This Week’s Highlights in Misogyny News

Thank you so much to this hilarious episode of 'The White Hot Top Five' for inspiring this post.

This week there seems to have een a worrying influx of sexism stories in the media. Here are just a few of the most ridiculous ones.

So, the Winter Olympics are over for this year. Vancouver put on a great show, and the sport was exciting – I watched just about everything from ski cross to figure skating to ice hockey to the half pipe. But one sport I didn't get to see this Olympics was the women's ski jumping. And why'’s that? Well, even though men's ski jumping has been an Olympic sport since the winter Olympics began in 1924, women's ski jumping is still not an Olympic sport. And it's not that women don’t have an interest in it: it is a woman (Lindsay Van), in fact, who holds the world record for the event. Ski jumping events in which women can compete are held all over the world – there was one at the same venue used in the Olympics just a few weeks before the event – but for some (unknown – Olympic officials have offered no logic for this) reason, it is not an Olympic sport.
Not that it's all that great for the women who can compete in sports. As I was saying in a conversation with J, sexism is rife in sports, with the women’s events often seen as a less important 'version' of the main, men's event. As a report in Sports Illustrated says:

"Sexism isn't confined to any sport or country. It's a universal language, spoken not so much with words as with action, or the lack of it. Female hockey players from many of the European countries competing in the Olympics, for instance, have seen their national federations' lopsided spending on the men's programs as a loud and clear message that they are considered mere afterthoughts. In Russia, where hockey is the national pastime, the women couldn't begin practicing until three weeks before the Games because of budget constraints."

Something’s got to change. To see more on this story, check out this article over at Feministing.com.

OK, so if you can’t watch the sport without being confronted with blatant sexism, what can you watch? How about a film? Robert Pattinson has been all over the media this week promoting his new film ‘Remember Me’. But what got the most attention was an interview with him in ‘Details’ magazine, in which he said:

"I really hate vaginas. I’m allergic to vagina."

And this interview was accompanied by him surrounded by pictures of pornified naked women. Seriously.
But seriously, Pattinson just proves a major misogynistic phenomenon that feminists from Germaine Greer to Jessica Valenti have been going on about since (it seems) time began: that men hate women’s biology. In Full Frontal Feminism, Valenti points out that the worst thing you can call someone is a woman: cunt, bitch, pussy, slut, etc. A man is not naturally any of these things – the word has to be altered to fit: thus 'whore' becomes 'manwhore' – masculine adjusted lexis from a supposedly feminine norm.
So Pattinson, you are not 'allergic' to vagina, as you so charmingly put it. You are just an extremely misogynistic man. If you actually hated vaginas, you wouldn’t be straight. But then, gay / asexual guys don’t make sex-gods that 87% of women want to marry. Ugh.

So there's nothing to watch that’s not saturated with sexism. Why not listen to some music? But - le gasp! - it’s a trap! Music’s just as fucked up as the rest of pop culture. And a prime example of this is my favouritest person ever, Ke$ha. Words fail to describe what I feel about this latest pop music mistake. Could there be a worse role model for women in the music industry? I think not.
Witness Exhibit A:

"I have very empowering lyrics for women."

HAHAHAHA... this is some kind of joke, right? Oh no, wait, there’s more? Do carry on...

"I kind of take how guys talk to women all over this industry and throw it back at them."

OK, so you take your inspiration from charming lyrics like 'you were supposed to love me, now bleed bitch bleed', 'I'ma own that pussy' and 'make sure it's not your bloody week, you slut'. And that’s empowering to whom, exactly?

"I'm literally just talking to a man the way any rapper talks about women in
every rap song on the radio."

Oh I see. That makes total sense!
Wtf, Ke$ha, did no one ever tell you that two wrongs don’t make a right? Sexist comments like that, whoever they are addressed to, are not empowering to anyone. They’re just sick and demeaning. Not to mention that your use of this 'tactic' fails anyway because it’s completely misguided.
Let’s take a look at Exhibit B, shall we? These are some of the lyrics to your latest single, 'Blah Blah Blah':

'Boy come on give me rock stuff
Come put a little love in my glove box'

You know, I’m all for women gaining sexual empowerment. And people like Lady Gaga are actually making a point in their lyrically sexual songs (I’m thinking 'Bad Romance' where some pimp-ring guy gets fried by Gaga’s flamethrower bra). But lyrics like that don’t work if you’re singing them whilst posing provocatively, flicking your hair and smiling seductively at this random guy that hanging creepily over you – the same guy who you claim to be a complete douchebag. You see, Ke$ha, you’ve got this strong and sexual woman thing all wrong. It’s OK to be sexually forward towards a guy you actually like, but that doesn’t mean you should throw yourself at any random creep that wants to sleep with you. Instead of empowering women, your lyrics actually portray women who choose to promote and condone demeaning, misogynistic attitudes. Way to go!

Phew, what a week!
And that's just the latest addition to centuries of sexism.

It's War - Guerrilla Style

...war on my two greatest enemies, misogyny and apathy, that is!

This year is the 25th anniversary of the feminist group the Guerrilla Girls. Being a fan of popular culture, feminism, and general subversiveness, I can’t help but love the mask-donning Girls. So I thought I’d share the feminist love by spreading the word about these wonderful people and what they do.

The Guerrilla Girls are a group of anonymous ‘radical’ feminists who got together in New York in 1985, unhappy with the state of the art world. They wear gorilla masks in public (because they’re badass, OK?) and take the names of dead female artists as pseudonyms. Through the medium of posters, books, billboards, appearances and general jungle drag craziness, the Girls expose discrimination and corruption in the worlds of art and popular culture. Their work combines texts, facts and snappy graphics that present strong feminist viewpoints in a humorous manner, making it fun and accessible, but no less hard-hitting.

Their first work was putting up posters on the streets of New York criticizing the gender and racial imbalance of artists represented in galleries and museums. They’ve completed many such campaigns over the years, including the one above, whilst also expanding their activism to examine Hollywood and the film industry, gender stereotyping, corruption in the art word and general popular culture. One of my favourite books of theirs, Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers: the Guerrilla Girls’ illustrated guide to female stereotypes, tackles the proliferation of derogatory and restrictive female stereotypes. The final paragraph of the introduction provides one of the best soundbite definitions of just one of the Guerilla Girls’ aims:

‘By empowering women to create their own stereotypes and to reject the ones our culture tries to squeeze us into, the Guerrilla Girls want to do our share toward saving the world from sexists and misogynists everywhere, and have fun along the way.’

But what I think is one of the Guerrilla Girls’ most important objectives is to rehabilitate ‘the f word’ (feminism!) so that people who support the main tenets of the cause – equal opportunity, an end to gender based discrimination, general human rights for women, etc – but are currently afraid or dismissive of the label, will accept the term, and even be proud to call the themselves feminists.

This, I feel (from much experience), is one of the main problems feminism faces today: fear of ‘the f word’ and people’s general apathy. Many times I’ve heard people say ‘I’m not a feminist, but...’ from people who support feminist principles but either don’t make the connection between their egalitarian ideas and feminism, or are just too afraid of the many ‘unattractive’ (and false) stereotypes surrounding feminists. And most of the time, these people voice concern over these issues, but fail to do anything to about them. Apathy, apathy, apathy.

So my message for today: DO something – something for what you believe in. It doesn’t have to be a big thing: maybe just spreading the word, sharing your beliefs, like I’ve done with this post. Or you could sign a petition or join a group promoting your cause (I’d recommend joining the End Sexism on Facebook group that my friend J and I set up!). Or just find out a bit more about it - read a book, browse the internet – cheesy as it sounds, education really is empowerment. You can even do something just by being yourself: by expressing your individuality and refusing to conform to stereotypes. Remember: you're not a bimbo, a bitch, or a ballbreaker unless you let yourself think you are.

So what are you waiting for? Go forth and kick some oppressive patriarchal ass!

Sound of(f) 2009

Finally, the whole 'Christmas Number One crisis' is over. And although I’m glad that Rage Against The Machine pipped X-Factor contestant Joe McElderry to the number one spot (being anti-Cowell, exploitation profits and musical manufacture as I am), in general, that facebook campaign really annoyed me. I mean, the idea of a load of people saying ‘fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me’ to Simon Cowell and the establishment is pretty awesome, and I totally back that. But when its tainted with the irony that people have said basically just turned round and said ‘fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me – but I will do what YOU tell me’ to someone else has really taken any sense of success out of the campaign for me. The whole situation smacks of fail. Is this really what our heavily watered-down sense of revolution has come to: self-deluding hypocrisy?
I also found it interesting to read this article at Current.com which says:

‘Both acts are on Sony. Music News reports that the two singles gave the record label a 65.6% share of single market. Indie labels had 2.0% between them.’

A great ‘win’ for real music then? I think not.
Personally, I am an advocate of everyone finding their own music taste, and buying what they want to hear, no matter what others tell them. And if pop music is your thing, then fine, go and buy that. But if not, then don’t fret and don’t feel obliged to conform! There are plenty of great alternative bands out there. Don’t believe it? Here is a selection of some of my favourite bands from 2009.

* * *

Angelspit
I was really excited when I heard that 2009 would yield the release of a new Angelspit album – one of my favourite bands of all time – especially when I ordered a beautiful signed copy! ‘Hideous and Perfect’ is, as always, a wonderful work of musical and visual artistry. The songs’ lyrics and music show the band’s clear creative development, and ‘Hideous and Perfect’ is very much crafted as a self-contained album. Check out the awesome video for ‘Fuck the Revolution’.

