HI, I'M ABOUT TO RANT ABOUT SOMETHING STUPID NOW.

So Miley Cyrus did something kind of stupid and took some "sexy" pictures for her boyfriend (here) and people, of course, are being judgmental little assholes about it. "OMG SHE'S DISGUSTING" "WHAT A HO" etc.

I cannot tell you how much this angers me. Like, I just. Can't. I like Miley Cyrus and all, but even if I hated her this would piss me off intensely. Oh my god, a 15 year old girl took some generally tame pictures for her boyfriend! WHAT AN AWFUL ROLE MODEL. Fucking hell.

She's fifteen years old and that's young, yes. But you know what? I remember being fifteen. I remember being fifteen and being sexual. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I don't think there's anything wrong with a high school girl exploring sexuality, as long as she's careful. Sex is fun. But I forgot, yes. Girls CAN'T be sexual. Miley Cyrus can't dare take private pictures of herself in a wet t-shirt, Audrey Kitching can't model in a bikini, Vanessa Hudgens can't take naked pictures of herself for her boyfriend. Because it's showing off your body. It's sexual. Slutty. Wrong. It sets a bad example, to be proud of your body. To want other people to see it. It's just like porn. Disgusting. Girls are supposed to be demure. No sex until marriage. Keep your legs closed, don't wear a low-cut top, what are people going to think about you?

I truly hate people sometimes. I hate double standards and I hate the instant hatred for any girl who isn't perfect and most of all, I HATE that this sort of thinking comes from people who I've generally liked in the past. What the actual fuck.

Everyone and their mother is posting about Pete and Ashlee today, and like, I have thoughts too but they're not that interesting and Kala pretty much expressed everything I've wanted to say. SO INSTEAD, I AM GOING TO POST ABOUT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Age and bandom and why I sometimes feel incredibly uncomfortable being 18.

Because, okay. I'm 18 years old and I've gone to shows and been around livejournal people (some of them that I've seen at more than one show) and they've fully ignored me. And that really sucks. At the Panic show, even though I'd never met natacup82 before and didn't have her friended, I talked to her. She was from livejournal, and that's all I needed to know. Hell, I've made friends at shows who were most definitely not from livejournal. I can be socially awkward and awful at conversation sometimes, but I try. I want to meet new people of all ages and from everywhere in the world and just have an awesome time at concerts.

I don't know. It's partly my fault, I'm sure, that those LJ people ignored me. After all, I could have initiated the conversation too. But. It's hard to invite yourself into a circle of people talking. You don't know if they want you. So, situation reversed, I try to reach out and include people. Maybe that's just me.

And I can't help feeling that part of the reason that people don't want to talk to me is because, hey, I look young. I'm wearing eyeliner. I must just be another scene kid. Never mind that I clearly know other people from fandom. And that makes me so incredibly angry, to think that people could judge me that way, to look at me and think "Yeaaaah...no. Not interested in talking to her".

I'm not sorry for being 18, I'm not sorry that I think it's fun to wear eyeliner. I'm definitely not sorry that I throw myself into concerts and dance around and sing my heart out and act like a complete fool. I'm enjoying myself. Try it sometimes, especially if you're going to shell out the money to go to a concert for a band you supposedly care about. It's disappointing, because I always assumed bandom people were the best kinds of fans around. Thanks for proving me wrong! Give me the teenies that love with all of their hearts any day. I'd rather see tiny 12 year olds in ridiculously awful homemade shirts bouncing around and clearly having the time of their lives than see people standing around acting ashamed to be there. That's not being a fan. That's being a douche.

I have to go make dinner now, so I'm done ranting....for the moment. But, feel free to tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm overreacting and taking it personally. I don't know. Maybe I am. Discussion time!

So I recently saw a bandom secret thing or whatever about people losing respect for anyone with a scene queen icon or layout. Which made me angry! And also sad. And made me want to talk about why I love Audrey Kitching. And made me want to address a few other things I've seen.

This is probably going to be really disjointed! Here is an outline of what I'm going to be talking about today (because I'm a big dork and also it might help you decide whether you're going to read it or not.)

-What I Mean When I Say I Love Scene Queens (And Bandom People In General)
-Why I'm Not Saying You're A Bad Feminist If You Don't Love Them
-Why I Think You Kind of Suck If You Think Being a Groupie Makes You A Bad Person

( *takes a deep breath* )

That was basically just an unfocused rant, and while there's always more I'm willing to say about these girls, this is where I'm going to leave it. I know I don't ever get my point across the way I want to, but basically what I'm saying is: this is why I'm able to love scene queens, and while I never need for anyone on my flist to feel the same way, I kind of ridiculously want everyone to remember that these girls are just people. Just like anyone else. And I always want to try to make people examine their opinions and think about what they're saying or why they think a certain way. That's nice too!

And going back to the thing that started all of this, I really really hope that everyone on my friends list doesn't lose respect for me because of the way I feel about scene queens. That would make me the saddest Shay ever.

