I am forever grateful to the wildly talented and stunning Jenny Lewis for making many kickass records with Rilo Kiley and as a solo artist. Today, I must add a new reason for gratitude: She dressed Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway and Brie Larson in track suits and mustaches and put them in the music video for “Just One Of The Guys,” the lead single off her forthcoming album The Voyager.
The song is all about questioning gender roles and fucking with the patriarchy — “I’m not gonna break for you/I’m not gonna pray for you/I’m not gonna pay for you/That’s not what ladies do!” she sings, inspiring much hell-yessing by me.
The video takes the androgyny power to a new, amazing level. Lewis wears a magical rainbow star suit, and Stewart, Hathaway, Larson and others form her backup band. The alternate between playing instruments in feminine-cut white suits and doing great, weird stuff in Adidas track suits.
I do not need or want to know what she’s pointing at.
There is a not small amount of exaggerated interpretive dancing:
This is Anne Hathaway begging.
She also breakdances. It would all be slightly alarming if it weren’t so damn adorable. Jenny Lewis makes screwing with gender norms look even cooler than usual. Check out the full video:
Possibly the best acting of Kristen Stewart’s career.
I don’t think I fully appreciated her until now.
Did anyone else have the impression from the lyrics that this song is about struggling with emotions as a woman surrounding the issue of having a baby? Regardless, the song and video are both totally awesome!
I heard the pregnancy thing as more of an emblem of the ways in which society separates out women for being women rather than a literal commentary on stress about a pregnancy, but I could be wrong!
Oh, that makes total sense, and I much prefer that interpretation.
It was actually confirmed in another article I read in I think Rolling Stone that the song was about her feelings around motherhood and she’s feeling like the clock is ticking. The entire album is very emotional actually, just done in an upbeat way.
Good goddess that SUIT!
Jezebel claims that the best part of this video is the Lisa Frank suit. I had to disagree because, like you said, LOOK AT KRISTEN STEWART.
Second best was probably the suit, though.
i have watched this like three times, and i still can’t believe this is real life.
This video just seems too magical and wonderful to exist in this cruel world
jane, my feelings exactly. i mean what did we do to deserve all this?
I like Anne Hathaway so much more now.
Holy cr*p, Batman! Ladies peeing standing up! But what did they shake?? Besides us!
And…..nevermind the’staches…….those EYES! whimpery melting here!
GIRLS RULE!
You have to be kidding. Do you even know about males peeing? I guess not! Or about how girl’s eyes melt us? Good grief!
I don’t understand what happened to you in two hours…
You are correct in calling me out on my contradictory sweet first comment to the later ones when I felt like we were all treating the ladies as visual sex objects like a guy thinks. But I believe my criticism was out of proportion. Swooning…as you wrote is much less objectifying than guys’ crude staring at a female’s body parts without consideration of the sensitive heart and mind inside.
I have heard some lesbians make crude and objectifying remarks about women…. and guys….. but none of the remarks made here were of that nature. I am embarrassed for overreacting.
I have a stupid amount of positive feelings about this video. Also I have a lot of questions like when did Anne Hathaway’s haircut become so asymmetrical and who the hell coached her in Queer-Girl Smirk because whoever it is deserves a fucking medal.
Haha, totally! I was just about to comment how this makes me like Anne Hathaway, period.
As soon as I saw this I knew it would end up in here. Watch for. K-Stews tash stroke. Amaze.
Some might call us predictable. I prefer to think of us as reliable ;)
Definitely reliable! :)
I just saw this on buzzfeed and then rushed over to AS knowing it’d be on here.
OH WOW. there are so many highlights… anne hathaway’s breakdance attempt, k stew sudden emotional range, jenny lewis with a goatee. WOWEE WOW. all the A+s.
I feel like Kristen always looks her happiest when she’s in drag.
agree!
this is a true fact.
Wel the idea of Kristen Stewart playing first guitar and dressed in a suit pretty much sold it for me. The moustaches and fucking with gender norms are just a bonus.
Thank you, Jenny Lewis, for inadvertently (or not?) creating my new trans lady anthem. Also, for involving Kristen Stewart, thereby increasing my love for it tenfold. When I die, I want my tombstone to say, “I really really loved Kristen Stewart, you a-holes.”