Daisy Dares You
OK, I admit, Daisy Dares You is not exactly alternative. In fact, Daisy is apparently set to be a big mainstream success in 2010 according to various newspapers – she’s even longlisted for the BBC’s Sound of 2010. But anyway, I shall be pleased to be able to say ‘I knew about her before she was cool!’ and mean it! Her self-titled track ‘Daisy Dares You’ is pretty catchy dance-pop, and I can definitely see her music catching on. One to watch, for sure.

Fever Fever
Fever Fever are a cool three-piece punk band hailing from Norwich that mix primal rock fury with occasional girl rap and a clear riot grrrl influence. They are a relatively new band, with only a couple of songs released on their debut record and several compilation albums, but their songs have plenty of biting character and are all worth a listen. ‘Numbers’ is my personal favourite.

I:Scintilla
Another of my all-time favourite bands, industrial-powerhouse I:Scintilla, have made some great new music this year. Although I was slightly gutted to hear that the release of their album has been delayed till 2010, the release of their EP ‘Prey on You’ this November cheered me up a lot. I adore the songs on this EP, especially ‘Hollowed’, and it’s made me even more excited for the release of ‘Dying and Falling’ next January. Yay!

Räuberhöhle
2009 also saw another fantastic release from my favourite lo-fi retroclash German band, Räuberhöhle. ‘Deep in the Forest’ is their debut full-length album, crammed with sugar-powered riot grrrl goodness. They’re all great songs to dance around to, my favourite being ‘Angry Dancy’ which officially does what it says on the tin!

Screaming Females
Another punk rock three piece, Screaming Females hail from New Brunswick. Now this is a band with some skillz. Marissa is a truly amazing vocalist and guitarist, and the threesome are perfectly matched to make great tunes. ‘Buried in the Nude’ is a truly amazing song. Go download ‘Bell’ for free from their Last.fm page now!

The Brownies
The Brownies describe themselves as a post-punk, happy hardcore five-piece from Norwich. Clearly influenced by riot grrrl bands like Bratmobile and Bikini Kill, but also taking wider musical inspiration from metalcore, indie and punk, The Brownies have their own unique sound. Ourknife Yourback is a shockingly good album, full of amazing songs. If there is anything that you listen to from this list, let it be The Brownies!

Violet Violet
A riot grrrl indie punk band, Violet Violet describe their music as ‘gossip rock’: ‘edgy, full-on bitching, harmoniously delivered by a feisty trio of sardonic sirens’. Their songs have plenty of kick and energy, and always make a good listen. 2009 has seen the release of another awesome album from the threesome: ‘This City is Full of Beasts’. ‘Love This Band’ has been in my head for days..

From A Jigsaw-Grrrl To You...

In honour of my friend J finally being able to put Le Tigre's 'This Island' album on her iPod (after months of waiting!) and of me finally completing my Bikini Kill discography last week, here's a tribute to the awesome Kathleen Hanna that I saw recently, and thought I ought to share, just to spread the K-Ha love, if nothing else!

Ever since I listened to Bikini Kill's iconic song 'Rebel Girl', I have been obsessed with the riot grrrl movement. It's girl-positive mix of raw post-punk and feminism are both truly inspirational elements to me, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say riot grrrl has helped define who I am today. Thanks to Kathleen Hanna and the many other awesome grrrls like her, feminism lives on!

Keep the girl-style revolution alive!

Follow Your Heart - to Princess Syndrome

You are a pretty, pretty princess! But which one? Disney will tell you! All major credit cards are accepted.

When you are little, the Disney Princesses seem like the perfect role models. What little girl doesn’t want to be beautiful and utterly lovely when she grows up? These are women that have whole stories based around their dreams and desires – they are main characters in the films that have become ‘traditional’, essential viewing for young girls across the world. Yet there are so many things that are simply wrong about their characters, and they have caused much controversy amongst feminists and media critics.

Much of the controversy stems from the oppressive female stereotype these princesses proliferate to young girls: that superficial beauty is everything, and that their ultimate goal in life should be marriage to a handsome prince.

Of course, the cultural fascination with princesses has been around for ages: many of the Disney films are based on traditional fairy tales and Brothers Grimm tales. But it is Disney’s watered-down, consumerist twist on these tales that makes the contemporary Princess Syndrome so dangerous. As Angela Ndalianis, associate professor of cinema studies at Melbourne Uni has said:

‘Not only are the films fostering the little-princess aesthetic, but they also breed cross-merchandising that’s earning a bundle for entertainment companies who have rights to princess tales. From a historical perspective, the little girl/princess parallel has been there for centuries – but the merchandising associated with conglomeration has amplified its effect; now our little girls can be like their favourite princesses.’

