Comments on: Red Letter Year – Ani DiFranco http://www.thefeministreview.com/2008/12/red-letter-year-ani-difranco.html Calling Patriarchy As We See It Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:51:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: anna lisa gross http://www.thefeministreview.com/2008/12/red-letter-year-ani-difranco.html/comment-page-1#comment-29483 anna lisa gross Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:43:53 +0000 http://www.thefeministreview.com/2008/12/red-letter-year-ani-difranco.html#comment-29483 I finally got this album, and honestly, I pretty much only listen to three tracks.... I do like it all, but yes, some of it is quite sappy. Now Ani has every right to be sappy and change her content and tone as she grows and changes, but I'll never love any album more than "Little Plastic Castle." But two of my favorites on it ARE pretty sappy! Present/Infant and Landing Gear are both about her baby, and they are beautiful and quite profound to me. Hearing (in Present/Infant) that Ani, an absolute goddess/icon/idol of feminist glory, still looks in the mirror and is "mad I don't look better" is simultaneously depressing and heart-warming to me. I want to believe that some women have truly gotten over worrying about their looks - and if even Ani can't, who could?! But hearing her admit it is also a reminder that none of us are alone in this tailspin. And she pulls herself out because people say her daughter looks like her, and she has no question about her daughter's "perfect right to be." This is a moving example of learning to love ourselves as we learn to love others. There's nothing more feminist than that! I finally got this album, and honestly, I pretty much only listen to three tracks…. I do like it all, but yes, some of it is quite sappy. Now Ani has every right to be sappy and change her content and tone as she grows and changes, but I’ll never love any album more than “Little Plastic Castle.”

But two of my favorites on it ARE pretty sappy! Present/Infant and Landing Gear are both about her baby, and they are beautiful and quite profound to me.

Hearing (in Present/Infant) that Ani, an absolute goddess/icon/idol of feminist glory, still looks in the mirror and is “mad I don’t look better” is simultaneously depressing and heart-warming to me. I want to believe that some women have truly gotten over worrying about their looks – and if even Ani can’t, who could?! But hearing her admit it is also a reminder that none of us are alone in this tailspin.

And she pulls herself out because people say her daughter looks like her, and she has no question about her daughter’s “perfect right to be.” This is a moving example of learning to love ourselves as we learn to love others. There’s nothing more feminist than that!

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