take your top off for Amanda Palmer.

so, anyone who's been a long-term reader of this blog will know that i have quite a thing for the Dresden Dolls, of whom the illustrious Amanda Palmer is queen. and Amanda just released a kickass record called Who Killed Amanda Palmer? and for that record, she wrote a song called Leeds United, and made a music video of it. and in that music video, she was recently informed by her record label (Roadrunner, which specializes in metal and is generally an epic sausage fest), that her belly was too fat for the camera and that they wanted to digitally edit it to make her look thinner.

well, i'm gonna spare you the full-length rant, since all the feminist blogs have already covered it (see in particular the F word and feministing) and because i don't feel like working myself up into too much of a lather tonight. i'll just quote for you what the female contributor on Sociological Images mused in response to all this:

"As a heterosexual, I have really only seen men naked. I have no idea what women actually look like."

and though it makes me twitch and growl to admit it, this is really true. most people DON'T know what the ladies look like in real life.

and moreover, may i just say:
Dear Roadrunner Records,
when we look at a video of Amanda Palmer, and we see that she isn't wearing a shirt, we are not thinking "gee i wonder if maybe she could stand to lose a few pounds and also i am thinking of buying fewer records this year"; we are thinking "OMG AMANDA PALMER IS TAKING HER CLOTHES OFF FOR ME, OMG ZOMG."
love,
dorkas.

and so, that is why it is with great pleasure i direct you to the fan-generated response to this whole disgusting debacle: the Rebellyon.



the Guardian recently wrote up this project. in support of Amanda Palmer and of Actual Human-Shaped Women everywhere, they encourage you to add your picture to the Belly Gallery. i highly recommend scanning through these images. highly highly. as one who once spent a handful of horrible, awful, no-good very-bad months on the starvation train, i find my spirits considerably lifted by this response. and so! below, please find my own contribution to The Rebellyon:



excuse the slightly wonky handwriting; i had to write backwards while looking in a mirror. and yes, i am wearing Guinness shorts.

ladies and gentlemen, nothing would please me more than to see you join this noble shirtless quest. let me know if you do. it will make me grin a whole whole lot.