And it’s not just Disney that’s jumped on the princess-bandwagon. Hundreds of other toy-brands, television shows, films etc. have princess themed plots/merchandise. Disney’s Princess range alone covers books, stationary, play castles and toy make-up kits; Barbie has an extensive Princess range too (and several puke-tastically terrible films!), and even supposedly more ‘contemporary’ dolls like Bratz have clear princess-influences in their tiara-bedecked formal dress range. Young girls can of course also buy entire princess costumes, complete with gown, tiara and jewels, so that they can be just like their role models! Even from such a young age, girls are being submerged in the ‘I consume, therefore I am’ culture as they are shown that part of the princess experience is materialistic: ‘getting’ pretty clothes, jewellery, make-up etc.

The princess syndrome prevails in the more up-to-date teen movies of today. The age.com princess syndrome article lists Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, The Prince and Me, Princess Diaries, A Cinderella Story and Ella Enchanted. Even a supposedly more ‘open minded’ film like Mean Girls, in which the main protagonist Cady overcomes the reign of the superficial Plastics and realises her own inner happiness as ‘herself’, the princess image is proliferated. The ‘Queen Bee’ of the story, Regina (subtle!), is shown to have a glamorous lifestyle (the word ‘PRINCESS’ is actually emblazoned across her bedroom - again with the subtlety!) and although this is shown to be not as enviable as it would at first appear by revealing its superficiality, the film is still all about getting prince charming.

But what alternative role models do young girls have? These movies mostly have a female lead. At least these films give the message that, in a world where only 1 in 4 movie roles is female (the same % as the number of female leads) little girls can still be the main character, and events in their lives can revolve around their needs and wants.

And Disney isn’t completely sexist, to be fair. More recent characters like Mulan, Pocahontas and even Belle are far more progressive than their predecessors (completely limp bimbos like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc.). They are by no means perfect – each of these films still results in the princess winning the ‘handsome prince’ – but at least the characters have some spirit. Mulan even tackles some equality issues, as the idea of women being inferior to men is shown to be defunct by the country-saving cross-dressing heroine – who, although at first is ridiculed and disgraced when it is revealed she is a woman, eventually wins the respect and honour of her entire country. This, I feel, is a more respectable role model for young girls.

But does Disney think so? It would appear not. Girls are not encouraged to look or act like these princesses – the only girls’ fancy dress outfits sold by Disney are for the traditional princesses - Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (plus Belle, though only in glittery ball gown version) – and for fairies, like Tinkerbell. The amount of merchandise available for the more respectable princesses is extremely limited compared to that for the others. Now this may also have something to do with the racial aspect of the characters – Disney is a notoriously racist enterprise – but I think it’s also linked to the gender stereotype Disney perpetuates, which these few characters do not fit exactly into.

But from Snow White (1937) to Mulan (1998), Disney has come a long way, and the gender stereotype has faded slightly – but not enough. Come on, Disney, end the corporate FAIL and start showing young girls that they can follow their hearts to something other than becoming consumerist royalty.

* * *

See this article shown on feministing.com for further views on the Disney Princesses.

And... Happy Transgender Awareness Week! :D

Plath, Rihanna and Domestic Violence

Recently in English class, we have each been asked to lead a discussion on a poem of Syliva Plath's. I was given the poem 'The Jailor' - a poem in which Plath depicts a male/female relationship, with the man as a dominating 'jailor' figure, and the woman his abused prisoner. Despite his constant physical and emotional violence towards her, the persona of the poem realises they are dependent on one another, and that she cannot escape.

So, with this poem, I have based my discussion points around patriarchal domination/rebellion, the formulation of identity/mental instability, and ambivalence/victimisation.

Here, the most interesting theme for me is that of the persona's ambivalence: why, despite suffering so much, does she feel drawn to the abusive jailor figure? She has been 'drugged and raped', burnt with cigarettes, and reduced by forced starvation to a feeble, feverish state by this man - whom the reader assumes to be her partner. Plath spends the entire poem setting up the character of this persona as 'the victim': that is her identity. She is literally crushed, killed over and over by her relationship: 'hung, starved, burned, hooked.'

So why does she remain with the jailor, allowing herself to be his 'indeterminate criminal'?

There are two possible answers for this.

Firstly, she is a character entirely defined by her victimisation: part of which even she admits is, if not self-inflicted, self-cast - hence the movie-set like setting of the poem ('the same placard of blue fog is wheeled into position / with the same trees and headstones) and the fact that it is her 'red and blue zeppelin' that drops her 'from a terrible altitude'. She is defined solely by her relationship with the jailor. And in turn, he is defined by her. He can only be the jailor with a prisoner; thus he relies on her equally for his identity. 'What would he do, do, do without me.' is the final line of the poem, phrased not as a question, but as a statement, through which she directly reasserts her importance to him (and thus her power over him).

