I was inspired to write my forthcoming release, Turn The Mirror, after stumbling upon this lecture by scholar and Dame Mary Beard, professor at Cambridge University and Dame Commander of the British Arts (thank you VERY fucking much).
Long story short, at the end of her lecture Professor Beard expresses surprise at the fact that Medusa’s story hadn’t been explored or unpacked as one of the most powerful and prodigious pieces of patriarchal propaganda as deeply or commonly as it probably should have been by now. Especially after she shows how commonly it shows up in political media these days. I mean, she has a point. It’s just a story, and story is art. The arts should be exploring and unpacking the arts!! That’s what art is FOR! To quote Nina Simone “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” And the story of Medusa is still deeply ingrained in our times.
I invite you to take professor Beard’s lecture. I know, I KNOW a lecture isn’t what you signed up for, and you don’t have to watch it. But I promise you will gain so much insight into our current, collective psyche.
Her deep unpacking of this classic, almost invisible mythical lore blew my mind and her reserved, hobbit like humor just makes the listening so much more inviting.
I hope it informs how you experience the song and how you see the video.
I truly cannot wait to share it with you.