WEBSITE REVIEW

Hyperlink the Messenger

Web designer Heidi Swanson knew precisely what she was doing when she created chickclick.com, an online umbrella site for an array of girl zines and Web commerce. It’s intended to target ages 13-30. The design of the site is masterfully crafted for teenage girls, utilizing vivid colors, animated cartoons and pop icons for links. All the pages are chaotic, with clipped quotes and catchy phrases to click on and bounce you to some other rant of teen venting. Sister sites range anywhere from "Disgruntled Housewife" (witticisms of riot grrl testimonials) to "fear" (a candid diary of insecurities nested within every modern young female). Although the self-righteous style of writing is indicative of a youthful feminism, the irreverent man-hating (e.g. "The Dick List" to which you can add the name of any local asshole) sets low standards for the utility of the e-zines.

And, although chickclick seems to enthusiastically promote feminist attitudes, it teaches empowerment through degradation and domination. For example: "teach your ex-boy toy who’s boss ..." and "if ... the swine who slopped at your trough hasn’t called ... drop to mutual friends that you’ve seen chickens hung bigger." It’s difficult to imagine any well-educated female above 18 taking it seriously.

But for every quick-witted teenager sick of the alienation within overly glorified print glossies, chickclick does offer the intimacy of belonging to a "girl" club. It’s brilliantly marketed on the backs of young girls looking for acceptance. I just hope they’re smart enough to separate the messenger from the message.

Rebecca Mazzei is Metro Times listing editor.