For my zine I want to utilize visual literacy to tell the story of ‘feminine rage’ or ‘girlhood’ as told through various female artists. Artists such as Fiona Apple, Gwen Stefani, MARINA, Mitski, and Courtney Love have always been my favorite for their rage against the world. They paint pictures through their words of being tied down by societal norms and having to accept things thrown their way simply because of their status as a girl. I want to take the words so vividly painted in my head and transform them into something tangible. I’m very inspired by the Riot Grrl ideology, but I feel like with this zine I can push past the borders of Riot Grrl ideology being found primarily in punk. I want to focus more on issues of women being placed on unwanted pedestals, whether it be for beauty or fame, and fight back against the norm that to be famous is to be harassed and subject to predatory behavior. For example, No Doubt’s Simple Kind of Life to most may tell the story of a girl who doesn’t end up with the guy she wants. However, to me it’s much more than that. Gwen Stefani, the lead singer, voices the pains of gaining fame. She can’t live a simple life due to fans, paparazzi, and a rock lifestyle. She has too many eyes on her which is great for her career, but bad for the average life of a woman. Along with this, I feel like I could play on the Madonna-Mistress complex, the idea that women can either be saints or holy women, or whores. This applies to these artists, specifically the mistress aspect as female artists are often shamed for expressing themselves.
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