Pill and Punch is an indie-alternative, vintage-inspired jewellery and home decor shop based in Malmö. It's owned and run by this lovely Swede named Jo who runs her own line called Pill Jewelry. The shop sells multiple goods (posters/prints, iron-on patches, ceramics just to name a few...) by several local artists and is a cosy place to spend a few hours (in my case) poking around every nook and cranny, trying on all the jewellery and chatting to the staff!
The best part about Pill and Punch is the ability to customise your own jewellery with no cost. Jo can change chain length, colour, thickness and even alter the colour (e.g., semi-precious gemstones) and other elements of her own jewellery collection. She offers chain length alterations for free too, and is willing to swap for example, butterfly earring backings with plastic ones, and vice versa.
I learned (from eavesdropping in my shop wanderings) that the shop runs through commissioned-based sales. The shop-front premise of Pill and Punch essentially take in and stock goods from artists, and when the goods are sold, each party (P+P and the artist) split the money 50/50. I've been wanting to poke around Pill and Punch for a while and decided to treat myself today - and bought myself a necklace!
Chain: sterling silver plated with gold; brass feminist symbol, glass tear and purple pill
Feminist Symbol (Venus symbol): Today was lucky - I found the largest feminist symbol I could find (it also happened to be the last one available in that size and the colour I wanted) and quickly nabbed it as my own. I don't know who I'd be without knowing and understanding feminism. It's so deeply rooted into who I am as a person: it's the ideology that foregrounds my entire existence; in opposition to all forms of oppression, particularly (but of course not restricted to) marginalised groups like women, people of colour, animals and the environment. My personal alignment is towards a feminism which is wholly intersectional. I would label myself as an eco-feminist (here is a more condensed/concise overview of eco-feminism from PhD candidate Esther Alloun - I love the way she writes!) - purely because I feel this "branch" of feminism aligns more closely with my vegan and environmental politics (hell, it's the feminism that inspired my veganism in the first place!) - both of which are essential aspects of how I conduct myself, and engage with the world around me.
Tear (Glass): Pill and Punch stocks various feminist-themed jewellery - but the tear-shaped element of my own necklace is part of a specific collection Jo christened Male Tears. I did some digging (i.e., a quick Google) of the term and found, from a feminist perspective at least, the phrase "male tears" refers to 'a concept to make fun of men who whine about how oppressed they are, how hard life is for them, while they still are privileged'. Jo created the collection following the #MeToo Movement - mocking the subsequent backlash from the "Red Pill" (see 12:48 for a neat summary) or "Men's Rights Movement". You can choose between semi-precious gemstones or an iridescent glass tear - I went for the glass because I fell in love with the mermaid-esque light reflections, but also because it's kind of metaphoric, as Jo said: glass is fragile, like the male ego, and will break if you smash it hard enough, or drop it.
For me though, what originally attracted me to the particular collection of Male Tears is my own personal value of experiencing and showing emotionality and vulnerability - in the words of artist Lora Mathis, "embrace vulnerability / Use emotionality as a / radical tactic against a / society which teaches you / that emotions / are a sign of weakness". It means countering the predominant perception that opening yourself up to recognise the most vulnerable parts of yourself (e.g., radical self-acceptance and self-forgiveness, dealing with shame, accepting responsibility for your own wrongdoings and letting yourself feel guilt and going through that whole process of self-reckoning), makes you appear "weak".
Also, in the words of Tobias Linné, the word 'tear' holds dual meaning, and in this instance also represents "tearing apart the comfortable illusions of happy nonhuman animals promoted by the media and advertising industries but also about shedding tears for the nonhuman animals who suffer" (2015, p. 252) - tearing down patriarchy and oppression one step at a time :)
For me though, what originally attracted me to the particular collection of Male Tears is my own personal value of experiencing and showing emotionality and vulnerability - in the words of artist Lora Mathis, "embrace vulnerability / Use emotionality as a / radical tactic against a / society which teaches you / that emotions / are a sign of weakness". It means countering the predominant perception that opening yourself up to recognise the most vulnerable parts of yourself (e.g., radical self-acceptance and self-forgiveness, dealing with shame, accepting responsibility for your own wrongdoings and letting yourself feel guilt and going through that whole process of self-reckoning), makes you appear "weak".
"Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness." ― Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2012)Tears can also be happy ones - from laughter; vulnerability can be beautiful, and I think the tear encapsulates that wonderfully.
Also, in the words of Tobias Linné, the word 'tear' holds dual meaning, and in this instance also represents "tearing apart the comfortable illusions of happy nonhuman animals promoted by the media and advertising industries but also about shedding tears for the nonhuman animals who suffer" (2015, p. 252) - tearing down patriarchy and oppression one step at a time :)
Purple Pill: Usually there's a pill attached opposite the clasp of all Pill Jewelry - it's kind of Jo's signature and part of the quirkiness of her work. Since I wanted both the feminist symbol and tear to be removable, she had to change the positions of the pill - and instead we both decided on just including it as another charm. Plus I got to pick the colour! All you need to do is ask :)
Anyway, I decided on purple for a number of reasons too - not only because Jo and I agreed that it looked the best with the iridescent mermaid-coloured tear, but also because its considered a queer colour, and has been harnessed throughout history by the LGBTQIA+ community representing both strength and solidarity. And of course as a student of Gender Studies, a discipline I hold so close to my heart, I don't think I could've picked another colour - but also, purple is the favourite colour of my friend who introduced me to Pill and Punch in the first place, so that's another nice little reminder of them too.
But what the pill really represents is my sustained commitment to de-stigmatising mental illness, taking medications to alleviate some symptoms of mental illness, and also taking supplements on a vegan diet. I like how the pills always come in two colours as well - and harks to what my housemate likes to say: "In life, things always come in twos, there will always be good and bad, love and pain."
Visit Pill and Punch (and other cool shops!) at Mitt Möllan, Claesgatan 8, 214 26 Malmö.
References:
Linné, T. (2015). Tears, Connections, Action! Teaching Critical Animal and Media Studies. In M. C. Núria Almiron, Carrie P. Freeman (Ed.), Critical Animal and Media Studies: Communication for Nonhuman Animal Advocacy (pp. 251-264). New York: Routledge.
But what the pill really represents is my sustained commitment to de-stigmatising mental illness, taking medications to alleviate some symptoms of mental illness, and also taking supplements on a vegan diet. I like how the pills always come in two colours as well - and harks to what my housemate likes to say: "In life, things always come in twos, there will always be good and bad, love and pain."
Visit Pill and Punch (and other cool shops!) at Mitt Möllan, Claesgatan 8, 214 26 Malmö.
References:
Linné, T. (2015). Tears, Connections, Action! Teaching Critical Animal and Media Studies. In M. C. Núria Almiron, Carrie P. Freeman (Ed.), Critical Animal and Media Studies: Communication for Nonhuman Animal Advocacy (pp. 251-264). New York: Routledge.
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