Wow. For once a newspaper has selected a truly awesome women's advice columnist: Beth Ditto, the lead singer of the Gossip, a fashion icon, and a thoroughly fab, fat, feminist lesbian. She will be answering questions in a new column, "What Would Beth Ditto Do?", in the Guardian's G2 on Fridays.
Of her new gig, she writes:
There have been a lot of times in my life when I wished that someone was around to be really honest with me, to say, "What the fuck are you doing?" Realistically it's often easier if that doesn't come from your friends, but from someone at a distance. That's why I'm so excited about starting this column in G2, addressing your questions and dilemmas. I'd love to be able to help convince people to accept themselves and to let go of what other people think of them - I think that's one of the most important things you can do. [...]I didn't read a lot of teenage advice columns when I was growing up, partly because I couldn't relate to them. I would read them and think: "I don't have trouble with boyfriends - I'm scared that my mom can't pay the rent." I was brought up by a single mom in a poor town in Arkansas and while some aspects of smalltown life were really positive - like the fact that everyone there is really sweet and hospitable - there is also this close-minded mentality, and that naturally made me want to rebel.
So. Awesome. In her column last week, Ditto tackled how to come out to your co-workers.
Thanks to Becky for the link.
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Oh, thanks for the link and head's up! I love Beth Ditto!
My dad (red state Republican who works in the oil business, is terrified of teh gays) bought the last Gossip record. He appears to have found it randomly on iTunes. I think he would cry in his bed for a week if he ever saw a picture of what The Gossip actually look like.
Beth is awesome. One of my continuing annoyances is how she gets treated in the supposedly cool, progressive indie rock blogosphere. Wanting all your women to be shy librarians is just as confining as wanting them to be pr0n stars, dudes.
Yeah! It's amazing how Beth and The Gossip have broken out into the mainstream in the UK. Only a paper like the Guardian would have someone so awesome write for them. I just wish the same would happen here, in her home country, with her. For now, it just seems like a case of "preaching to the choir" - i.e. I can read all about her in mags like Bust and in gay and lesbian publications and web sites.
Thanks for posting this! I totally bookmarked it. Beth rules. And as a female drummer I am in love the Gossip's drummer Hannah, too. They are so kickass.
haha wow I just ran across this, too:
http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=47465&in_page_id=7
Kiera Knightley says she doesn't like look anorexic and would rather look like Beth.
Uh, found totally by accident. I don't read celeb gossip sites. No...
I done talked to her once! Amanda-gon can confirm! It was ABOUT THE WEATHER.
It was during that show that Hannah freaked out about 12 seconds into the first song and got some dude (transgression: unknown) kicked out of Emo's.
awesome.
The weather, norbizness?!
You know you're like, totally famous now, eh!!!
I know cause the Foo Fighters' drummer once asked me where he could score drugs, so I too am like, totally famous!!!
blucas I totally see what Keira's talking about, Beth does look really curvy and lovely. I'm more on the Keira end of the spectrum (slightly wider through the hips and ass, but a little shorter) and there's been a lot of days when I wished I could look like the bigger curvy girls. I always thought they looked very womanly in a way I don't.
I'll have to check her band out, along with that advice column.
Hey now, I think both Keira Knightley and Beth Ditto are incredibly sexy ladies. They both seem proud of who they are and what they have accomplished. I will never ever look like either of them ... and I am totally cool with that.
You gotta love Beth. She is the first woman in the media who looks like I do, so hoorah for her. And she refused to do a gig for Topshop (a huge clothing chain store in the UK for those who don't know) because they won't make clothes for bigger women. Rock on, Beth!!
i met Beth D. after their opening set for Jon Spencer a couple of years ago. well, i didn't really "meet" her, more like i stood next to her and smiled. duh! but what do you say to her??? um, you're pretty and sing real good. next time i'll be better prepared.
Jess I'm perfectly happy with how I look now in all my tiny glory, but I just remember being around 12 or so and seeing myself as a skinny gawky mess who looked like a 10 year old boy from the back. Then I wanted to look like Beth, now I'm pretty happy with how things turned out. She is beautiful though.