Secondly, there is the fact that, as far as the persona of 'The Jailor' is concerned, the codependence on which her relationship is founded equates with love.

So where does this link in with Rihanna? Well, when my Lit. group were discussing 'The Rabbit Catcher' (a poem with a very similar message to 'The Jailor'), several people were annoyed at Plath. They claimed she was self-obsessed, self-indulgent and pathetic: if her relationship was really as bad as she claimed, she should have just ended it. "She should just get over herself." someone said.

I think this point of view totally underestimates the ambivalence that people in a position such as the persona of 'The Jailor' are subjected to. They are genuinely torn.

And this is something that Rihanna discusses in her latest interview on her relationship with Chris Brown. She expresses the suffering of her ambivalence with painful honesty, which just goes to show the courage it has taken her to get out of that relationship and to now talk about it in front of millions.

So I think it is important to look at Plath's 'domestic' poetry in context: whether or not it is exactly based on her own relationship with Hughes is largely irrelevant. 'The Jailor' is a poem with a message about a woman who is in an abusive relationship. And the emotions she expresses are true to life, and are incredibly painful and difficult to overcome. It is not something that you can just 'get over'. As Rihanna said:

I am strong. This happened to me. I didn't cause this. I didn't do it. But it's happened to me, and it can happen to anybody.

Not everyone in the same position is as strong as Rihanna, who was able to face up to the situation and get herself out of it. The feeling of entrapment is not something we can underestimate. 1 in 4 women will be subjected to domestic abuse in their lifetime. This is a problem that we should be united to end, not something to ignore or underestimate.

No one is able to speak for all womankind, or for all abuse victims, or for all of any 'group' of people: everyone is individual. But every voice is relevant. And this is why we cannot ignore the words of someone like Plath, however self-obsessed and 'pathetic' she may appear, whether her poems are based on fact or are simply fiction. Her voice has a relevancy today, and her poems make a point that we shouldn't ignore.

'I Shop, Therefore I Am' - Welcome to Generation Misogyny

Art by Barbara Kruger

Recently I read my good friend J’s article on Gender and its Complications, and it got me thinking about gender and how much ‘what you look like’ is indicative of it.

Everyone is aware of what feminine stereotypes exist. Germaine Greer personifies ‘The Stereotype’ wonderfully in ‘The Female Eunuch’. The Feminine Woman is, essentially, the girl in the magazine or on the TV smiling with pearly white teeth, decked out in the latest fashions, trying to sell you the latest type of lip gloss so-and-so designer has created. She is thin, beautiful, and infinitely happy because she has bought this particular product, and it has solved all her problems. Never more will she have to worry about a bad hair day, her nail-polish becoming chipped or unwanted body odour – life is perfect thanks to this product! And there she stands, an immovable idol, not a hair out of place, no unsightly flab, not a blemish in sight.

Greer describes her thus:

‘Her glossy lips and matt complexion, her unfocused eyes and flawless fingers, her extraordinary hair all floating and shining, curling and gleaming, reveal the inhuman triumph of cosmetics, lighting, focusing and printing, cropping and composition.’

This is what you must look like to be the feminine ideal. You must hide behind a painted smile, wear what’s ‘in fashion’, and look, smell, feel and even taste like unruffled perfection. This is what little girls spend years dreaming, wishing to look like – ‘inhuman’. Like Barbie, with perfect plastic proportions (this means big boobs and a tiny waist), flawless symmetrical features and an expression of permanent ecstasy (this is where that DIY Botox that J mentioned would come in handy!), girls want to become dolls:

‘For she [The Stereotype] is a doll: weeping, pouting or smiling, running or reclining, she is a doll. She is an idol, formed of the concatenation of lines and masses, signifying the lineaments of satisfied impotence.’

Impotence? But hang on – isn’t this picture-perfect face what’s meant to be defining womanhood? For surely that is what ‘feminine’ should mean; what defines us as women, our femaleness? Surely The Stereotype should portray our sex properly, including our lusts, our restless imagination and our brilliant intelligence? Is that what we are – weak, powerless, lacking in sexual desire? Or is this what ‘they’ want us to be?

We must think of how the modern concept of ‘femininity’ is defined.

In the Victorian era, the Feminine Woman would be meek and mild, with delicate features and health. She would have no ideas of her own, be totally subservient to her husband, and was devoted to the care of her children. No self-respecting middle-class woman would wear makeup, because this show of vanity was considered to be a sign of a prostitute. This ‘angel in the house’, as she was later to become known, was basically the personification of men’s desire for the perfect subservient wife. ‘Feminine’ came to mean the opposite of ‘masculine’ because women must accommodate to men’s needs and not desire to be like him in any way – for that is not her place. As Virginia Woolf says in ‘A Room of One’s Own’:

For man wants to see something attractive when he looks in this looking-glass, doesn’t he? Something weak, delicate and beautiful that reaffirms his superiority over it. Because he can only be superior if something is inferior to him – and that is women’s role.

