I adored the riot grrrl phase in the 1990s. By then I was already ensconced in my own identitiy as a hetero-feminist freak, more interested in doing my projects and hanging out with interesting people than in weilding the potential power of my sexual persona. Grrrl power, with its focus on girls doing interesting things with their time and having fun too, was a very welcome development. And in my optimistic ignorance I thought it was here to stay. But no, tatoos and piercings and hoodies and choppy hair and boots and loud voices and acting out have been replaced with strapless little tops and silky long hair and demure stances and eye-lash batting and expensive weddings and fear of mice and white wine spritzers and bird-like portions of food and stupid shoes and little handbags and all kinds of other nasty irritating things. So I was interested in the latest Goodreads missive which includes this NY Times article by Maureen Dowd about the lack of feminist ideals among young women today.
I appreciate that Dowd, in her own way, is lamenting the same sad backslide that is bothering lots of my contemporaries. However, her POV is an objectionably two-dimensional corporate world. Dowd describes the post-feminist fate of us poor females who find that career success impedes our chances of snagging a man and tricking him into marrying us. Good golly but that sounds boring! Honestly, the only thing that puts me to sleep faster than someone's office politics is their wedding plans. Dowd's article presents a hegemonic fairy princess world where afterwork martinis and dates with boring corporate guys who foot the bill are all the fun that life has to offer. That is until you fulfill yourself by getting pregnant. Newsflash: procreation is not required. There's nothing exactly wrong with babies, but let's just say that if you don't have one, you will live.
I don't know if Dowd's post-feminist scenario of polished, power hungry pretty young things, caught in a horrible choice between flexing their corporate muscle or playing it soft like a little kitten, really exists. If so, I'm thrilled to be out here in exile. Sure some of my friends are married, some have children, and some are extremely successful in their professions, but they are focused on the content of their projects. It may not always work out perfeclty, but these women want to spend as much time as possible doing exactly what interests them nearly every single minute of the day and have fun doing it. Sound good? It is good ... it's called liberation, women's liberation, and everyone deserves it not just weirdo retro freaks like me.
Are you dissing my sexy little black handbag from Paris???????????
yes. but my what intriguing reading material you have there!
yeah holly.
Apparently, its some sort of Zine, that was specially die cut for sexy little handbags. The rumour in zine publishing circles is that a certain someone, who doesn't give a fuck about handbags, didn't want the angled cut.
As for the content ...hmmm ...I'm generally too shit-faced on white wine spritzers to actually read it
What I want to know is if you had your snappy handbag out in a restaurant, or if you ripped off the sugar container.
I mean, is the intriguing photograph of tree branches a tasteful menu cover?
I was out in a restaurant, but don't be disappointed in me for not stealing the sugar, the snappy handbag is full of stolen toilet paper.
I have not instituted a menu for my own home yet, but I dream of someone handing me a menu card before every meal. (I bet that the Governor General gets that kind of service) (I will be wanting pictures of the various choices on mine, perhaps the images from the microwaveable boxes?)
Isn't it fun to take Sally's posts and yank them way off topic!
Oh, that topic is dumb anyhow. It's all boring and obvious, and yet it still needs to be said! arg. I liked Von Bark's comment on the Dowd article though, "Who are these men who don't like smart girls... and aren't they getting what they deserve?"
I always had this feeling, even in the 90's that the other shoe was yet to drop. Like Tank Girl 2 was going to be a really good movie, but they never even made it. Or whomever followed Madona was actually going to get at it in a way that she didn't.
AND then we get sex in the F*&#ing City.
Dang.
I also blame that show for everything wrong in the world.
I'd never thought of the neurotic quartet as role models, but I guess anyone can be an exemplar.
everybody on tv is a role model. actually...everybody is a role model. But especially people on tv.
When I was a kid I desperately wanted to be Della Street. She was so cool and she knew shorthand. (seriously, I was totally thrilled by the very idea of shorthand when I was five years old)
super(role)model kate. *work warning* watch out for the fan, watch out for the fan. ...she didnt watch out for the fan.
Della Street would never have knocked over that fan like that.
Della Street wouldn't go snort coke and dance around like an idiot (in front of a camera). (I'm projecting a bit)
Della would stand there politely in an attractive sweater set with pencil skirt and pearls, and eventually inform the photographer that she really must go as she is needed in court.
Kate's doing her "Blow-up" impression, minus David Hemming and the other, um, "bird." The original is just as sexy/excruciating.
Hell yes, Della Street.
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I adored the riot grrrl phase in the 1990s. By then I was already ensconced in my own identitiy as a hetero-feminist freak, more interested in doing my projects and hanging out with interesting people than in weilding the potential power of my sexual persona. Grrrl power, with its focus on girls doing interesting things with their time and having fun too, was a very welcome development. And in my optimistic ignorance I thought it was here to stay. But no, tatoos and piercings and hoodies and choppy hair and boots and loud voices and acting out have been replaced with strapless little tops and silky long hair and demure stances and eye-lash batting and expensive weddings and fear of mice and white wine spritzers and bird-like portions of food and stupid shoes and little handbags and all kinds of other nasty irritating things. So I was interested in the latest Goodreads missive which includes this NY Times article by Maureen Dowd about the lack of feminist ideals among young women today.
