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She’s being touted as a novel anti-Britney role model, but enfant terrible of Canuck pop rock Avril Lavigne has a carefully constructed persona that’s cribbed from other sources. To better comprehend Lavigne’s complicated image when she sk8s into the Air Canada Centre Wednesday (April 9), we’ve picked the badass It Girl apart.
BLACK EYELINER
The smoky-black eyeliner screams swingin’ 60s, when Nico and Marianne Faithfull worked the kohl-lined sultry sex kitten look for all its bruised-angel appeal. The charcoal also helped mask junkie dark circles.
IRONED HAIR
Old pics of Avril reveal her roots: she’s a true frizz queen. Nico’s also a source for the stick-straight tresses, as is kitschy all-American sweetheart Marcia Marcia Marcia (Brady).
OH-SO-IRONIC VINTAGE SHIRTS
She used to wear old tighty-whitey undershirts that screamed rough trade, but she’s traded the beaters for oh-so-ironic vintage Ts. After Avril donned a Home Hardware soccer shirt on Saturday Night Live, the Canadian chain was inundated with calls for copycat versions.
NO GUITAR CHOPS/BADASS PERSONA
Her instrumental fumbling at live shows and bratty bad-girl persona are reminiscent of original prefab underage girly-rockers the Runaways, who gave the world Joan Jett, Lita Ford and sick fantasies for dirty old men everywhere.
TIE
Dapper neckwear dates back to mid-20th-century rude boys and mods in the UK. As for the girl version, Avril owes a debt to punk prophet Patti Smith and 80s gender-bender Annie Lennox. Whatever — Lavigne ditched the tie after too many trendoids hopped on the bandwagon.
SVENGALI SONGWRITING ASSISTANCE
Lavigne may share co-songwriting credits on all the album tracks, but we have the Matrix to thank for the annoyingly catchy strains of Complicated. Label Arista was about to drop Lavigne when the Matrix came in to beef up her hook-writing skills.
PUNK ROCK SNEER
Avril grimaces like a grotesque punk rawk cartoon. She could’ve stolen the smirk from Johnny Rotten himself, the father of DIY dissent, but we’re guessing she’s been watching too many Blink-182 clips.
HEARTWARMING SENTIMENT
Avril’s workin’ the “li’l girl from a small Canuck town made good” myth for all it’s worth. Betcha the Napanee Tourism Board is thanking her now.
STUDDED CUFFS/ARMBANDS
Studded cuffs and dog collars originated in S/M communities and the 70s punk movement and expressed the way consumer society treats us like dogs. Now you can buy ’em in any Hot Topic chain store in malls across the U.S.
DICKIES PANTS/SKATEBOARD
Avril could score a sweet sponsorship deal with skater-friendly label Dickies Workwear, whose short pants are constantly falling off her ass. You’d never know she started out as a new country crooner.
