Green Day are being called out for writing a "handbook for the rebellious everywoman"

4 April 2019, 14:11

People are pointing out that the book - which is an illustrated version of the band's song Last of the American Girls - was created by four men and um, zero women.

Green Day have announced that they are releasing their very first book called Last of the American Girls but some people aren't too happy about it. Why? Because it's a book about women, written by three men and illustrated by another.

The book, which is named after the song of the same name on their 2009 album 21st Century Breakdown, is an illustrated version of the song's lyrics. According to Rolling Stone, it's described as “an inspiring homage and handbook for the rebellious everywoman who refuses to capitulate.” The press release also bills the book as a celebration of “true rebel girls—girls who push back, girls who use their voice, girls who say no."

It was written by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool and was also illustrated by cartoonist Frank Caruso.

While it's exciting news that Green Day are dropping their first book, some people are pointing out that a book about female empowerment maybe shouldn't have been written and illustrated by four men - and that a woman should have her name on the product too.

It's a fair point. Some fans are totally into it though, citing their excitement about an illustration version of the original song. "Watch me drop all my money for this shit," one fan wrote in reply to Green Day's announcement tweet.

When "Last of the American Girls” was released, Billie Joe Armstrong told Blunt that it was originally about his wife, Adrienne.

"That song started out as being about my wife and then I kind of started getting into more of my own beliefs—anything from a little book of conspiracies to, like, playing vinyl records or something," he said. "It’s sort of like about an empowering, sort of subterranean kind of lifestyle, but at the same time there’s a new era coming in with the way we all need to live—like living in a disposable society or something like that but actually living off garbage and finding beauty in it in some way."

Last of the American Girls will be released on October 29th.