HEY REMEMBER WHEN I SAID I HAD THINGS TO TALK ABOUT? STILL DO. WELCOME TO THE RANT...

1. It bothers the fuck out of me that people still assume Jac Vanek does nothing other than take pictures of herself. Because she IS in college, and she does have to maintain her GPA, and she's running a business, all of which means she's DOING THINGS OTHER THAN PARTYING AND YOU'D KNOW THAT IF YOU'D TAKE A SECOND TO LEARN. And honestly, even if she did nothing, why exactly does that make her worthless? I do way less than she does. I don't have my own business or go to college. But I drink. I take random crappy pictures of myself and post them online. GUESS THAT MEANS I FAIL AT LIFE.

2. I swear to god, the next time I see "LOL I know personal posts/posts about your life/etc. are boring, but here I am making one!" I am going to shoot a baby. THANKS, THANKS FOR TELLING ME THAT 90% OF POSTS THAT I MAKE, THAT MY FRIENDS MAKE, THAT MOST PEOPLE ON LJ MAKE ARE COMPLETELY BORING AND WORTHLESS. Also, does everyone really hate them? Really now? LAST TIME I CHECKED, I AM PART OF EVERYONE, AND I DON'T.

3. Also, I'm truly sorry that I keep commenting on your posts when you clearly don't want me to. It would actually be better if you ignored my comments instead of making bored replies that make it seem like you seriously wish I'd shut up. That's real nice. And classy!

4. Hating Ryan Ross is not a valid lifestyle choice anymore. Things have changed for him, but that's okay.

5. Speaking of hate. If you seriously hate everything about me and Kala, or if you think we're not going to make it, or if you roll your eyes every single time I post about her? You're probably better off defriending me right now. This isn't a ship that's going to crash and burn, so please don't bother sticking around to watch the wreckage. I'd hate to disappoint you.

6. And to bookend this with a scene queen thing: You hate Audrey Kitching because you're exactly like her in some ways. Only less awesome. Sorry to say.

Wow, rants. Uh, that's not all about one person, and some are kind of general. That's all the drama I've got right now, though! IT FEELS NICE TO TALK ABOUT IT. Thnks fr th thrpy, flist!

Okay, so my girlfriend is making a post about certain bandom girls and their contributions to world/society/whatever, which inspired me to read some recent posts about scene queens. And oh lord, did my blood begin to boil.

So, hi, this is a rant. An uncut rant, because, yeah, I think this is important enough to share. This is primarily about Jac and Audrey, because I know the most about them and care the most about them and if that makes me biased, well, that's okay by me.

So. First, let me say that I am by no means saying that you have to like these girls. There are plenty of good reasons not to like them (and by them I mostly mean Audrey). What I am saying is that there are some severely fucked up reasons I've seen given for NOT liking them, and I'd like to address these reasons.

"I don't respect girls who use their looks to get by"/"base entire careers on looks"
Okay! I understand that. I personally have no beef with the modeling industry, I think plenty of models work their asses off, and there are plenty of other careers that don't require a ton of brainpower. If you really just hate that sort of job, that's up to you. But in relation to Audrey Kitching, I've noticed people hating on aspects of her that have to do with her as a model, not modeling in general, so for the purpose of this, let's say that modeling as a career doesn't really bother you. So what is it about Audrey's career that pisses you off? Is it the image she uses, the pink hair? If she were a plus-sized model, would this even be an issue? Why not? It's the exact same thing. It's using a certain image to get noticed and sell something. I see Audrey get a ton of shit for being so skinny. That bothers me SO MUCH. I have a ton of pictures of a much younger Audrey because I'm creepy like that, and guess what, guys. She's always been a tiny little thing. It's just the way she's built! I would probably guess that I weigh two times her weight, no joke, and you know what? That doesn't give me the right to hate her. Unless she's starving herself for the specific purpose of getting ahead in modeling, there is nothing wrong with being skinny. I see a ton of people love Jamia instantly for being "real girl" shaped. Uh, guys? Audrey Kitching is a real girl. Real girls come in all shapes and sizes. Judging someone based on their weight either way is a shitty thing to do and I'd like it to stop.

Another thing I see Audrey get flack for is putting too much importance on being internet famous. I'm sorry, I don't know if you guys have noticed this, but the internet is pretty fucking important in this day and age. A major issue in the writer's strike is that they aren't getting compensated for internet downloads. Panic At the Disco got discovered because Pete found their music on the internet. The internet is a fantastic way to promote yourself. And that's exactly what Audrey's doing. She's posting pictures of her work as a model so she'll get more work. I don't see what's wrong with that, exactly, or why it's really different from a photographer posting pictures of their work so people will hire them.

Speaking of photographers! It's time to talk about Jac now, and why this argument doesn't really apply to her. I see a lot of people assuming that all she does is take pictures of herself, for whatever reason. This is vastly untrue. Jac takes a lot of pictures because photography is a hobby and an interest. I take a ton of pictures of myself too, mostly because it's a lot of fun. There's nothing really wrong with that. You know what else Jac does? She goes to college, on a scholarship, and is required to maintain her grades. She parties and has fun and is basically just a normal girl. The argument that she "does nothing" or "gets by with her looks" doesn't really apply her, unless her looks are somehow magically getting her a 4.0.

