"Courtney Love - The Case For The Defense"

"Taking too many drugs, courting controversy, engaging in erratic or even criminal behaviour, and being unrepentant about it: in the male rock star, these are the hallmarks of genius. In a woman, they are the symptoms of hysteria."

it appears that he is discussing the media perception of such behaviour, rather than making the case himself. However, he could have made this point a little clearer.

I've not time to properly read the whole article at the minute but I can't help feel there's a grain of truth buried under whatever blind Love, um, love there may be in what was written. (the media-perception angle did seem to be where it was coming from tho..)
better this than yet *more* sites & blogs of the "Courtney's an evil bitch whore MURDERER who KILLED KURT COBAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!" sort, mind you..

But yeah, there have been some clear attacks on Courtney that reek of sexism, even gynophobia. Cross reference the near universal condemnation by indie fanboys of Liz Phair's last album... there is something to this idea that aging women (it usually shows up when they hit their mid 30s) shouldn't display their sexual desires so nakedly (does Polly Harvey get a free pass, however? Madonna up until she hit 40? And if so why?).

So, it's a confluence of situations and positions that have led to the current near-universal villification of Ms Love (they include resentment of her involvement in the whole Nirvana psychomelodrama, misogyny/gynophobia, ageism, suspicion of rockism on her part, cruelty, boredom, perceptions of her opportunism, societal conflict vis a vis the "Mother" ideal, blah blah).

I don't know what could turn the tide now. I've heard normally compassionate people utter the words "just die already" when yet another clip of her being led away in handcuffs appears on our TV screens.

Maybe it doesn't matter, but to her loved ones (not just Frances Bean) it does.

But that's stupid. The people who say those things are idiots. I'll be damned if I'm going to base anything off of that!

A record is a record. I mean, I've heard, say, amazing songs done by people CLEARLY out of their minds on hard drugs, and at the same time, I've been witness to the the absolute crap that can also result. So if I judge a crap LP to be a great one--no matter my reasoning--a person can call me on it, or disagree, or we can debate, everyone's-a-critic-don't-ya-know. If my reasoning was aided by my own misogyny, ageism, whatever-it-is, it doesn't make my judgement any more or less right or wrong. It's a seperate issue. And this doofus tacks on a glowing review at the end of his little thesis there, sorta tells you something...

Again: this is COURTEY FRICKEN LOVE! I may like her records, or her intelligence, but she's a sad, digusting human being at this point. And when she commits some scummy act, to try to rationalize somehow that she DIDN'T because SOMEONE ELSE just MIGHT be "GYNOPHOBIC" (and yet--or, rather, IN SPITE OF THIS--this gynophobe sees her for what she is) is ridiculous.

Maybe people panned the last Liz Phair record because it was horrible, as are all Liz Phair records. For the so-called fanboys to finally get that one right isn't exactly deserving a pat on the back, but it's a step in the right direction. Maybe the The Next Liz Phair won't be able to get the INITIAL praise that set her up for a fall when she makes a different-yet-equally-poor record. Maybe people'll know better next time, and not fall for the "She's just a woman speaking frankly about sex!" line (which no better disguises her shitty songwriting abilities than someone's attempt to sell a person that she is "Just a stupid woman and shouldn't express her desires" or whatever it is. It's completey besides the point! Two wrongs don't make a right in this case!).

Polly Harvey makes good records IMHO. Why the fuck would _ANYONE_ care about her genitials or age or hair color? Hence at least my reason for a "free pass". But then, I don't see any reason to deny a free pass--to deny anything. There's no mark against her or anyone else--in my mind--because of gender or any other thing. But that's because I'm not a caveman, I suppose.

Madonna gets nothing cos she's fucking Madonna--she's crap. I'm not out there singing the praises of Pat Boone either, yet he has a penis, one would assume.

If you dislike a record because it was made by a woman, that makes your judgement suspect in my book.

Pretend for a second there is no subjectivity. Record A is good. If I understand/feel/know this, and state it, then my judgement can't be then disproved by the method by which I arrived at this conclusion. Similar to how two people can both love an LP, but one loved it initially, and the other took many plays/years to feel the same way. Either way, the truth is/was there.

