With the exception of Kurt Cobain dying, 1994 was a banner fucking year*: A bunch of really good records came out, I got my license, some other stuff happened, and Girl by Blake Nelson was published.** I love Girl, Kat loves Girl, lots of girls love Girl – except for teenagers today, maybe, according to Blake Nelson, in this killer interview by Lizz from Popomomo (whom we love forever for donating a dress to our Spirit Animal House charity raffle). Blake says:
“Teen readers are more conservative now, and I think they are a little shocked by Andrea, and not in a good way…Often they think that Andrea is purposefully supposed to be stupid. Or that it’s about a girl who can’t control herself sexually. It’s weird. Teens now are so monitored and managed. Andrea’s life must seem really sloppy and out of control to them.”
So that’s a drag. So’s the next paragraph of the interview. And I hardly know any teenagers and it’s wholly possible we’re all wrong and everything’s really awesome right now but I still wanna play you this 50-second song by Thurston Moore, called “The Fucking Youth of Today.” It came out in 1981 and a dude put it on a mixtape for me in 1997 and the guitar sounds so much like this really cool part in Crash Bandicoot 2.
THURSTON MOORE, “THE FUCKING YOUTH OF TODAY”
I like it all, except the dog barking. For vastly superior use of dog barking, see “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction, or “Sure Shot” by the Beastie Boys, which came out in 1994.
*to quote John Bender
**Also: My So-Called Life first aired. But I chose to exclude that from the top paragraph, mostly cuz Claire Danes was so pukey during her Golden Globes speech and I’m unjustly holding it against the entire show.
(pic from meintherye.tumblr.com)
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Tags: '90s nostalgia, 1994, Andrea Marr, Blake Nelson, books, Kurt Cobain, mixtapes, The Beastie Boys, Thurston Moore
fucking helicopter parents!!!
I never read Girl. I tried to read it once when I was 15 or 16, and a really uptight feminist lesbian, but I couldn’t, I felt like it was really obviously written by a man. But now that I am an adult and OK with men (to the point of being married to one), maybe I should try to read it again. Because it sure SEEMS like something I would love!
Also I read that interview and I am kind of surprised that kids are sexually conservative? Because aren’t they like sexting each other all the time? I have read a couple articles recently that discuss young people’s sexuality, and all I can think of is how I wanted to be having sex so bad when I was 16, 17, it was the most important thing in my life! (also getting stoned) And once you’re an adult, it’s not so desperate, and I guess it’s just a shame if kids aren’t allowing themselves to be sexual when their pheromones are turned up to 11, or whatever.
Not like it’s any of my business!!
I haven’t read Girl, but if I find a copy I’ll read it and report back.
Also sexting HAHAHAHAHA
please do, clara!
Cool story it is definitely. We’ve been looking for this information.
Matt Your welcome and thanks for the adjustment…True story coming up (I know, aren’t they all?)…Dudley was playing for “WBAL” when they took on the Essex Recreation Council “Coaches and Staff” at Eastern Technical High School sometime around 1990…Only time Ol’ Bruz was on the court / field with a former Pro Athlete…Not that I developed a Man Crush or anything, but watching that dude move around the court was just amazing…His body control was completely unlike anybody else out there…