Ops – Page 2 – The Concordian

From the ages of 10 to 20, nearly every woman I met would comment on my appearance, either praising me or hating me for having a slim figure. As the years went by, such comments were oftentimes followed by orders to eat more, or overt criticism of my “chicken legs.”

As the media became more inclusive, slogans like “REAL women have curves” and “men like something to grab onto” were all over my feed, planting the seeds of my body dysmorphia.

I by no means claim that curvy, busty girls have it easy, and skinny girls are the new victims. I am simply one of the hushed voices sharing my experience. I cannot tell you how many times I tried to share my own bodily insecurities, only to be shut down because “I was lucky enough to have been born with a fast metabolism.”

The thing is, I was never satisfied with my body. I never wanted a thigh-gap, nor for my ribcage to show. The negative comments affected me because I wasn’t at ease in my own skin. I looked up to women like Shakira, Beyonce, and Monica Bellucci; forever wishing for an hourglass figure like theirs. I didn’t like my elongated, skinny legs. I, too, fell for the real woman ideal.

So I did everything I could to try to bulk up, and for the past six years, I have tried every carb-loaded diet I could find to gain as many pounds it would take for me to look curvier. It took me six years to be able to look in the mirror, and be somewhat satisfied with the woman staring back.

Almost a month ago, yours truly spent an insane amount of money at a monetary sinkhole called WINNERS, as a sort of “retail therapy.” Among the many knick-knacks I purchased were two pairs of pants, both different sizes, and both fit me perfectly. One pair was a size 4, the other a size 6, and to add to my confusion, I was walking around in size 8 jeans. I understand a woman’s weight fluctuates between one day and the next, but this was just mind-boggling, and certainly didn’t appease my mind.

Such retail “mishaps,” if we wish to call them, are not uncommon. Every woman I have had the pleasure to converse in such topics with shared the same problem, and the majority of them suffer from severe body image problems.

I would also like to mention that I absolutely do not think such issues are limited to the female population, and acknowledge that men also deal with the same demons.

Earlier this year, 18-year-old Chloe Martin shared a picture of seven pairs of jeans on Twitter, all size 12, looking entirely different, with a caption that reads “Incase you’ve ever wondered why women get so frustrated with our clothing sizes – every pair of jeans pictured, is a size 12.

Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, a website discussing retailing, business and consumer behavior, told today.com that Martin’s photo is “also indicative of the fashion industry’s pervasive and unhealthy attempts to tell women how their bodies should ideally be proportioned.”

I would like to think that one day, we will all overcome this constant obsession with our figures, and be able to live our lives without this crippling anxiety of fitting into one given size. Unfortunately, all I can do is hope.

Graphic/photo by @sundaeghost/Laurence B.D.

Unfortunately we can’t always choose what genres gain mass audiences

From the droning sound orgies of Skrillex and Zedd, to more digestible beats synergized by artists like Daft Punk, EDM (Electronic Dance Music) has found itself into the nightclubs, raves and in the ‘drops’ of tacky radio singles that seem to plague so many of our generation’s sound systems. Seldom listened to at low volumes and difficult to get really passionate about while not working out or being completely sober, distinctly mainstream EDM as a new and yet slowly dying fad (depending on who’s talking), covers a range of electronica sub-genres whose purpose is to induce intense dance fits in its users. For the time being, these mainstream branches including millionaire mixers and celebrity DJs will be the main target of this discussion (think late night radio club remixes without their corresponding Dr. Jekylls). Slithering its way into pop culture using catchy calculated beats, the unavoidable intrusiveness so characteristic of the genre is hardly a reflection of a capitalist-hedonist society obsessed with a vain sense of escapism. Cough. Too harsh?

Alright, so it is simply impossible to argue why a genre as a whole is good or bad based on how it sounds, and yet objectively speaking, EDM has been a hot topic on quite a few different levels. The genre has been under fire not only for its characteristic bass drops devoid of emotion, but also the amount (or lack) of knowledge and skill required to pull off a live performance. Critics often attack the alleged mental traffic that the genre induces, as well as the fact that EDM performances usually don’t require a band up on stage but rather a single button-pusher staring blankly out into the crowd (See “David Guetta Completely lost @ Tomorrowland 2014” on YouTube).

Back in 2012 on his Tumblr blog, Deadmau5 had written a short manifesto highlighting what exactly was needed for a live EDM concert to be successful: “It’s not about performance art, it’s not about talent either … I think given about one hour of instruction, anyone with minimal knowledge of ableton and music tech in general could DO what I’m doing at a Deadmau5 concert.” So there you have it, a genre that, as far as live performances go, simply requires a basic understanding of computers. However, according to Deadmau5, that’s not the point: his skills shine “in the goddamned studio, and on the fucking releases.” That being said, it would seem that for the consumers, while EDM studio tracks are the more frequented method of listening, raves and concerts are the real apex of the experience.

Pushing aside the genre’s aesthetic squabbles, it’s important to note that drug use is inherently interwoven with EDM culture, where the genre’s primary focus on mindless pleasure might be to blame. And while drug use in and of itself is a matter of personal decision, EDM festivals are notorious for their frequent overdoses and death counts that never fail to attract the attention of the media. While it’s not always bad to enhance a listening experience with illegal substances, being able to appreciate the genre only when high or drunk might be an indication of its artistic scope.

Whilst on the topic of drug use and music, head-banging on ‘Molly’ with all the ‘cool’ kids seems almost flat and self-defeating especially in contrast with using similar drugs (or not) with a friend or two.

Even on the outskirts of the genre itself artists like Flying Lotus have managed to transcend monotony by incorporating a distinct jazz feel, even MGMT’s 2013 self-titled album is a perfect example of a band that merges with electronic elements to amplify a more well-defined and exploratory sound. So while EDM is considered to be a part of electronica, other subcategories that fall into the electronica field are in no way limited to the dull predictability that’s found within the excessive pulses typical of mainstream EDM. It’s hard to believe people are dropping Lucy and shrooms with Skrillex being blasted into their skulls.

Whether one is searching for meaning and catharsis or looking for a distraction from the horrors of reality (why can’t we have both?), EDM is diving headfirst into the bland vanity of the mainstream. It will inevitably result in its swift self-destruction, while the underground scene of musicians and artists will effervesce and rise up from the mud of EDM as a past pop-culture mishap, (seriously though, is there, and will there ever be anyone over fifty who genuinely enjoys EDM?), only to result in new genres finding themselves in the same mainstream cul-de-sac.

At any rate, it simply boils down to individual taste and in this case maybe even philosophical point of view. EDM is just one of many art forms which has a brilliant effect on some and can be the instigator of a bad trip for others. It’s hard to say whether the more popular streams of EDM are a hallmark of capitalism that is harming the music industry, or if it actually is the glorious product of pampered artists meant to inspire a generation to ‘party hard.’