WARRIURRRRZ OF THE WASTELAND

(http://www.deviantart.com/art/Furiosa-563796052)

As we all know, it is hard to find the level of fighting existence that is sustainable, enjoyable, and worthwhile. We take too much on, fight on too many fronts, stretch ourselves too thin, or else we do not engage at all, stagnate, decay, rust. It's tempting to wade in and sink, our hearts too heavy, taking everything too seriously, just as it's tempting to get into a cycle of evasion and escapism, of diets and Sunday hangovers and Monday morning regrets. Yet there is more and more things to do all the time, more battles to fight, more erosions to defy.

The standard, default, posture to take in fighting these battles is that of the Warrior. It is generally white, generally male, generally straight, it carries a large sword, it believes in 'honour' and 'word' and 'war'; it is an inherently masculine concept, it fights and conquers. But the emotional and political fragility of that concept is plain to see: it attacks head on, in straight lines, it fights with 'heart' and (it has to be said) a lot of problematic machismo. It takes itself too seriously, and excludes.

So, is there a progressive, intersectional model of resistance we can follow? To that end, let me present to you the WARRIUURRR.

The WARRIURRRR can be anyone; it can be of any gender and non, any sexuality and none, any race or nationality or of any mental or physical state. The WARRIURRRR does not think in terms of conspiracies or battles or wars; it just bounces into survival.

The WARRIURRRR does not take itself too seriously; it fights, but has other things to do. It may wield a sword, but it wears bunny ears too. It has armour not of steel or khaki but of denim and PVC and sneaker or Doc Martens; it has a backpack with Daria patches. It has a Tank Girl poster on it's wall.

The WARRIURRRR is cheerful in it's resistance; it wears it's determination lightly. It attacks and defends like it breathes and walks; it does not join crowds nor chants in unison, it seeks the corners where it can play. It is at one with the Other, it is the underdog that bites. A WARRIURRRR is a happy WARRIURRRR, it smiles as it kills, it dances on picketlines and at demonstrations. It carries a ghetto blaster and brings peppy gloom wherever it goes.

The WARRIURRRR is also FEEEURRCE. It REBELS. The warrior may be prone to authoritarianism, the bloodfeud and the oath, but the WARRIURRRR is liberal. The WARRIURRRR is not an angry patriach, but is intersectional. A WARRIURRRR is a SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIURRRR, impishly tweaking the nose of oppression. It skips towards the source of injustice and punches, then skips away. It is also glamourous, it throws shade, and summons demons. It fights with eyeliner and shines without a sword.

The idea of the WARRIURRRR is also open source; you can take it and do with it what you will. You can be a WARRIURRRR PRINCESS or a WARRIURRRR QWEEN or a WARRIURRRR KING or a WARRIURRRR VAMP. But whatever you want to be, we are the WARRIURRRRZ of the wasteland in a world that's going to hell. We are heresy in flesh and on the apocalypse road.

Now, ride out!

Posted in: Column2,Joel Heyes