Kitty (Drummer for the band Mindless Self Indulgence. Celeb Example)


While looking through my old cds I stumbled upon one of my favorites and while listening to it I couldn't help but wonder what changed ever since then. I started to think of what Bikini Kill, Jack off Jill and many other bands that started the Riot Grrrl movement had achieved. And I remember how, once more, media had destroyed everything they had achieved. The Riot Grrrl movement was not about how well you were able to play your instruments, sexuality or being an amazing musician. What it was about was getting your opinion across and setting out things, speaking your mind on things others didn't dare to think of.

It seems though that everything they worked so hard for is gone again. 15 years ago Girls, for a while, stopped worrying about being stick thin, having big boobs, make up and the right clothes. Feminism was starting its third wave but sadly it seems that wave has died. Once more a feminist is being confused with a man-hater. Am I a feminist? Yes. Do I hate men? No. Do I hate how men have recently been degrading women in their videos? Yes. Do I hate how magazines and the 'beauty' industry have made everyone believe we need to stay looking young to be attractive? Yes. Do I hate how magazines are making young girls believe that to be considered pretty you have to look like a stick figure? Yes. Do I hate how in this society you're supposed to be hair-free or else you're considered disgusting? Yes. Do I wish there was a way this could be changed? Yes. Does this way exist? Yes.

Because luckily there are some amazing females in this world who agree with me, who believe that there are still taboos to be broken. For example; Amanda Fucking Palmer. An amazing woman who doesn't shave any part of her body and who presented us with the amazing song Oasis which deals with date rape and abortion. Two subjects not many people dare to speak about because apparently it's wrong. Wrong my fucking ass!

Then there's Beth Ditto. Another woman who refuses to conform to what society desires of her. She's a big girl and proud of her curves. She doesn't care about diets or becoming skinny just so people will stop the fat comments. She believes that music should be judged on music and not on how the band members look. Have you heard her voice? She's amazing! So what she's a big girl? So what she doesn't fit into size 6, or worse, 0? Since when did music become more about how people look instead of the music it self?

When did everything change so much that you can't be who you are and get judged on your music alone. When the hell did it start to matter how people look? When the fuck did make up became synonymous with looking good? Did someone just wake up one day and look at a girl thinking "You know… she'd be perfect if she had red lips and black guck on her eyes."? I wear make up on stage. Not gonna lie but for fucks sake why is this world so fixated on what the media considers beautiful? When was it that men stopped believing a woman was most beautiful while she slept in his arms, no make up on, hair a mess and wearing one of his shirts?

Another thing that aggravates me is how people look at female musicians. I'm not talking about singers here, no offence to them as I find them brilliant; I'm talking about the ones among us playing an instrument. Do you know how rare it is to be taken seriously as a female musician? Apparently when you are born with tits and a vagina you can't play your instruments. You'll never be as good as any man playing the same instrument because, oh yeah, you don't have a dick between your legs. You know what pisses me off? People telling me "Good job" or "Wow! That was good!" after a show. They mean it as a compliment but most of the time I know they actually expected me to suck because I'm a girl. The biggest insult I ever got was someone telling me "You know…. I know quite a few female drummers and you're one of them but, unlike you, they all suck." I know some people would consider that a compliment but in all honesty it's an insult. Because it's not a compliment about what I do it's a compliment on what I am. A good female drummer. Which is apparently a wonder because female drummers suck. Give me a fucking compliment on my drumming. Don't give me a compliment because I'm a female who happens to be good at drumming. I'm a girl who happens to play the drums and for that I'm respectable because not many girls dare to do this job. Because of men who think that girls who drum must suck a lot of girls don't want to drum yet her I am drumming my damn heart out because I love to do this and I'm good at it. I don't miss a fucking beat. I give my all when I'm on that fucking stage and I put on a good show making sure I entertain the crowd with what I do. I'm not just eye candy. I'm not in this band because I'm a girl I'm in this band because I can actually play. Jimmy made me a permanent member because he likes how I play.

People think that playing an instrument means you have to be on a stage. No. You can spend years at Julliard wasting money while getting amazing on whatever instrument you play but does that automatically mean you should be on stage? Hell no! You can learn to play an instrument but you can't learn how to perform. You can't learn how to entertain a crowd. You can't learn how to be amazing on stage. It's something you are born with and without it well it doesn't matter how amazing you are people will get bored in the end and you'll end up just another kid who's awesome on their instrument but won't ever truly love what you're doing.