Issue #1

Short Bits

Thursday 29th November, 2001
by Emily

I was thinking earlier today that a lot of zines and independent newspapers have similarly-themed articles. There are plâts du jour and flavours of the month in independent media, just as there are in the commercial media.

Take, for example, gentrification. I have read so much about it, have heard songs about it, have done a year-long photographic assignment based on the principles of town planning and I have written about gentrification in my zine. But I have only recently read one column by one person who managed to look at the issue from a completely different perspective and to actually see that part of the responsibility for the fact gentrification happens lies within the young, white punk community. That column was in the fall edition of Slug and Lettuce and was so totally refreshing to read.

Now, one topic I seem to see, hear about, read about and talk about all the fuckin’ time, is clothing made in sweatshops. Everyone says it’s bad and that we should check the labels, do our homework and avoid buying clothing made with sweatshop labour. But is it really that simple? How can you be sure that your clothes weren’t made in a sweatshop in a rich country? Are poor people in third world countries more important than poor people in the rest of the world?

My suggestion would be that the only way you can truly know that the manufacture of your clothes doesn’t involve exploitation is if you but the clothes from thrift shops (selectively) or acquire them second hand in some way. You could also make your own clothes or buy from someone you know who makes clothes. But then there is the question of where the fabric was made and under what conditions. After being to Mexico and seeing how cheap the fabric was there, I couldn’t help but wonder where the fabric was made, who made it and what their working conditions were like.

So, again, if you’re really concerned about human exploitation, you will have to either learn to weave your own fabric, or recycle materials and use them to make new clothes.

Short Rant #1
Something has been worrying me lately. I’ve noticed ever so subtly in the past few years that more and more emphasis is being placed, in advertising, on the perfect male image. This is of great concern. Men currently make up approximately 10% of anorexia patients. I think this figure will rise in the coming years. It scares me that men might go through a similar level of pressure to have the perfect body, face and all the rest of it, just as girls have/do. Haven’t we learnt our lesson? Is this pain going to inflicted upon our brothers as well?
- Kelly

Short Rant #2
I was listening to the latest Queens of the Stone Age cd the other day and I was disappointed to find yet another one of those songs about 16 year old girls. What is it with older guys and fantasizing about school girls and writing songs about it? I won’t point the finger at the Queens of the Stoneage too much here because there were no lyrics in the cd sleeve and I may have got the wrong impression. The Cosmic Psycho’s have a song called ‘Back at School’ and of course even old Uncle Iggy (pop) sings ‘Sweet 16′. I tell you why I think some guys, not necessarily those mentioned above, have this thing with 16 year old girls, school girls, teens etc. Because a young girl is more likely to be naive about many things - including sex, more susceptible to manipulation, sweet, innocent, will just be happy to have someone paying them attention, and he’ll be more likely have his way with her. Because older women are too much of a challenge. So when they fantasise about their sweet 16 yr old girl, she does exactly what he wants, no questions asked. Could you imagine older women writing songs about 16 year old boys? Imagine the outcry! - Kelly