We went to the roller derby this weekend, and it rocked! I think this is my new favorite sport.
The not-always-PC feminist I carry around in my head was not sure she was cool with this. The teams are made up of some kick-ass ladies, but they are also some unabashedly sexy chicks. In large part that’s due to the previously mentioned kick-ass-edness these women exude, but the fishnets and tattoos and short skirts help, too. Never been? The Advocate laid out the paradoxical scene pretty colorfully:
The skating attire expresses each woman’s personality in a manner somehow both burlesque and empowered at the same time. Short skirts, tight T-shirts, punk hair and knee socks are combined with a determined stance and padding tough enough to protect a football player. One mini-skirted skater takes a tumble, revealing a defiant message printed on her undies: “Kiss My Skates.”
And so I got to thinking. I agonize over being a girl in the 2009 music world. I hear tales of misogyny among professionals and teachers. I watch music documentaries and wonder why the only women interviewed are “fans”. I am annoyed by “women’s concerts” and talking about “women’s issues” in the field, but I’m awake enough to see why people still need reminded about them and poked regularly anyway. Sometimes you just don’t think to look for the girl until it’s pointed out that she’s missing (or just over there playing the flute).
What I loved about the Charm City Roller Girls (that’s one of their PR photos up there on the right) was that in all the glitter and sweat and knee pads, it didn’t feel directed at any of that kind of statement-making. It looked to me like they were 100% dressed up and playing for themselves on their own terms, for the joy and pride they took from it all, and it looked like a hell of a good (if occasionally bruising) time. That never seems to be as easy to accomplish as it sounds, but when it happens, it’s a powerful thing to watch.
You nail it in your last paragraph, Molly. It IS about playing on one’s own terms. The more we have a good time, do our best work, treat everyone around us with respect, and go into the world each day assuming that we are treated with the same respect by others (because why shouldn’t we be?), it’s amazing how much falls into place.
Yes, there is still discrimination in some areas. The best way to combat this is to live beautifully, with passion and joy. Others respond to that a lot better than they do to anger and negativity, and when we live by example we attract positive people and experiences into our lives, and we change the world around us. We’re all members of the Charm City Roller Girls!