‘Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing
the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.’

So men and our patriarchal culture define what ‘feminine’ is, as they define what ‘masculine’ is. These two ‘labels’ (as they do not, in reality, stand for ‘femaleness’ or ‘maleness’ at all) have become the ideals that both sexes respectively aim for. And who doesn’t want to fit into the ‘popular’ concept of the ‘ideal’, to be accepted, to be loved? For these wishes are human nature – we are, after all, dependent on love.

But luckily, society has made becoming the feminine ideal attainable for all womankind. You can now spend, spend, spend and become just like her! Because if you buy all the right products, dress yourself in the latest fashions and hide your face behind a load of slap, you too can be happy. With an eternal pearl-white smile, you too can be the Feminine Stereotype!

You shop, therefore you are, darling!

‘Taught from infancy that beauty is woman’s sceptre, the mind shapes itself to
body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.’
Mary Wollstonecraft, ‘A Vindication of the Right of Women’, 1792

And what effect is this having on our society? Surely by now, in this affluent age, we should all be happy? Teenage girls are afflicted with eating disorders, anxiety and depression because they don’t fit into the popular definition of ‘perfect’ – but everyone’s happy, right?

Recently, I came across a series of photographs by dA artist, Maryana. Her whole Statistic Series is great, and you should definitely check out her gallery, but a couple of facts from two of the pictures really stuck-out for me. Firstly:

And secondly:

Girls see over 400 advertisements per day telling them how they should look

I don’t think you need me to tell you that these two facts are linked.

50% of girls between the ages of 8 and 14 are dieting

I don’t want the Feminine Stereotype to equate to Girl Poison any more. I want femininity to be what I make it. What it means to be female is different for every girl and woman out there, dependent on their class, race, personality, etc. and no one should be told how to be themselves. Being feminine should be about embracing your womanhood, warts and all, and loving yourself for who you are - not lusting after the plastic-fantastic face of some photoshopped doll in a magazine. Let’s take back our own identities, and be who we really want to be.

Because we think, therefore we are.

* * *

For more on this, see this article from Feministing.com with a short film on ‘Generation Misogyny, which puts my point across far more eloquently than my article!

Alien Grrrls

Alien She

I wasn’t intending on writing something that so smoothly followed on from the last article, it just happened like that (honest!). I’ve been going through (another) Bikini Kill phase at the moment, and so I thought I’d write about one of their songs. ‘Alien She’ is one of the first songs I ever heard by the band, and has remained one of my favourites.

For those of you that don’t know, Bikini Kill is a band strongly associated with the Riot Grrrl movement – a 90s feminist punk subculture often attributed with inspiring the third wave feminist movement. They believed in girl power (not the corporate-created Spice Girls type!), female independence and an end to sexist discrimination, particularly within the punk subculture. Despite fracas between those within the movement and others outside – particularly the media who repeatedly misrepresented the movement and the views of those in it – Bikini Kill believed in the ‘every grrrl a riot grrrl’ credo.

However, many within the movement disagreed with this view (some viewed bimbos and lame girlfriends as ‘so fuckin’ indoctrinated into male culture + ideology’ – quote from ‘Riot Grrrl’ London zine) and there was often conflicting evidence, so it is a view Bikini Kill began to question. These ‘bimbos’ were seen as slaves to fashion and a male-dominated corporate society, aspiring to become the image of ‘the perfect female’ that the media projected to the western world – pretty, slim fashion clones, reliant on male protection and affection. This image of superficial perfection trapped girls in a weak, subordinate stereotype: an empty image. As discussed in the last article, this poisoned girls both individually (destroying them physically and wreaking them emotionally) and towards each other, creating jealousy and destroying the girl unity that the riot grrrl movement aimed for. Thus Bikini Kill wanted to challenge this girl-stereotype, and did so through the song ‘Alien She’.

The link between ‘her’ (the image of ‘the perfect female’) and ‘I’ (the persona of the song) is clearly set out right from the start with the phrase ‘she is me, I am her’, which is repeated to echo the theme of duality. This creates the idea of unity of girl-kind before the idea of conflict is introduced, which then remains the prevailing image. ‘She’ is described as a ‘Siamese twin connected at the cunt’ – i.e. they are inextricably linked by their gender (symbolised clearly by their joint possession of female genitalia). Their bond is then shown to be as close as their internal organs – ‘heart-brain-heart-brain-heart-brain-lung-gut’. The quick flow of words makes it seem as if they merge into one another, as does the use of repetition.

