Brattitude
In light of the remix of Charli XCX’s “Brat” releasing today which is “completely different, but also still Brat”, I was compelled to reflect on the state of women’s affairs after their “liberating” Brat summer.
Last week, my son came home from school (he’s a junior at an American/French school just outside of Paris) and said, “Mom! This girl at school is telling everyone we had sex last weekend and we didn’t!??” I was dumbfounded. What???! He said, “Yeah! She’s telling EVERYONE.” I honestly just couldn’t believe it. First of all, I really hoped that EVERYONE didn’t include teachers or administration because this school is strict and sex is not allowed. Second of all, what kind of girl wanted people to think she had sex when she didn’t???! When we were in high school, girls were mortified if people found out you did it.
And then I remembered a girl my other son dated who was absolutely NOT shy about her fornication-forward intentions of wanting an open relationship and Insta’ing herself in alcohol-induced, Britney Spears circa “Oops I Did It Again” scenarios involving red solo cups and dudes in the wings. Am I just old? Or asleep at the wheel of life and have awakened to find that “demure” is now culturally defined as audacious and promiscuous and “brat” is no longer defined as a badly behaved child but:
brat
[brat]
In modern pop culture, the word brat refers to someone who is confidently rebellious, unapologetically bold, and playfully defiant. This new definition celebrates individuality and a carefree attitude, often with a hint of sass and a love for fun. Being labeled “a brat” or “bratty” in this context is more of a compliment, recognizing a person’s ability to challenge norms and express themselves freely without concern for conventional expectations. (from POP CULTURE DICTIONARY , August 8th, 2024.)
When did the tables turn? When did it become opposite day? What prompted the girls to behave like boys ie wanting to claim notches on the old sex belt and tell the whole world about it, and the boys to behave like girls ie looking for true connection and have a relationship with someone you are planning on being intimate with? Is this the result of having a new brattitude?
Above, when I refer to “acting like boys” or “acting like girls”, I’m speaking from a GenX’ers p.o.v. and my own experiences of youth, not exactly referring to the blurred gender lines of today. That would open up a whole other can of articles.
As much as I’d like to blame this new wave of feminism on, or shall I say give credit to, Charli XCX’s latest album, I can’t. The truth is, since the beginning of time, women have been “evolving” to this point, for better or worse, since they got the idea to use sex as currency in order to better their life situation. Prostitution, is one that stands out pretty bold in the eyes of feminism. (Sorry, let me rephrase that title from prostitution to “sex worker.”) Sex workers in every form have found, and still find, a way to use what they have, while they have it, in exchange for providing a lifestyle for themselves, equal to the amount they are willing to expose themselves in whatever way they have deemed acceptable. It’s a fairly clean exchange…depending on what you’re into (insert wink emoji.)
Over the centuries, women got the idea, god forbid, that they might have equal value to men. So, I’m just gonna’ jump past the whole right-to-vote and fast-forward to the 1960’s second wave of feminism where the debate widened to include cultural inequalities, gender norms and the role of women in society. The pioneering work of Shirley Chisolm, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinam and, of course, Ruth Bad-Ass Ginsburg (just to name a few) made bold and noble steps toward women being seen as whole humans and not as sidebars to men. But we still haven’t quite made it to equality and, still, the Equal Right’s Amendment has yet to be ratified over 100 years later. Crazy right?!
Fast forward again to the exposé of Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the #metoo movement giving voice to a different kind of sexual compromise that has been happening throughout the entertainment industry for decades which came to a screaming pinnacle when Donald “Grab-‘Em-By-The-Pussy” Trump was elected and we all marched with our pussyhats and homemade signs. Then…wahhh wahhhh. Covid took the eyes off of the ole’ feminism ball and placed them directly on Netflix and cable news. How easily we are distracted when it comes to the plight of women’s lib. vs. knocking on death’s door for two years. No judgement. We all have ADD at this point and, well, Death is compelling.
Soooooo, what did we expect was going to happen with the western world’s youth after being cooped up for years creating social anxiety and the desire to explode in every way? Another sexual revolution! That’s what! Enter Charli XCX and the birth of “Brat” summer, magnifying all the insecurities, vulnerabilities, anger, creativity, authenticity, sadness, happiness, playfulness, and above all, you-won’t-define-me-ness. It was a female/male/gender-nonconforming rebellion and, it seemed, the whole damn world was there for it!
I wonder if Charli XCX knows what “brat” it means. Every time I hear her talking about it it sounds like she is speaking in a riddle wrapped in an enigma born from a Paradox. But maybe that’s the point.
