BaumBlog: GoddessZilla & Medusa Do the Women's March

A year ago, I was planning to join friends who were going to Washington D.C. for the protests of Trump's inauguration and the Women's March. And then I got the flu and missed everything everywhere, even in San Francisco. I listened to reports on the March on the radio and read everything about it in the SF Chronicle and the NY Times. I rejoiced the the NY Times' spectacular photo essay of marches all over the world. All from the comfort of my warm, cosy flat.

So when Carolyn said she was going to finally bring GoddessZilla to life for the Women's March this year, I knew I wanted to do something absolutely wonderful too.

About GoddessZilla: We had come up with this concept in 2008, when we first became The Crackpot Crones. She's a a female monster who rises out of the ocean depths to protect the environment from destruction by humans. We saw her as paired with Fembo, a good old down-home radical dyke.

These two would somehow conspire to save the world. But we never could quite figure out how. The only public outing of the team was at a women's open mic -- and was a distinct failure. GoddessZilla and Fembo were filed in our very large box of failed ideas.

But that didn't keep me from ordering monster feet slippers and a tail from a mail order catalog -- or Carolyn asking Val Von, our costume coordinator, to somehow construct breasts and torso for our Monster Feminist.

And then there was my Medusa helmet.

I don't know about YOU, but when I find a Medusa helmet on sale at half-price, I GOTTA HAVE IT! That was a few years ago, and it has rested in my costume closet next to the birthday hat that I always forget to bring out on anyone's birthday.

And then.... and then I was going to the Women's March with Carolyn because SOMEBODY had to go with her if she was going as GoddessZilla. And then I remembered the Medusa helmet. And THEN I remembered that Medusa was a total victim of vicious sexual oppression, having been turned into a monster herself because her great beauty had provoked Zeus to rape her! Admittedly, she was cursed with snakes for hair by Hera, Zeus's wife. Yes, women have been complicit in oppressing women. We know that. And how many women have been blamed for provoking their own rape and then punished for it? How many? It's time for Medusa to join the Me Too movement --- and a whole lot of other mythical women too!

Eve in therapy with Dr. Lilith, to overcome 5000 years of guilt

Let's just start with Eve, blamed for the downfall of humanity, when she's the one who had the guts to give birth to CONSCIOUSNESS and KNOWLEDGE and HISTORY itself!

About my Medusa drag: Would you believe I already HAD it?!? Ages ago, my mother had given me this wild hostess gown (yes, this was a fashion thing long ago), which she'd never worn. It's hard to imagine she ever had the courage to buy something diaphanous and shocking pink and gold. I've been meaning to send it to Good Will for at least a decade, but somehow could never toss out such lusciousness, even though I KNEW absolutely KNEW I would never use it. And then I found the pink purse on the street. Unbelievable the things people throw out. The shocking pink gloves were bought at Cliff's the night before the march, when I went to buy elastic for Carolyn and me. I also bought salmon pink sequins which ended up on GoddessZilla's nipples.

Carolyn, with the help of Matthew, her husband, stayed up late getting those wonderful nipples just right. They used egg carton compartments as the base. She and I sewed tiny pink pussy hats for all the little snake heads, but they were too small. Only one person noticed them.

And we were off to Oakland, where we met Julie, Carolyn's friend, who took all the photos, except the one she's in.

It was Julie's very first political demonstration, and she was on the verge of tears the whole time. she was so moved. What a great feeling to be with all those joyous rebellious creative people! Thousands and thousands. And so many wonderful children!