AGA Roll Call: Pop Goes Feminism

Funnily enough I've never furiously tracked down every feminist singer, writer or artist just because they were actively political and made art that was close to what I'd call the 'women's cause'. But here's the interesting part : I find myself naturally attracted to the art and crafts made by powerful, unafraid and furious girls/women/activists.

In other words, I didn't actively look around the music planet to find Ani DiFranco's work; I'd rather say her work came to me.

I did not spend hours googling 'feminist singers' - I somehow naturally ended up listenning to PJ Harvey, Coutney Love, Martha Rainwright, Tegan And Sara, le Tigre, Hole, and other Riot Grrls.

I won't admit to liking Buffy simply because she's a feminist figure; but somehow the fact that so many of us can relate to her as a pop icon made me like her more, maybe.

I don't openly say 'I like Alice Walker because she was a feminist' because it reduces her to that - being a feminist. I love her writing because it's just that: powerul, honest, soulful, brilliant, sublime. Because she's a talented novelist. She just happens to also be a woman. I don't doubt her gender influenced her prose, but I'd refuse to see her as just an afro-american woman.

But most importantly I don't always like these women's work simply and only because they are subversive and activists: I should hope that I don't only like Art because of its cultural value, but also because it speaks to me on some kind of deep, mysterious, unconscious level.

After all growing up I liked Prince* as much as Madonna.

I'd say that I don't like all these people for the strict political message they convey, but for what is underneath: the rage, the anger, the passion, the sadness, the rawness.

It just happens that you can easily find all those elemtents in feminist art.

(*I however realise that Prince, by being one of the first popfunksex singer to introduce women in his bands [anyone remember Sheila E?], might be somehow of a feminist.)