Green Day are being called out for writing a "handbook for the rebellious everywoman"
4 April 2019, 14:11
People are pointing out that the book - which is an illustrated version of the band's song Last of the American Girls - was created by four men and um, zero women.
Green Day have announced that they are releasing their very first book called Last of the American Girls but some people aren't too happy about it. Why? Because it's a book about women, written by three men and illustrated by another.
The book, which is named after the song of the same name on their 2009 album 21st Century Breakdown, is an illustrated version of the song's lyrics. According to Rolling Stone, it's described as “an inspiring homage and handbook for the rebellious everywoman who refuses to capitulate.” The press release also bills the book as a celebration of “true rebel girls—girls who push back, girls who use their voice, girls who say no."
It was written by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool and was also illustrated by cartoonist Frank Caruso.
While it's exciting news that Green Day are dropping their first book, some people are pointing out that a book about female empowerment maybe shouldn't have been written and illustrated by four men - and that a woman should have her name on the product too.
boys i love u with all of my heart and would happily take SEVERAL bullets for you but dont you think the main ''rule'' to being an independent woman in punk should be to, well, not be told how to live their lives by men who have no experience in what its like to live as a woman??
— lina (@wedrovenorth) April 2, 2019
I’m a HUGE fan of Green Day — they are my favourite — but why in the hell are they writing a handbook for women???
— Tania Freedman 🇨🇦 (@TaniaFreedman) April 2, 2019
What rebellious everywoman among us has not longed for an inspiring handbook authored and illustrated by <checks notes> four men and zero women https://t.co/tWNHpnpZZK
— andi zeisler (@andizeisler) April 2, 2019
I’m sure this book will be inspiring and meaningful to Green Day’s fans, and no one can take that away from them. But if you’re going to claim to empower women with your book you should probably consider the optics of having no women involved in creating it.
— andi zeisler (@andizeisler) April 3, 2019
I'M SO INSPIRED THAT THREE DUDES FOUND A FOURTH DUDE TO ILLUSTRATE THIS HOMAGE FOR REBELLIOUS EVERYWOMEN!!!!!!! https://t.co/uBoKT1L41o
— Mikki Halpin (@mikkipedia) April 2, 2019
Lol no women/girls worked on this
— rhea butcher (@RheaButcher) April 3, 2019
It's a fair point. Some fans are totally into it though, citing their excitement about an illustration version of the original song. "Watch me drop all my money for this shit," one fan wrote in reply to Green Day's announcement tweet.
When "Last of the American Girls” was released, Billie Joe Armstrong told Blunt that it was originally about his wife, Adrienne.
"That song started out as being about my wife and then I kind of started getting into more of my own beliefs—anything from a little book of conspiracies to, like, playing vinyl records or something," he said. "It’s sort of like about an empowering, sort of subterranean kind of lifestyle, but at the same time there’s a new era coming in with the way we all need to live—like living in a disposable society or something like that but actually living off garbage and finding beauty in it in some way."
