Stories I’d like to see - women in music take control

Stars of Glee knock back photo shoot for men’s magazine. ‘We don’t need to present ourselves that way’, say the women of Glee. ‘We know who we are, we are secure in ourselves and in our careers, so we’re not playing down to the lowest standard.’ ‘We give a lot of ourselves in our work, and want to save our more personal selves for our private lives.’ They added, ‘We’re sick of women feeling like they have to present themselves as slutty to get attention from men. That’s dumb. Men can like women without women behaving like they’re porn stars. We believe men are better than that.’’

Miley Cirus wants to be taken seriously as an adult artist, so contemplates taking a role on Broadway. “I know I’m vocally limited in range, and my accent is a problem,’ says Ms Cirus, ‘but I could do small role. I couldn’t play a lead in Wicked, or Sweet Charity or Oklahoma!, but I could play Daddy Warbucks’ assistant in Annie.’ If I can’t do Broadway, perhaps I could introduce my age group to cabaret - just me, a pianist and a mike on stand. That would be exciting.’

Gabriella Climi also sees a world of opportunity beyond popular culture. ‘I’m looking at women in rock who rocked because they were great singers, had ideas and into the music, not women who shocked. I’m putting together a rocking band and we’re going on the road. We’re making music on our own terms, and refuse to play that bullshit women-in-music-are-sexually-available game. Music can be about anything, and songs about sex are so over-represented on the radio. Sure, we have sex, but that’s just one part of who we are. There is so much else we want to sing about.’

Jessica Mauboy declines making music video with Snoop Dog. ‘The singers I most admire are ones who keep their clothes on, ‘ she is reported as saying, ‘ I never saw Aretha writhing on the ground like she’s humping at an orgy. I never saw a fellow musician disrespect Joni Mitchell, kd lang or Ella Fitzgerald. I know how these male r’n’b artists treat women in their music videos, and I’m not going there! I'm a creative artist, and my creativity won't be confined to fit the patriarchal music industry.’

Hey Mr DJ

At our last school disco, I didn't enjoy the music. It wasn't really conducive to dancing. So, at the P&C I volunteered to do the music for the next dance.

Because the school hall has just been rebuilt, and because of other functions going on this year, it turns out the time for a school dance falls at the end of October, so it is a Halloween Disco. Now, I've never been into Halloween. Wrong Hemisphere. We don't have the pagan or Christian or cultural background for it to make sense to me. We don't have loads of pumpkins and apples on hand. Even so, I've entered into the spirit of Halloween by looking for suitably spooky songs (not Alice Cooper) that kids can dance to (not Warewolves of London). Rounded out with 70s disco (bless those Kindy boys who told me they like dancing to Abba and Michael Jackson), a few Disney tween songs (HSM) and formation songs like the Nutbush and Macarena, I made a playlist and asked my partner to burn these songs onto five cds, and I'm ready to DJ.

Ah, but not so fast. Said partner installed a DJ program, with spooky sounds, can fade songs out and in, and do all kinds of tricky DJ sounds. Said partner then proceeded to play with said program, and said he would teach me how to use it. I said, hey, Mr DJ, you're having so much fun, how about you be the DJ at the disco. Mr DJ said, what will the lighting system be like? Huh? And how many interruptions will there be for drawing the raffle, and so on? What? It is school dance. Just go with the flow.

So, he is going to be the DJ at the school dance on Friday night, and I can dress up with the kids and dance. My plan is get the parents dancing, instead of just having a dancefloor of screaming children running around. Actually, my vision is to see the whole school doing the Bustop,but that might have to wait until next time.

If everyone loves it, it was my playlist. If not, well it's my playlist.

Other people's children

This morning I spoke to my daughter at school while she was sitting with an older child. The older child, who had her back to me, waved her arm dismissively and said 'goodbye mum.'

Now that's rudeness I'm not happy to accept.

I wouldn't accept that in my home, but at school, what to do?

Call over a teacher, make the kid stand up and say it again? Hoping the teacher will back me up? Make the kid stand up, look me in the eye and say things to her like 'What did you just say? I wasn't talking to you.' Or any number of uncool cliches.

In truth, I walked away, angry - the bus had just arrived to take them to swimming lessons. In truth, I'm not sure I could confront her without calling her a little shit, and making a scene. Not a good look.

What do you do when other people's children are rude to you?

Mum videos - funny

Have you seen these?

Kind of explains why mums can't be lumped into one category. All different ideologies and experiences.


http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7148143/

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7281539/


I like Mompetitor.