I've been obsessing over the lives of teenage girls recently. I just finished reading an article on girls' zines in Youth & Society, I'm currently reading Phoebe Gloeckner's The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and I watched Thirteen last night. For some reason, especially when I was watching Thirteen, I've got angry...really, really angry. I'm still not sure why, but I think it has a lot to do with knowing girls like those depicted in the film - and being subjected to their cruelty throughout my formative years.
I know that my own teenage years were fraught with confusion, frustration, rage, depression, and hopelessness. What's interesting is that most of these feelings were unspoken and rarely acted upon. It certainly meant that I wasn't stealing wallets or huffing paint, but it did mean that had a lot of pent up emotion that lingered for years later.
So, here's my question - if your teenage years were made into a movie, what movie would it be?
My answer: Welcome to the Dollhouse.
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day. ;)