Patriotic Grooves is a furious vomit of frustration with a political climate polluted with hyper-capitalist bigots pretending to be the voice of the people. It’s an assault on the idea that a struggle for civil rights is no longer necessary, and it’s an exposé of the narcissistic self-aggrandising media demagogues that revel in disguising their hate-speech as common-sense while laying the conditions for fascist clowns to take power. It shines a light on the neoliberal smash n’ grab playing out in Aotearoa, which may have a blokey bbq-loving I’m-too-stupid-to-do-evil face for now, but is leading down the same path. But it’s also a rallying call for collective resistance to come from shared frustration, and a hope that we can have a good time (with a slammin’ soundtrack) while fighting to change direction.
The idea of Donald Trump's head being blasted open by a majestic winged vagina seems more relevant than ever given Trump's misogynistic comments about "grabbing" women "by the pussy". The image represents one aspect of the struggle against misogyny, patriarchal violence, and oppression. Many people are oppressed, some have vaginas and some do not. We are opposed to misogyny, transmisogyny, sexism, and cissexism in all its forms. Gender is not defined by a person's genitalia -- not to mention a whole bunch of other dichotomised characteristics. Images associated with cis-female bodies are not representative of womanhood to the exclusion of all others.
Credits
Recorded and mixed at Scumbag College, Wellington, Aotearoa
Co-released by Zero Style, AlwaysNeverFun, and Limbless
Artwork by Daily Secretion