We need more strong women in the arts, and other bullshit

So much is said about women in the arts. You know, how we don't get taken seriously, how female characters seem secondary.

This year's Academy Awards are testament to the lack of female roles in popular film, with every story centering around men. So the challenge is for chicks to get busy and tell more stories about us, just to even things out...

All of my lead characters across short stories, novels and poetry are women. Not "strong" women, nor even "weak" women, because those are just wanky constructs. My women have jobs, they lose them, they drink too much and take drugs, sometimes they fuck strangers, or their friends, at other times they drive at a legal speed limit and eat a healthy diet but sometimes they just want hot chips and chocolate at four in the morning.

What do you think? should there be more "strong" women represented in the media or just women of all kinds? And who determines what "strong" means? Is Beyonce strong because she's "proud" to show her body and talk about her ass? (P.S. NO)

So that reminds me...

A few years ago, a major radio station in Australia held their countdown for the Hottest 100 of all time. Talk about controversial. Apparently there are no hot women in alternative music, and there have never been. Here are some tidbits about the countdown from Wikipedia.

    * Only two songs in the entire Hottest 100 featured a female lead vocalist: Shara Nelson and Elizabeth Fraser, both of whom were guest vocalists on songs by Massive Attack("Unfinished Sympathy" and "Teardrop" respectively). As such, there were no female artists or bands with permanent female vocalists who reached the countdown.

I know this is old news now, but it still sets me off when I think about it. So go and listen to some awesome women, you guys.

Here's someone I'm listening to right now! I heart Adalita, and she's from my hometown, Melbourne so I get to check her out live all the time.



Not forgetting Sia.

And finally, Nenah Cherry!