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Chris Kuhn

Editor, skirt! Tampa Bay

I'm an outspoken thirtysomething who has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1992, full of useless facts on just about every facet of pop culture. I'm passionate about vegetarianism without passing judgment. I love to laugh. If we can't talk politics, music, movies, sports, TV or current events, you'...

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I've Learned My Lesson... Girls Rock

Chris, editor for skirt! Tampa Bay

People closest to me know that... well... I’m not a girly girl. That’s always been the case. I spoke about how difficult it was to experience the bizarre antics of a mom obsessed with lace and ruffles when all this little child wanted to do was run around with the boys and play.

In the office, I’m definitely the least girly of the skirt! bunch, that’s for sure. I’m much more comfortable in pants and loafers than dresses and heels, prefer to golf or go to a baseball game over shopping for shoes any day of the week and tend to feel more myself around guys than I do my female friends. Maybe it’s always been the pressure I’ve felt by society to be girly and not quite feeling “good” at it or caring all that much about making society happy. (I usually don’t give a damn, why I should care THIS time?)

That said, I’ve been trying to get in tune with my...girly ways...and reconnect with women my own age (give or take a decade or so either way) and I have to say that as I’ve gotten older, I’m finally beginning to appreciate the company and conversation of my gender. It’s such a relief. I didn’t really feel this way in high school or college, and frankly I was more focused on my career the first ten years out of college to even worry about developing outside friendships.

Now, I appreciate them. I really do. So much so, that I was inspired to hold my very own first Girls Night Out get-together last night. The ladies in attendance are just awesome and I thought everybody would hit it off – which they did. If there’s one thing that unifies most of the women I know it’s a love for musicals that our significant others simply don’t share. Now, in my case, I can’t say that I LOVE musicals – i enjoy the classics like Funny Face or Singing in the Rain... but not really a Dreamgirls or Chicago fan, though I have enjoyed some contemporary stabs at the genre that were more unique like Moulin Rouge and the movie adaptation of Evita.

I love ABBA. Yes, I’m not ashamed to admit it. I used to be. But not anymore. So when Mama Mia! (the movie) was being promoted, I knew I had to see it. But I also knew that trying to persuade my hubby to join me would be a waste of time. Sure, he’d go because he’s a nice guy but he’d be miserable, I’d feel that good old-fashioned Midwestern guilt that I inherited and no one would enjoy the movie. When I mentioned this to one woman after another, I soon discovered a trend. None of the guys in our lives wanted to see this movie. Aha! Yet another Eureka moment... I would invite women from all of the corners of my life – family, buddies from past jobs, buddies from my current job and other friends made along the way...and voila! We have Chicks at Channelside (aka Tiny Tapas and Big Musical Numbers).

I’ve already determined that this will become a quarterly tradition for whomever wants to join us...many of the people invited this time around couldn’t make it, but when the weather gets nicer and we all have holiday fever in the fall, something tells me that others will join in the fun. Now I just need another film that none of our mates want to see...hmmm...