"They wear too much makeup"/"too little clothing"/"don't respect themselves"
Oh boy. This...literally makes me foam at the mouth. It's basically saying "they don't respect themselves because they use their faces to display some funky art and walk around in revealing clothing." First of all, I thought we left that kind of thinking behind a long time ago. Second of all, this exact argument could be said about Ryan Ross. And I NEVER hear anyone debating whether Ryan Ross respects himself because he paints his face or camwhored half-naked in a bathroom. Guys can show off their bodies and be labeled confident. Girls take pictures in bikinis and get labeled insecure, or sluts. "She can't respect herself, look what she's wearing." You know what? If I had a body like Jac's, I'd take pictures of myself too! She's gorgeous, her body is lovely, and if she wants to show it off, who are we to tell her "That makes you less than us." If I'm taking pictures of myself in a cute bra, does that make me less intelligent than you? Does that make me not respect myself? Fuck that. If you have a problem with me wearing a low-cut shirt, if you have a problem with me loving how I look, if you have a problem with my sexual life, then that is your fucking problem and I don't want to hear about it. I know who I am. Maybe you want to read this and then get back to me.

Or better yet, get the fuck out of my journal. I don't want you here. What these girls choose to post online has nothing to do with whether they respect themselves or not. Don't you dare assume that it makes them less of a woman, or less of a human being. I've never seen them state anywhere that brains are unimportant, that men are better than women, or anything that people seem to assume.

*breathes*

"They don't actually do anything, not the way Alicia/Lyn-Z/etc. do"
Fair enough about Lyn-Z, these girls most certainly aren't in a band. But let's talk about Alicia for a second. Yes, she used to tech on Warped Tour and work in the music scene, yes, she's awesome. I love Alicia, but I haven't seen much of what she's been doing lately other than being Mikey Way's wife. And let's not pretend like quite a few of us would know who she is if she wasn't connected to Mikey or Pete. There's nothing wrong with either of those things, to me, and to be honest...it's not a hell of a lot different from Jac or Audrey. And if you want to see exactly what it is that these girls do, head over to my girlfriend's awesome post/picspam here. It's about Jac, Audrey, Keltie, and Ashlee, the girls fandom seem to hate the absolute most, and why we need to stop saying "they contribute nothing".

I'll sum it up for you here, too. Jac is a student at UCLA, Audrey models and styles hair. If you want to talk about them not doing anything or not working hard, check the facts out first. Jac maintains a 4.0 and has for a few years now. That takes time, effort, brains, and a hell of a lot of studying. Audrey, whatever you might think of her chosen professions, sounds pretty ecstatic in her Buzznet journal when she finally gets to get a few days off. Modeling is work, and she does it full time. She's not just sitting around in a computer chair all day taking pictures of herself. If you want to argue the merits of what these girls do, be it student, wife, bass player, model, whatever, that's a different story. But they all are committed to their jobs. And maybe before you judge them for not contributing anything to fandom, you should remember that these girls did not sign up to be musicians. Audrey Kitching and Jac Vanek did not come here to make you dance tonight, they aren't here to provide music for you. And just because they aren't involved in the music that we all love doesn't mean they aren't doing something worthwhile that we can enjoy or respect them for.

And what exactly are you doing in life that allows you to say "Being a student isn't good enough. It doesn't mean enough. Photography isn't a worthy profession. Styling hair for a living obviously means you have no brains, why aren't you doing something worthy?" Let's talk about that. Let's talk about artists. Let's talk about people who do your hair for a living. Let's talk about people who work on cars for a living. Let's talk about how fandom gets so high and mighty as to actually judge people for taking what they love to do and turning it into a career. Isn't that the fucking American dream? If you could sit around talking about fandom all day and get paid for it, who the hell wouldn't jump at that chance? I think it's time to stop judging people based on their careers and start examining them as people. Their personalities, how they come across in videos. That should be the way you form your opinions.

"I don't think I'd like to hang out with them in person"
Okay! Totally valid point. I wouldn't want to hang out with Audrey either, she seems like a bitch. (ETA a year later: Okay, having met her in person, she was actually totally sweet and seems much less like a bitch now than she used to.)But she is a fascinating person who I'd love to read fic about. Just like Brendon Urie.

"I don't care about them because they don't make music and that's what I'm here for"/"don't know anything about them"
Awesome! Carry about your business. Different strokes and all that jazz.

Mostly, what I'm trying to accomplish with this post is to make you reconsider your opinions, or realize that maybe you were a bit uninformed to begin with. I'm not saying you have to like these girls at all! I'm just saying, it's time to stop judging them for living the lives they choose to live.

Rant over!

I hope I don't get hate mail for this. But discussion is more than welcome!