Rachel Maddow was quoting it, Kamala Harris was responding to it, GenX’ers like me were making fun of it, even when NONE of us knew what it actually meant. I wonder if Charli XCX knows what “brat” means. Every time I hear her talking about it, it sounds like she is speaking in a riddle wrapped in an enigma born from a Paradox. But maybe that’s the point. When interviewed about Brat’s influence on fashion, she was quoted as looking “luxe” on a yacht and then said,
“It can be like, so trashy,” she said. “Just like a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter. And like, a strappy white top with no bra. That's like, kind of all you need.” The “brat” aesthetic celebrates sweaty, party-girl chaos: smudged eyeliner, grungy street style, and plenty of Y2K inspiration.’ - Charli XCX described the brat fashion aesthetic in an interview with “The News Movement" on June 10.
Then I read in another article where Kelley “Apple Dance” Heyer (who became famous for creating a dance on TikTok) said: “Brat is party, brat is fun, brat is messy, brat is sexy. Brat can be anything,” she said.
If Brat can be anything, then it can be everything and then, therefore, mean nothing, right? It reminds me of the moment in the musical Hamilton when Hamilton says to Burr, “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?” I mean, a movement as female-empowering as this has to stand for SOMETHING, no?? But Brat is just a word, which brings me to the power of words and music and women taking a stand.
As a potty mouther from the age of 4, (that’s a story for another day), I have been an advocate for the art of bad language my entire life. In 1988, the literal boy next door made me a mixtape of NWA, Easy E, and Public Enemy #1. After listening to it for the first time, I picked my jaw up off of the floor and rewound and repeated that shit til’ the tape split. The idea of being able to express yourself so freely in music blew my mind, but one couldn’t have forseen what was about to ensue because of lyrics like, “Cruisin’ down the street in my six-fo’, jockin’ the bitches, slappin’ the hoes”, (from Easy-E’s, “Boyz-N-Tha-Hood”).
Less than ten years later, a feminist backlash created a reclamation of the word “bitch” by Queen Latifah and spawned the likes of Missy Elliot and Lil’ Kim. The hyper-male-identifying gangster rappers passed the proverbial baton to these talented ladies who had every intention of waving it in their faces like a majorette who leads the parade with her twirls and spins and miraculous tosses. Instead, they flipped it vertical and used it as a stripper pole. Word appropriation paved the way for sex, once again, to become a weapon in battling misogynistic men. But then, Britney dressed like a dirty school girl to cater to the men who fetishized having sex with Catholic school girls and then plaid skirts were in style. Hmmmm…what happened there? In more recent years, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion went all-in with WAP to reclaim that ultimate V-power. Don’t get me wrong, the beat is sick, but, I dunno, singing about my wet-ass-vajayjay doesn’t feel quite as powerful as when men say “suck my dick.” It just doesn’t have the same “oomph.”
So, once again, women lost the plot and have not honed-in on messaging and sticking to a script long enough to effectuate real change. To what end are women going to keep this up as we enter into the Fall of Brat Redux? Will our young ladies and theys wake up one morning in the winter and do the walk of shame from trying to be audacious and rebellious with their smudged eyeliner and braless tank tops and Bic lighters, only to find themselves with less self-respect than they had the summer before?
Admittedly, I actually like Charlie XCX. I don’t love her music, but I think she is living and creating as a true artist; inspiring the masses by setting an example with her own, personal authenticity. Mad respect. But, if EVERYONE is acting and dressing like her, how “authentic” is that? How unique is it for everyone to be wearing lime green and dressing in a 2024’s version of goth? Maybe as authentic as everyone who was wearing Barbie pink last summer? Will the girl who claims to have had sex with my son see that the joke she is playing, is on herself? It all just makes me…sad.
But sad is Brat.
And Brat is also happy.
And also, empowered.
But it’s also vulnerable.
And trashy.
And luxe.
In Laughter,
LisaXCX
p.s. As I have been putting out new music clips from my latest album release, I have been getting some new traction on the socials. Responses to videos are 99% positive, but yesterday a rando man on my Instagram, who must have done a deep-dive on my stuff from two albums ago, wrote this:
“No thanks…after hearing the Fbomb in “Girl Get On”, I’ll pass. I don’t listen to foul mouth singers. Ugh No Class.” (Followed by the eye-roll emoji.) My response was, “Thanks for the “F”eedback Robert!” (Followed by a heart emoji).
It truly made me want to go full-Queen Latifah on his ass though. It made my blood boil and I fully understand the impulse to reclaim words. “Fuck” is my favorite word which I will protect at all costs. Now that’s Brat. Or is it?
GOOD READS ON THE SAME THEME!
Great article written by Kat George for DAZED in 2016 on “How female musicians of the 90s reclaimed the word ‘bitch’” which half-inspired me to write this. The other half of my inspiration were my two sons and their trials and tribulations with dating in their teens.
https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/29629/1/how-female-musicians-of-the-90s-reclaimed-the-word-bitch
I rather like
’s version of “Brat”.
This was a fun read 😆
Great article!