I appreciate that Dowd, in her own way, is lamenting the same sad backslide that is bothering lots of my contemporaries. However, her POV is an objectionably two-dimensional corporate world. Dowd describes the post-feminist fate of us poor females who find that career success impedes our chances of snagging a man and tricking him into marrying us. Good golly but that sounds boring! Honestly, the only thing that puts me to sleep faster than someone's office politics is their wedding plans. Dowd's article presents a hegemonic fairy princess world where afterwork martinis and dates with boring corporate guys who foot the bill are all the fun that life has to offer. That is until you fulfill yourself by getting pregnant. Newsflash: procreation is not required. There's nothing exactly wrong with babies, but let's just say that if you don't have one, you will live.
I don't know if Dowd's post-feminist scenario of polished, power hungry pretty young things, caught in a horrible choice between flexing their corporate muscle or playing it soft like a little kitten, really exists. If so, I'm thrilled to be out here in exile. Sure some of my friends are married, some have children, and some are extremely successful in their professions, but they are focused on the content of their projects. It may not always work out perfeclty, but these women want to spend as much time as possible doing exactly what interests them nearly every single minute of the day and have fun doing it. Sound good? It is good ... it's called liberation, women's liberation, and everyone deserves it not just weirdo retro freaks like me.
- sally mckay 11-17-2005 6:50 am
Are you dissing my sexy little black handbag from Paris???????????
- L.M. 11-17-2005 10:41 am
yes. but my what intriguing reading material you have there!
- sally mckay 11-17-2005 8:12 pm
yeah holly.
- bill 11-17-2005 8:24 pm
Apparently, its some sort of Zine, that was specially die cut for sexy little handbags. The rumour in zine publishing circles is that a certain someone, who doesn't give a fuck about handbags, didn't want the angled cut.
As for the content ...hmmm ...I'm generally too shit-faced on white wine spritzers to actually read it
- L.M. 11-17-2005 9:39 pm
What I want to know is if you had your snappy handbag out in a restaurant, or if you ripped off the sugar container.
- M.Jean 11-17-2005 11:23 pm
I mean, is the intriguing photograph of tree branches a tasteful menu cover?
- M.Jean 11-17-2005 11:25 pm
I was out in a restaurant, but don't be disappointed in me for not stealing the sugar, the snappy handbag is full of stolen toilet paper.
I have not instituted a menu for my own home yet, but I dream of someone handing me a menu card before every meal. (I bet that the Governor General gets that kind of service) (I will be wanting pictures of the various choices on mine, perhaps the images from the microwaveable boxes?)
Isn't it fun to take Sally's posts and yank them way off topic!
- L.M. 11-18-2005 12:43 am
Oh, that topic is dumb anyhow. It's all boring and obvious, and yet it still needs to be said! arg. I liked Von Bark's comment on the Dowd article though, "Who are these men who don't like smart girls... and aren't they getting what they deserve?"
- sally mckay 11-18-2005 1:40 am
I always had this feeling, even in the 90's that the other shoe was yet to drop. Like Tank Girl 2 was going to be a really good movie, but they never even made it. Or whomever followed Madona was actually going to get at it in a way that she didn't.
AND then we get sex in the F*&#ing City.
Dang.
- joester 11-18-2005 10:24 am
I also blame that show for everything wrong in the world.
- sally mckay 11-19-2005 1:16 am
I'd never thought of the neurotic quartet as role models, but I guess anyone can be an exemplar.
- mark 11-19-2005 1:42 am
everybody on tv is a role model. actually...everybody is a role model. But especially people on tv.
- sally mckay 11-19-2005 4:53 am
When I was a kid I desperately wanted to be Della Street. She was so cool and she knew shorthand. (seriously, I was totally thrilled by the very idea of shorthand when I was five years old)
- L.M. 11-19-2005 9:42 am
super(role)model kate. *work warning* watch out for the fan, watch out for the fan. ...she didnt watch out for the fan.
- bill 11-20-2005 6:48 pm
Della Street would never have knocked over that fan like that.
- J@simpleposie (guest) 11-20-2005 7:35 pm
Della Street wouldn't go snort coke and dance around like an idiot (in front of a camera). (I'm projecting a bit) Della would stand there politely in an attractive sweater set with pencil skirt and pearls, and eventually inform the photographer that she really must go as she is needed in court.
- L.M. 11-21-2005 1:31 am
Kate's doing her "Blow-up" impression, minus David Hemming and the other, um, "bird." The original is just as sexy/excruciating.
- tom moody 11-21-2005 1:37 am
Hell yes, Della Street.
- jimlouis 11-21-2005 3:33 am