ENTERTAINMENT Self-loathing is a slippery slope to self-mutilation. No wonder so many young girls self-harm. Although when you pay a doctor to do it I don’t think they call it self-harm, I think it’s called self-improvement. All roads lead back to Botox. The gateway drug to plastic surgery. Explaining Botox to a child is complex because its very existence carries with it a whole lot of S E E M O R E O F M A N DY O N negative associations about ageing E C H O N E T DA I LY that I don’t really want to deliver to W W W. E C H O. N E T. A U /S OA P - B OX someone who’s just embarked on the ageing process. Sure, I’m happy to kill Santa and snuff out the tooth fairy, implications of mass consumerism but I’m not ready to tell my little girl and anti-ageing treatments. She’s the truth about what we think about only just got over her fascination with old people. That it makes clever the Disney film Frozen. Hang on, was women disappear. That we think that film metaphorically preparing Today Ivy asked me what Botox is. wrinkly skin is repulsive. She’s eight. She’d found a humorous young girls for the faces of women in So I tell her that Botox is a dance step. their future: Frozen? card on my bookshelf that depicts ‘Like the Nutbush. Except when you a 1950s mother and daughter with The whole Botox story is hard to tell. do the Botox it’s a lot stiller because the caption ‘You’re never too young I know she’s smart but the story of nothing moves.’ She’s a clever kid for Botox!’. She wanted to know (a) why women hate themselves is a and she knows when I’m bullshitting. what is Botox and (b) should she be bit bleak. How do you tell your little She rolls her eyes and says, ‘Mum, tell having it? girl she’s perfect as she is and then me’. God, this is more confronting tell her how we women butcher I am faced with a conundrum. Do I than the sex talk. ‘Botox is something explain irony or Botox? To understand ourselves in the name of ‘beauty’? Do mainly women use because they I also have to tell her about boob jobs don’t like wrinkles.’ This seems like a the ironic nature of the card’s declaration she needs to understand and labioplasty? Nose jobs? Forehead more age-appropriate response than reductions? Eye-lid lifts? Liposuction? telling her it’s a paralysing nerve toxin the larger political and social
MANDY NOLAN’S
SOAPBOX
THE BOTOX TALK
used to render foreheads blank.
But what is the dominant narrative created by our choices? And what I hope she hasn’t picked up on the ‘mainly women’ part of my statement informs our choice in the first place? If my daughter’s choices are informed because I’m not quite ready for a by a reality created by the choices of Sunday morning discussion about patriarchy, the beauty myth and the my generation, then has she really made a choice? In our Botoxed future consequent oppression of women is there a place for the wrinkled through cosmetic means. I mean, woman? Or will she just disappear in what is the right age to introduce a whimper of skin? your daughter to feminist analysis? Ivy is naturally curious. ‘Are wrinkles When I saw Patti Smith at Bluesfest I bad?’ I say, ‘No’. So she says, ‘Then why found myself in tears. I couldn’t work do you need Botox?’ I say, ‘You don’t out why; then it occurred to me how actually need it. People just get it strange it was to see an older woman because they don’t like the way their who has maintained her currency. face looks.’ A woman – without makeup, with grey hair, no fake tits, no Botox – with I’m not into Botox and I wish there were more of a conversation around loads of relevance and currency, it – but then I’m the first to admit I’m proudly and defiantly declaring old age. a hypocrite. Sure, I don’t do Botox or pump my face with ‘fillers’, but I I have drawn a line in the sand do things to alter the way I look all and when it comes to cosmetic the time. I wear makeup. I dye my intervention I have decided to accept hair. I get a spray tan. I wax. I’ve had the lines on my face. Or at least only fake nails. (But I couldn’t stand them cover them with makeup. Or a beard. because my long nails stopped me Or perhaps a late-life conversion to depressing the button on the loo and Islam so I can hide those forehead I had to flush by poking it down with creases and smile lines with a cheeky a pencil.) little burqa. Until then I guess You’re Never Too Young For Irony. But My friends who use Botox say it’s a beware, it does crinkle your forehead. choice. I guess it is. For them. live visionary painting and electronic music from the Fractured album, this is going to be an amazing night. Door prizes on the night include a Fractured album and Fractured bandana. Come down, grab a meal and bring the kids for a great night of amazing local female talent at Billinudgel Hotel this Saturday 5–11.30pm.
