go baby go!

May 30, 2008 at 8:54 am (Uncategorized)

im stealing my title and aspects of my concluding statement from a tongue in cheek song by the amazing band Garbage. Shirley Manson, although missing from this blog is truly a saviour for girls in rock and roll- someone to admire and respect, she has fronted an immensly successful band and dealt with her own demons including depression related to what she admitted is a battle with body dysmorphia.

For everything we have mentioned so far in this blog, image ranks highly.

Says Manson:

“I look at today’s charts, at the women who are selling the most records, getting the most column inches, and I’m terrified by how they are all controlled by a male corporate idea of what women and rebels should be. When Christina Aguilera is taken seriously as a rebellious figure, we have a huge problem.”

It has taken 4 weeks to flesh out everything we, as bloggers, could think to discuss about aspects of women in rock. we continue to make the same conclusions, raise the same ideas, and answer the same questions.

I believe that through this blog we have challenged such a segmented area of the music industry. Admittedly, it never hurts to write about something you are passionate about, and as four young women were contributing to this blog, passion was something we didn’t lack. The moment of the epiphany came to me when i sat at the computer and the question came to me

“are we just marginilising women more by having this blog topic?”

and although i think our research, our profiles and our suggestions are intelligent and insightful, a part of me still wonders if raising the issues of “girls in rock and roll” just reiterates stereotypes by merely suggesting we catergorise them as non-normal.

I’ve really enjoyed writing about something as interesting, challenging and provoking as this topic has been and, admittedly, the best part has been the soundtrack. Rediscovering iconic female musicians, and expanding my musical knowledge has been the greatest side effect. I believe I appreciate the strength of women in the music industry so, so much more.

I leave this blog with a keener eye for criticism and a greater love of chicks who rock out.

this is Shirley Manson and this is Cherry Lips (go baby, go!)

which i believe to be fitting for everything we have discussed.

she gave you everything she had
but she was young and dumb
she’d just turned twenty-one
she didn’t care to hang around
so when the shit came down
why she was nowhere to be found
this life can turn a good girl bad
she was the sweetest thing
that you had ever seen

you’re such a delicate boy
in the hysterical realm
of an emotional landside
in physical terms

with your cherry lips and golden curls
you could make grown men gasp
when you’d go walking past them
in your hot pants and high heels
they could not believe
that such a body was real
it seemed like rainbows would appear
whenever you come near the clouds would disappear
because you looked just like a girl
your baby blues would flash
and suddenly a spell was cast

you hold a candle in your heart
you shine the light in hidden parts
you make the whole world wanna dance
you bought yourself a second chance

go baby go go
we’re right behind you
go baby go go
yeah we’re lookin at you

 

 

cheers,

-kass.