For real!! I heard this song about a month ago and I was like “I may not exactly be your target audience here but damn, all the feels”
YES. KSTEW 5EVA. Haters to the left.
I saw Brie Larson on Community and fell in love with her right away. I feel very validated right now.
And Kristen Stewart playing the guitar, GOD.
Can we also talk about how silky and soft Jenny Lewis’ hair looks right there? Damn. Pantene? Fructis Garnier?
additionally I’m not tryna speculate about KStew’s sexuality (because I know sooner or later the rest of y’all are probably going to take care of that for me heyo) but please observe that she is clearly having 10x more fun dancing around in drag than she’s ever appeared to have playing any of her prior female roles
like, I GET it now, I finally get the collective queer hard-on for her, she’s real cute, I’ve seen the light, etc
Hi yes wow, I am all over that realization with you.
I’ve never been into Kristen Stewart like that, but wow.
Like, WOW.
She totally does! I could watch her do drag all day.
Have you seen The Runaways? She is fab in that.
YEAH, BUT PRINCESS VALHALLA HAWKWIND
Ha as if I didn’t already like Anne Hathaway and Kstew enough already
Right?!?!
Good grief! Are you all just a bunch of drooly mouth pig boys slobbering over a cute face girl who thinks you are just another queer? Grow up! And quit being like the ones you love to hate!! pshhhhh!
Perfect gif reaction shot is perfect. SUCH ANGER.
So you like when guys think you are hot? And fantasize about you? Come on…..use your brain!
I’m bisexual/queer so yes, I do like it when other humans–even those who identify as male–find me attractive. I don’t base my value as a human on whether or not other people are attracted to me, and I certainly don’t condone creepin’ or other non-consensual interactions. But we’re just talking about appreciating, here. And the minute we start shitting on people’s need to appreciate other humans who they find attractive, then the terrorists win. It’s that simple.
Gifs, they’re always the best answer :)
I personally don’t think this is “anger”. But perhaps a young female vampire in need of the Heimlich maneuver…… too much drool?
You too Audrey! Quit fantasizing on girls you will NEVER be with and see the beauty in the ones right around you…..FFS or be a MALE!
I don’t think appreciating someone unattainable necessarily means anyone is refusing to also appreciate people in real life.
No one is allowed to be attracted to anyone they don’t know in person ever forever no no no siree nope.
Oh damn, I was about to cancel my date on Thursday so I could go chase down Jenny Lewis, but you’ve made me realize the error of that plan. Whew!
This is my new favorite comment ever, please never change!!
You don’t get what a hypocrite you are, do you? Just like a guy checking out your ass or tits…… dreaming about you. Oh? you like that? pshhhh!
I have mixed feelings cuz this video is great and fun but the song itself was really not doing it for me. and that makes me sad cuz jenny lewis has made some of my very favorite albums.
I’m just so tickled that this happened.
JENNY LEWIS GET OUT OF MY BRAIN
This is everything. And by everything, I mean “everything in the fun-fantasy-Lisa-Frank-unicorn-experience escapism corner of my psyche” – OK haters so lay off.
:D
Hey Emily….. I don’t think it is “hating” to take exception to the nature of one’s “appreciating” the cute straight actresses .
This is what dreams are made of. Etc.
Anne’s eyeliner. Those matching Sue Sylvester suits. KStew’s eyes. Everyone’s hair.
KStew’s everything
There aren’t words in the English language to describe the look on my face while I watched this video. As if I wasn’t already excited about Jenny’s new album, she had to go and grab KStew, Mia Thermopolis and Princess Valhalla Hawkwind, raid Sue Sylvester’s closet, hand them instruments, and deck herself out in Lisa Frank for this, the best video ever. I’m verklempt.
I can’t even describe how much I love this.
This was fantastic. So many highlights!
I read all of the comments before I watched the video. I’m going to start doing that with all the Autostraddle things maybe.
Somebody please make Kristen Stewart dissappear. I’m tired of liking her just for being sexy.
woorrd.
Something about it makes me uncomfortable, and I don’t know what it is. Am I the only one?
I guess I’m the only one wondering who the drummer is, eh? Haha.
Nope, I was wondering, too. But I’m a drummer, so we seek our own.
Not the only one! Apparently its Tennessee Thomas from The Like.
Makes me feel a bit old that I recognized her dad’s name (Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello’s band) and not hers. :)
Watched this first thing this morning. Every day should start like this.
