Me as a feminist

Sorry for the totaly silence of late. I have been reading your posts, but haven't been able to write a scrap of a post until now. The reason has been, apart from the usual year 12 mumbo jumbo, on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week I had the Mid Year concert, which is an annual concert at my school. This one was pretty big for me because I had a solo in our Symphony orchestra (the flute solo in Prokofiev's Montagues and Capulets! see the video) where there's just me playing and the violas playing pretty gilssandos over an octave and some pretty tuned percussion. Pretty nerve racking, but I felt I did well. Also, I was made leader of the woodwind section in the symphony orchestra which was pretty cool. I was also asked to conduct the school string orchestra which, naturally I agreed to. Who wouldn't turn down a fantastic chance like that? Only two year twelves get seleced to do the conducting (One for the string orchestra and one for the 7 and 8 strings) so that was pretty awesome, not to mention scary! I was really freaking out even though both pieces were in two and there weren't really and difficult tempo or dynamic changes. (2/2 and 2/4. It's so strange how a time signiture with less pulses gets more tiring. By the end of it my arm was killing, despite the lack of movement. I think it's that lack of momentum.=D) as well as being in the flute ensemble and in choir. Wow I'm so busy nowadays, but it's music really is my life.



The solo that I played begins at 3:09. This, obviously isn't our recording but it's very similar.
Even before we were performing this, it has been a true favourite of mine. There are so many emotions captured within this piece.

So this has been something that has been kicking around in my brain for the past few years. For a long time I've hung around with many feminist adults and knew that I too agreed with  many things, but... well I never exactly fitted in with that awful 'feminist' stereotype. (Does anyone?) You know the one, A thin, small boobed youngish adult who smokes cigarettes, covers skin and does add in the ocassional 'comment' to a largely male dominated conversation. The awful thing is I do know some people who do fit this description. Then there's the whole bra burning thing...
More specifially I did many things that were potentially looked down on by other hard core feminists. For example, I shave my legs and underams to silky smooth perfection. I wear lots of thick makeup. I pluck my eyebrows. I dye my hair unnaturally. I wear short or potentially 'sexy' clothing i.e fishnets, lace, short skirts and am all too happy to show some boob or thigh in the right outfit. And Hell, no one would EVER see me without a bra on. I'm not as lucky as some who can get away with not wearing one. All of these things are often seen as ways to please some high standard set by the Devil knows who in order to please men and seem more feminine. So... what makes it different for me? Is it even different for me?
I am naturally a pretty 'girly' person. I mean, I love clothes, makeup and dressing up. I like my beauty products and my perfumes. I actually enjoy shopping (on the right day of course). Conversely I also many things that are decidedly not girly- I love my Sci Fi, Horror, Fantasy and general spookiness. I'm a massive Simpsons and Star Wars nerd.

So, for many years I was in this grey area when it came to what I believed in. I knew my morals and values, but I knew that I was unintentionally against many of the things that were 'typical'. Then, once I moved to the beautiful Melbourne that I call home and had decent access to the internet that my veiw was expanded. Musicians, in particular, stood out to me probably because, I'm assuming, I am a musician.
Women such as Amanda Palmer and Emilie Autumn resonate the most with me. Sure, Amanda Palmer doesn't shave her underams, but she does shave her eyebrows and wears lots of makeup. (Did you know that she has many beautiful freckles?)

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Music/Pix/pictures/2010/4/15/1271331090462/Amanda-Palmer-001.jpg

She also prances around on stage wearing only a bra on top. That's pretty fucking bad ass, if you ask me.

Similarly, Emilie Autumn claims that she is a feminist but has recieved some slag from girls because of some of there more... ahem... provocative photos that have been takern.  I personally disagree with those people for the same reasons that E.A said somewhere... at some stage. Anyway her exact response is now lost to me (and after a good while searching the internet, I really can't find it) but it was along the lines of "I dress this way because I want to. It's not about pleasing anyone else"(I honsetly cannot remember)

http://events.liveguide.com.au/654163_thumbnail_280_Emilie_Autumn_Emilie_Autumn_Australian_Tour.v1.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwySMGS6EUyad7bxzKDqJnDE1R04aTWtZudHZEDy9PFs6iF_vSmgHrPOFRVNzpeS0s7g9fxwffSuLtnpA-GEdvwpqGcVYKG0Wch-wpnFliuLU2Ok_NEp6VPuPZbEFWN-fCkJw35UaNYqM/s1600/Anna-marie-2.jpg

 I found this intersting little snippet from the site the F Bomb
"What´s interesting about Emilie Autumn from a feminist perspective is also the way she utilizes her sexuality. Several of the Bloody Crumpets have backgrounds in burlesque and art modeling and Emilie and her Crumpets are often dressed in elaborate yet scanty costumes. But the way they interact with each other is playful and within the context of being subversive, ie girl-on-girl kissing where you get the feeling that the girls in question actually *gasp* like it beyond just titillating the audience. Whatever project Emilie is tackling, you always get the feeling that she is the one in control. You´re just along for the ride."
http://thefbomb.org/2010/05/support-women-artists-sunday-emilie-autumn/
And hell yes that is exactly what she does, and boy she does it well.

Learning more about women such as these two, plus things like Riot Grrl movement and the like gave me a hell of a lot more to think about. I mean, I am essentially a punk who wears black and lots of makeup (The word Goth may get brought up at some stage soon). The difference between my makeup and other girls is that it's dark, heavy and accentuating. I'm not trying to hide anymore because, finally after 16 years I became comfortable with who I was. I knew that makeup was part of me. I don't care who else see's it becuase I don't wear it for them. This naturally permeates through almost everything else in life, from clothes to music to movies to toys. I do it because I like it. Similarly, I then knew that I would never be a size ten, due to the shape of my skeleton. I'm not fat, but didn't fit that 'skinny pretty girl' thing either. Yet, I am still able to dress up and have fun because I know that I do look good even if it may be a bit 'risque'. I'm awfully average height wise as well, but dressing up with makeup and interesting clothes helps me stand out from the crowd, in the best way possible.

The thing that really got me was the whole shaving of the legs. Why do I do it? I know why I initially did it. It was for a dance concert and I felt so incredibly self concious that I knew I couldn't bear my legs it that state. I was about 12 then, and I've matured and I know that during my early teenage years I had no self confidence what so ever. But things have changed now. I still shaved though, partly out of habit for sure, but I think there's something more than that. I have a boyfriend of nearly two years and he has said that he doesn't care about it. I believe him and am not trying to impress any other men.

I knew that I was shaving because it still made me feel more... empowered. I did it because it makes ME feel good. I do it because I like it. I am not swayed by whatever modern fashions are currently bombarding the pop culture of today, I do my own thing and, thankfully, so do pretty much all of my blog readers.

xxx Lilly