To focus on, say, record reviewers and their apparent faults as a method for someone how excusing someone like Courtney's actions (whether it's making a record that ain't so hot--or something serious like the attacking audience members) is desperate. If all the critics in the world were deplorable, it wouldn't make America's Sweetheart an astonishing record, and it wouldn't make Courtney a moral or sane person. This guy he doesn't even try to argue the defense of her actions, just tries to explain away why people might target her--might critique not only her music but her public/private acts.

I guess it is meant to appeal to those who both 1) despise and disagree with (and rightfully so!) sexism, and 2) do so in a myopic, mindless way. Anyone see that South Park the other day with the concentration camp drawing of multiethnic hand-holding...?

I suppose if she took the stage, said, "I AM AN INFLATABLE SEX DOLL" and then did her set, someone calling her such would still be misogynist.

Do I need to give a run down of the things she's done? (Note that I don't really take issue with any of them!). It's not that far off.
Hell, someone brought up Madonna--she has videos where she's basically moving around on a bed as if you, the MTV viewer, are about to engage her sexually. THAT's not that far off.

Courtney was a stripper, a groupie, tossed plenty of underwear into her crowds. I mean, I wouldn't equate that with being a sex doll, but she's using these concepts, that imagery (her lyrics!), all this stuff, HER sexuality, as part of her art. If someone wants to insult her--with the basic point being she is nothing BUT the sex vibe, hence, her being LIKE a sex doll, but supposedly without musical talent/ability--I see no problem with this referencing the, uh, facts in evidence.

Infering something like woman-hating I'd tend not to do unless it was out of left field. I wouldn't say that, say, Hillary Clinton was a inflatable sex doll, but I could say other things...see? But Courtney, come on!

But we can't say these things, can we. The minute someone's noble political correctness starts to shit all over reality is usually when I start to pipe up...

"Taking too many drugs, courting controversy, engaging in erratic or even criminal behaviour, and being unrepentant about it: in the male rock star, these are the hallmarks of genius. In a woman, they are the symptoms of hysteria."

I've said and believed something like this for a long time now. Hatred of CL is very rarely based around her music, but her lifestyle. A lifestyle which would be evidence of being a rock star in a male. That is very, very true.

Not as funny as "heteronormative," but getting there.

I can't beieve anyone gives a shit abt c love or gets bothered when someone goes off on one about her, pro- or anti-

"this is COURTEY FRICKEN LOVE! I may like her records, or her intelligence, but she's a sad, digusting human being at this point"

Yeah, she's got to be in control because she's female, right? Her husband killed himself and she went off the deep end but instead of saying she's hurt and damaged and needs help she's "sad, disgusting". I think that says it all. What the hell is wrong with you?

You know when you go into a club and everyone there is so straight it hurts? And they're looking at each other like cattle? That's heteronormative.

A roomful of people wanting or hoping to hook up? Say it ain't so! How terrible! How dare they!

(That 'cattle' feeling happens in all kinds of places, gay or straight. Haven't you ever been in a gay bar?)

I think it's worth pointing out that the Sainted Kurdt did something 100X more hurtful towards his child than Courtney ever did by killing himself...

This is a nice malapropism

She needs to be in control because she's female? Excuse me? Where are you getting that--I'm very curious. She needs to be in control, cos, like, she's a bad mother, she attacks her fucking audience members. That behavior needs to be nipped in the bud. It has absolutely nothing to do with her sex--I'll go you one more and add that I never assumed otherwise, that somehow her actions were guided by her genitals.

http://archivedmusicpress.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/courtney-love-on-the-cover-of-melody-maker-19th-february-1994.jpg?w=418&h=577

Yeah, she's got to be in control because she's female, right? Her husband killed himself and she went off the deep end but instead of saying she's hurt and damaged and needs help she's "sad, disgusting". I think that says it all. What the hell is wrong with you?

But the problem is, she was sad and disgusting long before she met Kurt - take it from someone who knew her.