So, after the strength of their bond has been so clearly emphasised, right down to a sub-dermal level, it comes as a shock when, in the next line, the narrator (or whatever you call them in a song) announces ‘I want to kill her’. Why would someone want to kill someone they feel is them - unless of course, they were suicidal, but then why would they be worried ‘it might kill me’?

This juxtaposition is continued in the next section when the three chanted ‘insults’ (‘“Feminist”, “dyke”, “whore”’) are followed by the phrase ‘I’m so pretty’, sang in mocking tones. The two contrasting ideas that these two sections evoke (the concept of ‘prettiness’ relates closely to ideas of innocence, superficiality and cuteness – not things considered synonymous to the selection of ‘insults’) are, indeed, ‘alien’ to one another.

‘She’ and ‘me’ are further separated in the following sections, where a conflict of interests is revealed: ‘she wants me to go to the mall’ and ‘put the pretty, the pretty, pretty, pretty red lipstick on’. These are what many would consider typical ‘girl’ activities – things teenage girls would enjoy doing. The lyric shows how ‘she’ – the media image of the perfect female – encourages girls to do these things, and to enjoy them.

However, the narrator realises that something more sinister is going on. The repetition of the word ‘pretty’ plays on the idea of restriction to a monosyllabic stereotype, girls being confined to the superficial state of ‘pretty’ rather than becoming their own individuals. The repeated phrase ‘she wants me to be like her’ again reinforces the theme of duality, and shows how this media image is bent on transforming girls into this ‘pretty pretty’ stereotype – clones of one another, all decked out in the same fashions, with the same hair and make up which the consumerist society targets them with.

The narrator wants to kill this stereotype, and escape to be her own person – but she is torn, afraid that in doing so she might kill herself. The ‘perfect female’ image has grown so close to the hearts of many girls, whether they like it or not, that it is something they can’t dismiss. Many girls choose to follow such ‘feminine’ pastimes as shopping and putting on makeup, and those who act or dress in ways opposing to the stereotype do so actively knowing they are, declaring themselves ‘tom boys’ or ‘not girly’. This stereotypical image of the empty ‘pretty pretty’ girl is the personification of ‘girly’, and is thus inescapable to many girls. Even if it is an image that you feel is ‘alien’ to yourself, it is still a part of you, as shown in the lyric ‘who was me, and who is she?’, where the narrator becomes confused over the identity of both herself and this stereotype – they are so contrasting, but so merged.

The final phrase, ‘I guess I’ll never know’, is an admission to the fact that the line between the female self and the image of femininity will remain indistinguishable. Social doctrines of what a girl should like and how she should act, however narrow and restrictive and unjust they may be, have been hammered into the western culture, and are not easily dismissed. Even riot grrrls and feminists accept that they are not immune to ‘feminine-desires’ to look pretty, wear lipstick, go shopping – whatever – and this does not make them any less of a feminist. And, in truth, there is nothing wrong with doing or enjoying any of these things – only the concepts of female subordination and reduction to a stereotype that are behind their creation. Throughout the riot grrrl movement, there is a desire to break the mould, be individual, be who they want to be beyond the label of ‘girl’ (hence the corruption of the word ‘girl’ in the form ‘grrrl’). But there is also a hidden fear that Bikini Kill voice in this song: what if in breaking the mould, they destroy themselves - what gives them their individual identity as women? Because Bikini Kill wanted to be considered as ‘females’ (as opposed to simply humans in an asexual light), with their individual traits and sexuality, etc; just on equal terms to men. It is hard to find a way to achieve this equality without destroying the one of the main symbols of a patriarchal society – the image of the ‘perfect’ subordinate female – which at the same time seems to uphold girl unity, and a sense of girl power (the Spice Girls type!). ‘Alien She’ presents society with a complex question that remains unanswered: ‘I guess we’ll never know’...

Girl, Poisoned

Destroyx and Z00g of Angelspit

When thinking of what would be a good topic to start off my first ‘real’ blog post, I spent ages sifting through ideas. I could think of several things that would make good posts, but nothing that was suitable as a starting point. I eventually settled on an article about the song ‘Girl Poison’ by the industrial band Angelspit, and how young girls are preyed on by the consumerist industry and the media.

Angelspit are a great inspiration to me: through their individual image, their music, and their general ethos. I would seriously recommend people listen to some of their music. They have a great punk-esque DIY ethic, are super-skilled in music and lyric composition, and have a passion for creativity. A great starting point would be to read their manifesto.

Many of their lyrics are worth discussing, as they are filled with (often ironic) social commentary, mostly with a cyberpunk slant - and the subject matter of ‘Girl Poison’ is, in many ways, typical of their general lyrical concerns.
You can find the lyrics to ‘Girl Poison’ .here

* * *

So, what is girl poison?

