All universities have their own character and in my experience, tiny schools with 3,000 that are in the middle of nowhere bumblefuck Ohio have even more cultural quirks that are characteristic of the school as a whole – not just one subset of it. One of those things from Oberlin is endless discussions of Liz Phair. And they are discussions – people getting together and listening to music, thinking about what they’re listening to, analyzing it. Not just a bunch of potheads sitting in a corner saying “fuck that bitch.”

If this essay is meant to examine the culture of a place, Oberlin, than it really resonated with me. Whether or not Liz Phair sold out is besides the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW3KqABbeos

Haven’t listened to Phair for a while, but reading this sent me searching — surprise! I found this, among other things: http://videogum.com/archives/music_related_content/liz_phair_roofied_and_forced_t_019071.html

According to the person who posted the link, Phair has the power to destroy people’s childhood experiences. Look away from the screen, tender child! Look awaaaay!

Also it appears that she will be writing songs about pants: http://pitchfork.com/news/34586-banana-republics-new-face-liz-phair/

Yeah, well, not too thrilled about that one. But it’s tough to stay pure in this economy, right? Also, if she likes the stuff they sell, why shouldn’t she make money helping to sell it? I believe she has a son to support or help support — even if she doesn’t, she has herself to support.

As for this: “We talked about what happened to Phair, how rather than confronting her desire she tried to bend and accommodate it and destroyed her art in the process.”

I’m curious — what desire do you think she failed to confront? And how exactly did she “destroy her art”?

On the album you call “monstrously cynical” there’s a lovely song about her young son trying to understand that mom and dad have divorced and that mom has a boyfriend now. It’s tender, insightful, uncertain and unafraid. On the same album is a song about the wonders splooge can do for the complexion (sure, it’s kind of dorky — so is Phair, that’s one of the things I like best about her). Songs about jizz are SO mainstream though, come on.

Have I mentioned that she’s witty and sometimes even funny? Some lyrics from “Chopsticks” (on Whip-smart):

I met him at a party and he told me how to drive him home
He said he liked to do it backwards
I said, “That’s just fine with me,
That way we can fuck and watch TV.”

Sounds like a caring single mom with a powerful sex drive and a sense of humor who can pay her bills.

Fucking sell-out.