Jemina Pearl

I’m thinking of picking a leader for protogrrrl, my imagined genre (see here and here for past examples) and I’m considering Jemina Pearl as a possible candidate:

Every great movement has a figurehead, a spokesperson, an idol, it’s one of its defining features. ‘Who can lead us?’ hollers the bands; ‘Who can embody our aspirations and beliefs?’ shouts the fans: ‘What are we going to wear?’ cries the fashionistas. Crudely, there needs to be someone to take the flack, to crash and burn but mostly to shine hard and fast. We need them to embody the thoughts of their people. We need them because popmusic in its disposable ways is incomplete; we’re constantly chasing our next fix because our appetite is never sated. We need music to reflect life and the figurehead achieves this because their distinguishing art is their lives, projected upon the fans who absorb it piecemeal. We need them to be a bit like Morrissey…

…but that’s the problem, as effeminate as Morrissey maybe he’s still male. As I dig through the crates of contemporary female punk bands in search of a figurehead for protogrrrl I’m beginning to think that in the case of a feminist movement having a figurehead seems slightly inappropriate. Questions like, ‘Why should we replicate a capitalist, hierarchical system for a movement that seeks equality, not an inversion of a dominant-subordinate system?’ or rather, ‘With so many male figureheads, Cobain, Lydon, Barratt (Syd), Cocker etc. is the concept patriarchal?’ To create enough feminine figureheads to rival the males is like asking Nottingham Forrest to match Real Madrid in European Cup victories – a long term (fruitless?) task, as inappropriate as this football simile. I’m not saying here that women cannot be leaders, I’m saying that the very notion of a figurehead embodies the old crimes of the patriarchal hierarchy of the pop industry, the chauvinism, the sexism, the shit.

But as is the case with idols, they cannot elect themselves nor can they shy away from election, the election cannot be planned and the purpose of the candidacy can only be understood in hindsight. They are chosen by the people and they represent the people, it’s a pure as democracy can be. Jemina Pearl has fought her way to the top and can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Thurston Moore. She’s got a cool standup and be counted vibe to her lyrics further contributing to the broad church of protogrrrl. More importantly, I reckon she wouldn’t mind the illustrious position of genre figurehead – she does run a personal blog where she seemingly practices ‘living as art’. However watching her former group Be Your Own Pet perform their penultimate UK concert last year I saw her voters out in full, even if I didn’t think much of them; some fall into two categories, the objectifiers and the patronisers, and some manage to straddle both illustrious groups,

Man 1: She’s a pretty good guitarist for a bitch.

Man 2: …and fit.

Man 1: I’d fuck her if she wasn’t so young.

Man 2: She’s like twelve isn’t she?

Man 1: No, I think she’s older now, 17 maybe?

Man 2: Legal?

Man 1: She’s half my age, less than half.

Man 2: I’d do her.

Man 1: You’re a prick.

Man 2: So are you.

It’s inevitable that a proportion of the electorate will sexualise the postergirl which seems counter productive to a protofeminist movement. It’s tempting to suggest Beth Ditto but it would be for all the wrong reasons, and in my mind Ditto is more an advocate of Punk feminism than a figurehead for progression. To coronate Ms. Pearl when she’s only released three of her new tracks seems a little pre-emptive even if she seems born to lead. Also, her sound is quite straight up rocknroll and isn’t that in line with her prospective peers. Unfortunately, Ms. Pearl plays the sexual subordinate all too often and there are moments when listening to the new tracks that remind me of wannabe pop starlets, Pink or Avril Lavigne which doesn’t easily suit a feminist model. If Jemina is going to lead anyone it is will be the fashionable new wave of Punk bands like Wavves. I can see her being linked to Nathan Williams and causing great scandal.

For many idols, when they realise their lives have become their art they wish to be the authors of their final scene. Tragic really, but from a cold-hearted consumerists perspective, an inevitable necessity. I would never wish suicide upon Jemina Pearl, I want her to live a long and prosperous life…maybe one day, as a protogrrrl.