Comments on: The world split open: telling the truth(s) about ourselves http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/ Bringing Rights Within Reach Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:59:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: lsrj.org » Blog Archive » Outlaw Midwives, Transgressive Mothers, & A Rebel With A Cause http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/#comment-3050 lsrj.org » Blog Archive » Outlaw Midwives, Transgressive Mothers, & A Rebel With A Cause Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:51:22 +0000 http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/#comment-3050 [...] --> « The world split open: telling the truth(s) about ourselves [...] [...] –> « The world split open: telling the truth(s) about ourselves [...]

]]> By: Erin S. http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/#comment-2990 Erin S. Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:53:17 +0000 http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/#comment-2990 Madison, I think context is huge. For one thing, the song is told from the point of view of the survivor of the rape--I can't imagine a male singer ever writing a song like this in the first place, or being able to "sell" it if he did. (Of course men can be rape victims too, and if a male singer WAS telling a story from that perspective, it would be a different matter). I think knowing background story matters less than the fact that this is clearly a woman's narrative. Basically the lyrics tell the first-person story of a girl who has had all these terrible things happen to her, relates them in a matter of fact way, and then says "but I don't care" b/c she's excited to go see her favorite band. There's a lot of layers there--the layer where it's tongue in cheek, the layer of teenage shrug-it-off mentality, and even a layer of empowerment: yeah, this bad stuff happened, but I'm not letting it bring me down. And it's clear from the media reaction that this is "wrong." She's supposed to be a victim. She's supposed to be sad about it. Why isn't she? What's her problem? Madison, I think context is huge. For one thing, the song is told from the point of view of the survivor of the rape–I can’t imagine a male singer ever writing a song like this in the first place, or being able to “sell” it if he did. (Of course men can be rape victims too, and if a male singer WAS telling a story from that perspective, it would be a different matter). I think knowing background story matters less than the fact that this is clearly a woman’s narrative.

Basically the lyrics tell the first-person story of a girl who has had all these terrible things happen to her, relates them in a matter of fact way, and then says “but I don’t care” b/c she’s excited to go see her favorite band. There’s a lot of layers there–the layer where it’s tongue in cheek, the layer of teenage shrug-it-off mentality, and even a layer of empowerment: yeah, this bad stuff happened, but I’m not letting it bring me down. And it’s clear from the media reaction that this is “wrong.” She’s supposed to be a victim. She’s supposed to be sad about it. Why isn’t she? What’s her problem?

]]> By: Madison http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/#comment-2979 Madison Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:31:04 +0000 http://reporepro.lsrj.org/2009/02/06/the-world-split-open-telling-the-truths-about-ourselves/#comment-2979 I like the links you make between these situations! A side note: I think it's interesting that the song was censored because it was considered by the BBC to be "making light" of rape. What would our feelings be if it was a male singer whose lyrics appeared to do this, or we didn't know the artist's background story? Would it matter, and why? Context can mean a lot in this kind of thing... I like the links you make between these situations! A side note: I think it’s interesting that the song was censored because it was considered by the BBC to be “making light” of rape. What would our feelings be if it was a male singer whose lyrics appeared to do this, or we didn’t know the artist’s background story? Would it matter, and why? Context can mean a lot in this kind of thing…

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