To read from my personal blog, Impulse Thoughtz follow link: http://impulsethoughtz.blogspot.com/
To read piece cross posted at Gender Across Borders follow: http://genderacrossborders.com/2010/05/02/i-wanna-be-where-the-boys...

For a band with a short stint of only four years, The Runaways forever impacted the world of music. Joan Jett, the leader and the most
successful member, is a rock goddess who has contributed those
delightfully screeching vocals to more soundtracks and commercials than
you can imagine. These five fearless teens took the rock scene by storm
in 1976 with their first self-titled album. The Runaways went on to
produce twelve albums as well as separate solo projects. Joan Jett
being the innovator she is has nine top 40 singles and 8 platinum and
gold records. Their music will live forever and thanks to this film
directed by Floria Sigismondi, my generation can truly understand the
importance of this first all-girl rock group.

This is not a film for the faint of heart—remember it is set in the 70s where drugs
were as prevalent as Lifesavers and pre-AIDS apathy was especially
strong in L.A. The band’s quick rise to fame is largely due to Joan
Jett, portrayed by a mesmerizing Kristen Stewart. I am deeply devoted
to Stewart anyways, but I consider this performance enough to make all
the haters quit with the Twilight typecasting (cough cough Perez Hilton
cough). Shockingly Dakota Fanning channels fifteen year old growling
songstress and wild child Cherie Currie brilliantly. The film is
loosely based on Currie's 1989 memoir Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie
Story. Therefore, the movie predominantly focuses on Currie and her
experiences with The Runaways.

Of course like all films, it has its slow and anticlimactic moments. It unfortunately leaves out a lot
of background information and depicts Jett as playing second fiddle to
Currie, when in actuality The Runaways was Jett’s idea and her project.
She wrote their first single “Cherry Bomb” on the day of Currie’s
tryout for the group. This scene is pivotal and extremely accurate
according to Currie’s memoir. Although for some unexplained reason,
Currie’s rape at age 15 by her twin sister’s boyfriend right before her
rock n’ roll stardom is specifically cut from the film. This incident
in her life inspired Currie’s short blonde David Bowie-esque cut that
trademarked The Runaways’ image and style. Why would something so
pertinent to the band’s image be left out of the biopic? “Rated R for
language, drug use and sexual content - all involving teens”—Right,
thanks MPAA, but what about addressing a traumatic event that many
girls have experienced? It seems like Sigismondi could have taken this
as an opportunity to portray Currie’s form of recovery, rejuvenation,
and discovery. I believe her Bowie cut represented a young victim
wanting to appear masculine in order to be the sexual strong rock
goddess The Runaways expected her to be. One single titled “I Wanna be
Where the Boys Are” says it all, rebellion and imitation in order to
fit in and infiltrate the enemy. This incident is just another way
these girls fought gender adversity through their music, appearance,
and personal lives.

The film is a story of female empowerment with a strong dose of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. The Runaways sold
their raw, rough, and achy sound as well as the sexiness of teen angst.
Besides the fact that they succeeded at something that was
traditionally male, they also were ahead of their time in showing the
wild, unruly side of women. Unafraid of consequences or appearances,
the girls showed their true intentions and hormonal feelings about sex,
like their male counterparts. The Sex Pistols whined and whined about
horny, erotic and most likely bad sex. The Runaways growled and roared
claiming, “Hello world! I’m your wild girl.” At the age of sixteen, the
original five stormed the all-boys club of rock with a vengeance. Using
what set them apart from the rest, their sexuality, they took to a
stage all their own. The Runaways’ influence can be seen everywhere
from the 90s Seattle grunge group The Gits, to the riot grrrl movement, to today’s hellion Peaches. Go forth and meet The Runaways, young ones.


Official movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTpdXKocacQ