The little girl looks for the approval and applause of her parents: "Look what I can do!" Each part of Reeder's tripartite starts with this prologue of found footage which is put in a slightly different perspective each time by what follows. In 'Lullaby' the girl writes down her daily experiences and thoughts: "Today was great" or "Today was pretty bad" and "I will not eat the following FAT foods:…". She takes ballet lessons and fantasizes that she is a famous model and actress. The prototype of the eleven-year-old girl, who still has irrational dreams about her future, has been formed by artificial media idols. The images are appropriately accompanied by Reeder singing Madonna's 'Lucky Star'. 'Nevermind' shows mainly Reeder's head while she sings Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Image and sound slow down and are interlaced with rapid shots that give a view of inescapable reality: The adult world is full of violence, but Reeder can still sing her song without concern and end it with a content smile. As the titles indicate, innocence carries the dominate tone in these first two parts although tarnished reality becomes increasingly intrusive. In 'Johnny Take a Dive' all naïve dreams are shattered for good. The girl's ideal image shows its true face: strippers and pornography, randy men, ankle-breaking shoes, a woman with a bloody nose who is trying to shape her wig. All things that are not part of our preteen idealized images. In this third part Reeder sings 'Mysterious Ways' by U2, but in spite of the refrain "it's all right" she cannot end the song as unconcernedly and contentedly as she did in 'Nevermind'.
– Lies Holtrop
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Jennifer Reeder ° 1971, Columbus (USA)
Lives and works in Chicago (USA)
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