Forever glad I got Jenny Lewis’ lyrics tattooed on my chest
I’d totally get a classic heart-with-an-arrow through it that reads K-STEW cause damn what a babe and also she’s a rad person
I’ve loved Jenny and Rilo Kiley for a long time, so glad to see her get so much buzz without Jonathan Rice hanging around
Suddenly the day seems so much brighter. Fake moustaches and tracksuites makes everything better :)
Kristen Stewart actually has facial expressions? She’s enjoying herself? THE APOCALYPSE IS NIGH!
Anne Hathaway’s intentional breakdancing fail and Brie Larson’s cuteness in and out of drag are adorable.
Ok, I was too bitchy about all of the crushy things some of you wrote. It just bothers me when we think it is ok to drool over straight girls when we hate guys drooling over us. Or am I wrong about that?
And I did think the video was fun with lots of cute juxtapositions.
I think there’s a big difference between admitting attraction for someone and being a creep about it. And I don’t think anyone here was being a creep. There wasn’t even a single “DAT ASS” or “sit on my face” comment or anything of that nature. I don’t mind when guys think I’m attractive as long as they’re respectful.
And besides, I know that at least my comment wasn’t even just about being attracted to Kristen Stewart. I am, but I also think she seems like a genuinely cool person and is a much more talented actress than she usually gets credit for. And that’s mostly what my comment was about.
I think a major difference between the male gaze and a group of queer ladies swooning is that we lack a sense of entitlement to the bodies of the women we’re blushing over.
Best video ever!!!
The video is a gift, because all four women (and the mystery drummer!) are SO DAMN AWESOME in it. The dancing, the facial expressions, everything! The song lyrics also really hit home for me. Jenny Lewis kills it as always.
I am ambivalent about the song because I read it as being vaguely about “biological sex” bullshit/ Freudian “all women espesh queer women wish they were men” bullshit… that said please see below for my vapidly fluffy K-Stew feelings.
All I want is to watch cheesy movies on a couch with Kristen Stewart.
And to occasionally call her by her middle name, which is Jaymes.
And to do that mock-aggressive play-hugging thing where we are bumping into each other but then hug for real.
I never would have imagined mustached Kristin Stewart in a track suit would be a turn on.
I really liked the video, but then I read this article and reconsidered
https://medium.com/race-class/jenny-lewis-what-the-f-ck-are-you-doing-8fca72c5bab5
I mean it’s super cute in some ways (like KStew actually smiling), but the music itself is pretty banal, and the lyrics don’t reflect my feminism.
I’m seeing a lot of love for this video from white people, but I’m very interested to hear what queer people of colour have to say.
I love your concern beyond the tittilating innuendo of a video fantasy and the reality of being a lesbian seeking love in the real world
I have a hard time taking this guy’s critique seriously when he admits upfront he knows literally nothing about Jenny Lewis, gets the name of the song wrong in his essay, and offers the most surface-level possible interpretation of the lyrics. I saw the outfits/behavior of the dude versions as a parody of a particular flavor of white douchebag guy whose appropriation of black cultural cliches is as lazy as everything else he does. I don’t want to be defensive (although it’s my inclination, as Jenny’s music is very important to me as a music fan and human) but I think he’s seeing something that’s not actually there by making this racist. I am, however, quite open to people thinking I am totally wrong (just not the guy who wrote this Medium column, because he gave me no reason to give him credibility)
That is a much more likely interpretation of the track suits and gang signs, and I hope it is the reality. I also do not know much about Jenny Lewis, so thanks for responding with alternative explanations. Rereading that article, it is more like a preconceived rant against (white) feminism, without doing any research to back it up, so sorry for giving it maybe too much credit.
But also,
http://feministing.com/2014/07/16/the-wednesday-weigh-in-just-one-of-the-guys/
Yeh, but again, I think this person is not giving the song enough credit. The last chorus twists the lyric to “there’s a little cop inside that won’t let me,” which I think makes it clear that she’s responding to external preconceived ideas of gender roles rather than things she actually believes. Also, I think I’ve listened to every song JLew has ever made, read many interviews with her, etc, so I know that she does not believe that Women Are Women and Men Are Men and That’s The Way It Is. I understand why someone not primed to see Jenny’s work in good faith would take it the way this author does, but I just think she’s wrong.