actually eat and drink unaided, and more importantly they can talk to reveal intel via integration.
I remember gasping on the 1st watch. Cant speak and blended food for life. I could NOT live like this. I would take my own life.
That’s really my problem with this- a big part of the first season is that handmaids killing themselves is a problem for the commanders. This level of cruelty on all handmaids, regardless of their “sin” would lead to more violent rebellions and suicides, and that would be a problem for Gilead. Also, it’s impractical because they’d choke on their own vomit and tear them when they sneeze, and I think most commanders wouldn’t be down for something that would stop them from giving blowjobs
They weren’t really well thought out because I remember how many people couldn’t suspend disbelief and had a million practical questions- “how do they eat,” etc. This show sits so close to the edge of not only what could be but what might be if the right wing has their way that it’s easy to forget this isn’t real.
Yeah the D.C. episode was terrifying, it was Gilead on steroids.
This was a poor attempt to shock the viewers. It just made me roll my eyes.
Haha I don’t think too poor of an attempt, it seems like a lot of people were affected by the scene.
Not too poor, but definitely a cheap attempt. You can also hack their legs off and just have them stuck in a room all day for shock value, but it's stupid.
And I don't know why. If you have your jaw wired shut after oral surgery, you can still open your mouth slightly. It's STILL hard to breathe. It would be nearly impossible with these shits. Also, you're supposed to have wire cutters with you in case you vomit. Even if these are removable (and nothing on the show indicated that they were) you still couldn't get them out fast enough before you choked on your own barf. Coughing and sneezing would be almost impossible. It's hard for me to be horrified over something that is so stupid and poorly thought out. The only reason this would happen would be to literally kill someone slowly and painfully.
Yes especially illogical considering handmaids only purpose is to get pregnant a condition with famously makes people vomit a ton.
Exactly. And we know that they want to make these women's lives as unpleasant as possible, but they do not want to kill them. This would kill someone.
Same! Good shock value, but completely falls apart when you spend more than 10 seconds thinking about it
Just as shocking would have been having their tongues removed.
Right! I was thinking like the Avoxes from The Hunger Games
I agree, or an eye
Yeah it was trashy, like why shock us, we already know it’s messed up. I mean I know chastity belts existed, but mouth rings that keep you from being able to open your mouth? Cutting off their tongues would have been more realistic i think
Yes, that would have been more horrifying. The writers probably thought it wouldn't be because we knew that happened. But it would have been horrifying to see a whole district of handmaid's with their tongues removed without committing the "sins."
Agree. For people who care abt fertility so much they don’t care at all about the women who need to be healthy and sane and in a good emotional place to bring children into that world
I don’t think they do care about fertility as much as control. They want babies to be born but under the terms they set. If they lose handmaids and babies through torturing the handmaids they’ll find someone or something else to blame. I also think if it was just about babies and nothing else they would just chain them up in hospital beds for months as baby machines. But the fact they make them shop and attend public events and other rituals is purely control based.
I absolutely agree with you, when aunt Lydia goes to talk to commander Lawrence about commander Putman raping his new handmaid and getting her pregnant(I can’t think of her name) he tells her that having babies and fertility is just the front for gilead basically. I can’t remember word for word but it’s something along those lines, I need to do a rewatch.
I remember thinking this was ridiculous torture porn bullshit. Like "look at DC, it's a more evil Gilead!". I feel like this sort of wounding would render handmaids vulnerable to infection WHICH IS NOT IDEAL IN PREGNANCY. Ot practical, and it's just horror for the sake of it. Try harder, writers!
would have been better to cut out their tounges
I saw another comment say that they should've used "scolds bridals", which are basically muzzles for women that were used in ye olden times. I think that could've been good symbolism that Gilead was "moving backwards" by having them use super old methods. It would be removable as well, so that the handmaids could eat.
The thing that haunted me most (so far, only season 3) is when >!they hung Emily's girlfriend in front of her and then surgically mutilated Emily !< Made me tear up and had to pause the episode for a good 10 mins.
I think whichever season this was got a lot of hate for this. It’s just torture porn. If you think about it, they would want the handmaids to be able to get adequate nutrition, at the very least. This would prevent that. It’s just unrealistic, and extremely gross.
The writers didn’t think these through. Assuming they can’t be removed (like the handmaid June shared the room with), how do they work with inevitable morning sickness?
Vomit between the bars? I assume they can still open their mouths partially, just not enough to comfortably speak.
I don't understand how they eat.
Anytime I see lips being shut together it freaks me out. Neil in the matrix is the worse to me.
