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typicalgirls - [TypicalGirls] The Sex Revolts

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Subject: Typical Girls: Women in Punk/Post-Punk/Underground Music (Circa 1975-1980s)

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  • From: "Dina Hornreich" <dina.hornreich AT gmail.com>
  • To: "Typical Girls" <typicalgirls AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [TypicalGirls] The Sex Revolts
  • Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:30:19 -0600

I read that text for an undergrad class English called, "Rock'n Roll and Gender Rebellion." At that time, I enjoyed it immensely. Mostly because it provided a new and different perspective on many bands that I truly loved. I think that I felt it was redeeming for me to have someone take this music seriously and examine it from an academic and critical lense.
 
As the radio geeks on campus, we were mocked a lot by people who had no tolerance for things that were unfamiliar and very weird. I remember my friend brought in some Birthday Party to play for the class. And indeed the instructor played it for the class, but afterward proceeded to read the lyrics as a way to bring people back into the discussion -- because people clearly were put off by it!
 
Now, if I were to revisit the text, I might want them to use different paradigms to examine the music (that I continue to hold near and dear). I'm not sure Helene Cixous' "Laugh of the Medusa" (and the French feminists in general) is a very practical way to approach the task. I think that (even now) there are different (perhaps better) theoretical frameworks to employ when approaching the variable of gender in music. Still, it was unique and thought-provoking.
 
-Dina



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