Well, a straightforward dictionary definition of a poison is ‘any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism’. In this case, it is a substance that specifically affects girls. Angelspit cite several individual poisons within the lyrics: the girl is ‘full of Ritalin and Codeine’, injected with Silicon, and ‘pumped full of image, sweet as saccharine’. These words are clearly in the medical lexical field: drugs that act as stimulants, analgesics (that relieve pain), and artificial enhancers: image-enhancing (the silicon) and thus enhancing the attractiveness (saccharine is an artificial sweetener) of the girl.

But although all these substances are individual poisons to the girl, it is the umbrella ‘cause’ for the use of these drugs that is the real toxin: a consumerist industry that pressurises girls to meet the fixed criteria for perfection, encouraging artificial modification to achieve a prescribed state of ‘beauty’, and thus worth.

Each process of superficial alteration, whether it be silicon injections, buying set fashions (‘pocket money spent on hot pants’), or simply shaving, gets the girl one step closer to becoming the ‘ideal female’ – in this song represented by the fairytale character Sleeping Beauty. This literary allusion not only places this ideal figure in the realms of fantasy – showing how such perfection is dream-like and unachievable in reality – but the specific choice of Sleeping Beauty, poisoned by a spinning wheel and rendered to a state of comatose for a hundred years, hints at the zombie-like compliance fashion-victim girls are forced into (the girl is kept ‘hammered with girl poison’).

However, although these processes of modification may seem to be making the girl more ‘beautiful’, in reality they are harming the girl – just like poison. The girl is ‘slash[ed] away’ at, ‘publicly degrad[ed]’, weakened with an ‘insect diet’ and has her ‘innocence stolen’. She is reduced from a ‘princess’ or a ‘duchess’ (a girl with power, authority [even if just over herself], and thus true worth) to a ‘sexy little decoration’, an object of sex-appeal to be possessed by someone greater (male), only complementary to the bigger picture; or a ‘pedi-sinister girl next door’, confined to a twisted version of a pop-culture-generated, two-dimensional stereotype. And although the process of image modification had the aim of increasing the ‘worth’ of the girl, through enhancing her beauty artificially, it in fact has the opposite effect: the ‘princess’ (a girl of noble/royal blood – i.e. someone of inner-worth) is corrupted, and becomes ‘meat’ for ‘the dogs’ – vulnerable to male predators and the sex industry.

The girl is weakened both physically, by her increasing dependence on artificial methods of sustaining her image (likened to a drug addiction), and emotionally, as her self-confidence is torn apart. From this fragile state she is exploited again and again by the media and the fashion-industry, as shown by the lyric ‘self doubt is an industry’. The line ‘self harm is a best seller’ relates to how, by targeting girls with beauty products and fashionable clothing that are ‘crucial’ to maintaining their ‘perfect image’, girls are forced to finance their own suffering and degradation.

But can girls be saved? Sleeping Beauty was rescued from her sleep by the kiss of her handsome prince, but it seems that no such fairytale happy ending is in store for the girl in the song. ‘Handsome Princey’ is declared to be as ‘artificial’ as her image, and actually compliant in ‘keeping her hammered with girl poison’. This relates to the pressures girls feel relating to their image with regards to men. Teen magazines constantly tell girls how to dress, wear their make-up, talk, act, etc. to impress guys, to the extent that girls feel they must maintain their superficial image of perfection so that any prospective boyfriend will like them. And, similarly, through the images in lads’ mags, music videos and advertisements of photoshopped models, boys are shown what they should expect from a girl. Because teens are shown this one route to happiness – artificial perfection – they feel they must comply and confine themselves to a stereotype society deems attractive and acceptable.

The reality is human beings crave acceptance in social circles. Because of the way modern society is founded on image and general consensus of ‘fashion’ – what is ‘cool’ and what is not – people are increasingly bound in conforming with these social rules to ensure they are not outcasted. And, as the western world becomes ever more based around corporate lifestyles and twisted media conceptions of uniform ‘beauty’, it becomes increasingly difficult for girls to resist the pressures of the fashion industry, and overcome girl poison.

So, the antidote? Girls should have feelings of self-worth and confidence fostered in them for who they are, not who the fashion industry feels they should be. ‘Beauty’ should once again become a concept that is ‘in the eye of the beholder’, and not just some reproduced corporate image of superficial perfection. And expressions of individuality that are currently repressed by the restrictive climate of our capitalist society should be encouraged to blossom, allowing girls to escape demeaning stereotypes and bloom as their real, beautiful, selves. Impossible? No, but resistance of what Bikini Kill dubbed ‘psychic death’ from the media requires understanding and perseverance on behalf of all grrrl-kind to succeed.