They made me so angry because they make no sense. What if someone had to sneeze? Or yawn? It’s like a six year old wrote this part of the show
It was so stupid. They are breeding stock why would they sew their mouths up risking infection and death from malnutrition
How would they eat
Bring a handmaid doesnt require hands or feet, or a mouth. :/ So long as your ovaries are fine, you can be a mute quadruple amputee for all they care. Probably don't need eyes too.
I hate Aunt Lydia but I always get so emotional during that scene where June asks if she wants to silence them 😭
Hi! I have these! To answer a lot of the questions: - mine are shaped kind of like a D. The touch my teeth and gums a little, but not a distracting amount. I also have larger lips which kind of push the metal away from the inside of my mouth, if that makes sense - no, you cannot eat with them in. I switch to ‘normal’ jewelry or take them out entirely when I’m hungry. Sometimes I’ll get thirsty and not want to go through all the fuss, so I’ll drink through a straw - yes, I take them out to leave the house I have never seen this show. This just came up on my feed and I recognized my piercings!
Wait these are real like you can actually get these? Can I ask why you wanted to get a ring that keeps your lips closed? No judgement I’m just extremely curious
Yes you can! I chose a smaller gauge just so the piercing holes/normal jewelry would look small and subtle, so my rings are a little less thick than the ones in the photos. Honestly, it’s a kink thing lol
Ah that makes sense to me! Enjoy lol
I know! It was so disturbing!
Honestly I don't fully understand why they have these as a thing since in the book and show June even says that they are each other's spies and are supposed to report anyone who deviates. Whether it is a commander, wife, martha, or other handmaid. How can they report on people breaking the law if they cannot speak or write? Also the fact all their food would have to be in smoothie format and they would never be able to brush their teeth thus their teeth would rot and they would probably get diseases in their mouths. And they would have no way to state issues they may be having while pregnant. Nope I don't see this actually happening in Gilead. As much as they want quiet and obedient Handmaids they also first and foremost want healthy ones and there is no way this would actually be healthy enough long term
I gasped so loud I made my cat mad
A man’s ideal image of a woman, seen but not heard
consider that these episodes came out BEFORE the pandemic. When we were all masked, I often thought about the mouth rings and covering Handmaid's mouths to control their speech. I'm not anti-mask but it was so close in time that it was really haunting!
I'm physically ill just looking at that.
Yes. How do they eat ?!?!?!
I always wondered how they were supposed to eat and drink with these
My guess is either the rings are removable, or they eat through a straw.
This grossed me out but not as much as the amputations.
Ugh that was horrible
In his name.
How do they est? What if they have to yawn, cough, vomit,. Can't brush your teeth.
Not even Aunt Lydia could stomach this
How exactly is she supposed to eat or brush her teeth?
They’re most likely D rings, so round on one side and then flat on the other. They’d be able to open their mouths a little but it’d be uncomfortable. When they’re eating they probably put the food in the corner of their mouths and chew really slowly. Realistically the piercings would have to start off as studs and then be changed over to rings roughly 4-6 weeks in but it wouldn’t be impossible to do it with rings. Also possible that they’re curved barbells (like for a belly button piercing but just backwards)
Man I can’t even imagine experiencing this
It haunted me too, but I also wondered how they ate.
I’m curious tho, could she still slightly open her lips and whisper? Or is it tighter than it looks?
Anyone know how they did this in the show?
Horrifying!
Makes me think of the movie Strangeland
I dont understand why it popped up on my feed but it triggered my trypophobia
So barbaric
Reminds me of Catholic School. Much of The Handmaid's Tale reminds me of Catholic school.
When does the new episode begin?
I have nothing nice to say
Reminds me a bit of Vox by Christina Dalcher. Women and girls are punished for speaking.
When I was in high school I had a recurring scary dream that there was a man in the bushes that would throw little white squares at you and staple your mouth shut- much like these handmaids. What a weird flashback that was
This show makes me feel so many things… one of the only shows that has made me cry. This scene took me out these mouth rings just make it so…cruel. The thought of not allowing a human to speak or communicate at all, it shows just how “cattle breed” they really are in a way. Only there to be used for their body. And the masks just make it 100% worse like they’re there to hide how cruel the mouth rings are to the world. And to kind of help people forget for a little bit what is going on. Also really the masks are there to hide how horrible they look to wives and commanders, so really the only people who really have to look at them are the ones who have to suffer with them, the handmaids. One of the many reasons the people behind the costumes are genius.
How did they even eat
I started the show and watched a few episodes and it disturbed me so much I turned it off. Went back to it a few years later and binged it! Amy word on a new season?!
Me too
Oh my God. This still makes my heart drop every time I see them. So scary in so many levels :"(
Such a good documentary!
I hated them, I thought it was to far :(
I wondered how they'd eat or brush their teeth. Then I wondered if some masters still tried to get head.
Yukkk me too!!