BIRDS OF TOKYO LEGENDARY NEW YORK JAZZ DRUMMER JOE FARNSWORTH’S PRIME TIME QUARTET AT CLUB MULLUM AT THE MULLUM EX-SERVICES ON SATURDAY
DRUMMING UP NYC Legendary New York jazz drummer Joe Farnsworth’s Prime Time Quartet is returning for another mind-blowing performance at Club Mullum this Saturday. The quartet once again features iconic tenor saxophonist Dale Barlow, bassist Brendan Clarke and Chicago-born jazz pianist John Harkins. Be transported to downtown Manhattan. Tickets available online through www.clubmullum.com or $25 on the door. Kids under 12 FREE. 7.30pm.
FRACTURED LAND THEIR NEW ALBUM AT THE BILLINUDGEL ON SATURDAY
Fractured explores the notions of the cracks within the human being, and the broken being more beautiful Hawaiian Uke Night with Hula Dance than the complete. With beautiful Lessons – Thursday 25 May at Club acoustic stylings from Essie Thomas, Dark, dystopian heavy synth-rock an enticing dance performance from sounds plus a swag of signature Mullum from 6.30pm. Alikeen Killer, alluring DJ perforanthems is exactly what regional Miss Amber and Stukulele’s Uke mance from Alkemia and Orthentix fans can expect when Birds of Tokyo Night this month has become a and the Fractured live performance, play the Hotel Great Northern on Hawaiian Luau with Hapa Haole clas- Fractured is a showcase of northern encompassing contemporary dance, Sunday 28 May. sics and instrumentals from Aloha NSW femme fatales with a range Baby plus graceful hula dancing of entertainment from live music, from Hula Tomoka and her troupe. dance, electronic music and live art. Come dressed in your best Hawaiian Fractured is a innovative and exoutfit for a chance to win a Kahuna pressive live piece of performance massage and be prepared to wiggle art, fusing contemporary dance and those hips when Hula Tomoka teach- movement, electronic music and es you the hula steps for the Hukilau live visual art installation. song. Be transported to heavenly islands with " This is where true moonlit skies. Adults mastery is found " – 21CM
HAWAIIAN UKE WITH HULA
$12.50, Kids under 16 $2.50. Join the mailing list at www.ukemullum. com to download the songbook.
PLAYING FRACTURED
THE RETURN OF NEW YORK DRUMMING LEGEND
JOE FARNSWORTH PRIME TIME QUARTET
TUNING IN TO YOUR FREQUENCY
DALE BARLOW TENOR SAX JOHN HARKINS PIANO BRENDAN CLARKE BASS
The Band of Frequencies play the Hotel Brunswick this Sunday to support the vinyl release of the Foxtel-funded surf doco Men Of Wood & Foam. The soundtrack is killer instrumental, inspired by Phil Jarrett’s love of Bud Shank, Dick Dale and some of the early surfer musicians. The Band of Frequenices, with Terepai Richmond on drums (Whitlams, Guy Sebastian, d.i.g.) throw a completely new, funky and improvised tangent on modern surf music.
Fresh from winning their fourth APRA award for Best Rock Work, and having recently toured Australia’s regional centres with their sold-out Harlequins tour, Birds of Tokyo have just announced a handful of shows in southeast Queensland and northern NSW.
BAND OF FREQUENCIES AT THE HOTEL BRUNSWICK ON SUNDAY
North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
TO
SAT 20 MAY, 7:30PM CLUB MULLUM @ THE EX-SERVICES 58 DALLEY ST MULLUMBIMBY PH: 6684 2533 | www.clubmullum.com The Byron Shire Echo May 17, 2017 31