Friday night was the main event for us. We had signed on the for the Dinah Shore Weekend VIP package, or as I like to call it, the Very Into Pussy package, which provided us with tickets to a VIP Cocktail Party prior to the big PURE White Party.
The Cute-Little-Red-Headed-Girlfriend requested four to five hours to get dressed and ready to attend the night's events. This did not surprise me. The CLRHG had already spent that much time culling through her wardrobe and makeup in order to pack, and had wound up taking three to four times as much luggage as me. My most meticulous packing activity for Dinah was probably double counting my underwear to make sure I brought enough.
While the Girlfriend changed her outfit a dozen times of more, I had time to kick back in our luxury room and reflect. Although I had never been to Dinah before, I had been to another type of lesbian group event, the women's music festival. Actually, I had been to several, both the women-only and lesbian-only variety.
I first heard about women's music festivals during my teenage years. I had read an interview with then-punk performer Phranc where she talked about participating in all-lesbian camp-outs. I wasn't out yet and didn't know a single lesbian personally. I was deeply intrigued by the idea that somewhere there existed many lesbians and by the idea that they camped together. It almost seemed too far-fetched to be true.
But I later discovered it was true. There was even a festival circuit of sorts, which fostered many musical talents. Melissa Etheridge was one of the notable singers to come up through festival culture. Lilith Faire, in my view, later took its cues from the lesbian music festival.
Although music was the focus, these festivals also offered comedy, short plays, indie films, and informal seminars on every imaginable topic. But often the topic was politics: feminism, socialism and various forms of activism. I didn't see anything like that on offer at Dinah. Of course, I also wasn't suffering through primitive camping shower arrangements or working the co-op volunteer labor shifts that were part of women's festival culture.
The comparison between Dinah and women's music festivals seems relevant to me because, from what I understand, the festivals are on their last legs. As lesbians embrace the pro-capitalist consumer culture of Dinah, I wonder: are the choices open to lesbians becoming more plentiful, or less?
Comments (5)
I wonder how much this change is also generational - younger women don't feel any "need" for the kind of social functions that womyn's events had - or they don't agree with 2nd wave feminism (1960-70's era feminism). If they embrace feminism it's third wave, which might also mean that something like the Dinah weekend is A-OK.
Of course, in a generation or two, the Dinah stuff may wane out and the younger lesbians of the future might do or have things that are very different.
It's interesting to watch all of this, however!
Posted by Joe G. | April 6, 2007 8:34 AM
Posted on April 6, 2007 08:34
Joe,
Thanks for your comment. I assume by third wave of feminism that you mean "postfeminism." I agree that there is a generational difference, but I don't think that means the difference is therefore neutral. I think we can still ask, what forces led to this shift, and what do we think of it?
I believe feminism is dead as a doornail in the US and that its impact on Dinah is minimal. It's all about capitalism's ability--it's demand, really--to absorb more and more, and especially resistant cultures. What lesbians as a market "want" becomes increasingly irrelevant.
With all that being said, I loved Dinah.
Posted by Teresa | April 6, 2007 10:48 AM
Posted on April 6, 2007 10:48
Very interesting article. It is sad that even lesbians are being absorbed by the United Corporations of America. Being Jewish, my people's will, in the face of so much hatred and ill will, to perservere, has avoided being extinquished in order that we may live among "others" has survived, despite the efforts of those to kill us off - for over 2000 years - well, longer actually, if you count the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman conquering of our lands - and to now finally find the one country that has given us refuge and opportunity to be free has also given rise to such assimilation that we are no longer recognizable from the gentiles. Our assimilation, like the Borg, will be our death as a unique people as we become more absorbed by the very culture we have created. How ironic. And this assimilation has also reached into the gay community as well who have contributed far more than heterosexuals to American culture. Jews and gays. Have we created a monster that will ultimately destroy our identity? Or will we perservere as we always have?
Posted by the cute little redheaded grrlfriend | April 7, 2007 11:36 AM
Posted on April 7, 2007 11:36
Another comment I forget to make on a far more shallow level. I did not change my outfit 20,000 times before Lucy's performance. I knew what I was going to wear to see her back in LA, okay? I did take a rather long time in getting ready, though. I will admit to that. The shower. The washing of the hair. The drying of the hair. The applicaion of the make-up. One can't be too hasty when you're my age, so the make-up is very important in order to hide the age lines - but I did not got through 20,000 different outfits. I did take way more luggage than you, true. But I did not go crazy about what I was going to wear. I was very calculated and analytical with my wardrobe. Okay? OK.
So, how's it hanging?
the cute little redheaded grrlfriend
Posted by the cute little redheaded grrlfriend | April 7, 2007 11:44 AM
Posted on April 7, 2007 11:44
CLRHG,
I got confused about whether you were talking about gays or Jewish people there for a moment. What about the Gypsies? And the Tramps? And Cher? They, too, have contributed much to American cultural life.
Posted by Teresa | April 8, 2007 11:10 AM
Posted on April 8, 2007 11:10