View from the Bottom

You could be getting your advertising commentary from a more experienced, higher-paid, and prettier ad exec. But the downbeat and bass line are in our hands-- the adstar wannabes climbing the corporate ladder. As yet uncorrupted, somewhat uncouth, and utterly unrestrained, this is the view from the bottom, laid down by a first-year copywriter. Admit it. You're jealous I just might be prettier. According to advertising tradition, that makes me a more viable source of information.

on riot grrrl

as some of you know, i have an intense love for riot grrrl music, & wish i'd been born a few years earlier to be around for it. Kathleen Hanna is one of my heroes.

it began in Olympia WA & its foremothers are many (from Sonic Youth to Joan Jett), but it's credited as beginning with artists Bikini Kill & Bratmobile, among others. riot grrrl was a reaction to the misogynism of 1980s punk rock & the sexism at the shows.

as such, it formed along side grunge, finding friends in acts like Nirvana and Atari Teenage Riot, but sought a safe space for women to speak about their own silenced issues. the culture involved not only music, but art, zines, sit-ins, & emphasis on DIY ('do-it-yourself').

"we're not anti-boy, we're pro-girl": men were not excluded; some riot grrrl bands had male musicians. Kill Rock Stars, a riot grrrl positive label, was formed with right hand man, Slim Moon. riot grrrl is often characterized as both personal & political, with influences of punk rock distortion.

to listen: my riot grrrl Pandora station

to learn: manifesto, hanna's herstory, wikipedia

View from the Bottom

3.17.2008

I don't presume to know what I'm talking about.

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