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Sarah Borkowski
English 1102-097
Dr. Griffin
25 March 2014
Women and Music
Amidst a burgeoning society of free and forward thinkers, issues like that of women's
rights and place in society seem nominal. A gap in understanding of the feminist movement,
especially in America, can be rooted to the music of Generation Y and our predecessors.
Women, although now respected much more than in decades past, still allow themselves to be
degraded by the environment they live in and the social choices they make. Music in particular
outlines some severe issues within the female community on how perception of the female form
can come as a burden or a blessing in the eyes of the beholder. Across the genres of rap music
and rock music, the same message prevails: the upbringing (economic, social, etc.) of the women
of show business bears a close resemblance to how these same women dive into femininity and
music.
The first step to admitting there is a problem is actually admitting the issue in the first
place right? Many women, music removed, at this day and age amidst the digital storm still fail
to recognize that feminism is an issue. Who is the desired audience? Thinking back to times
where action was necessary abortion rights, women's suffrage, etc. there was a need for
women to speak up because they simply had something to say about injustice. For many,
choosing just not to listen to misogynistic music is enough, because the problem is not prevalent
in their minds. Typically, women who do not grow up in these times of hardship are lumped into
what Hall and Rodriguez call pockets of antifeminism (Hall, Rodriguez, 882). The pockets
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these ladies refer to are chunks of the female population that did not grow up in the early part of
the 1900s where feminism was a need more than a cause. These ladies found that more women
who were removed from this generation were oftentimes against female movement because the
need to react was not apparent. This shying away from the problems seen in popular media is a
direct reason there is no call to arms to fix the problems. Women are shied away from
feminists mentality for the negative media representation of feminists as unattractive,
unfeminine, and lesbiansthey fear it distances them from men (Hall, Rodrigues, 884). Once
again, the media perception of women in this light bears no resemblance to the equality deserved
by the women being judged by this same media. The media essentially builds up an unattainable
image of women, and those who do not conform, suffer tremendously.
Albeit tough, the brave women who form musical groups and tour the countries face the
same issues as women everywhere. Where the true nature of antifeminism in the music world
rears its ugly head can be seen in traditionally male genres, such as punk rock. At the core of
this feminist outrage lies one simple principle: biology. Biologically, women are different than
men; thus, a comparison of their differences leaks over into the music world. Critics already have
a predetermined notion of what female music should sound like fundamentally soft or non-
hierarchal (OMeara, 302). Meaning, before the women of punk rock are even heard, they are
compared to mental catalogues of what female music should be pop music. The women of
punk, more specifically looking at the Raincoats, they were able to find a voice despite rocks
male-dominated and misogynist culture. The Raincoats, and female-DIY-punk band from the
UK, carved a subspace of the male dominated rock culture to get their opinions across. These
ladies used punks ideology of opposition as the basis.Yet they refused to use their gender as
a starting off point for punks politics of shock(OMeara, 304). Music was the vessel for these
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women who strongly advocated womens rights. Their identity was not one of women trying to
play in a male space, but of genuine concern and the right vehicle punk to do the job. The
group ebbed and flowed, adding members from all walks of life in the UK who shared the same
goal.
The media, very interestingly, also reacted to the no-nonsense attitude of the Raincoats
appearance and musical message. OMeara speaks of how publicity photos rarely focused on
their whole bodiesthe Raincoats often interacted with each other[creating] a feeling of
community around the band, rather than one of stardom(OMeara, 305). These women preached
a tale of no-frills and equality, in comparison to many modern media outlets. Take into
consideration an event such as the Grammy Awards. For days preceding the event, news anchors
and media aficionados attempt to guess what each star will be wearing, bringing, new
hairstyles, and the like. In these photos, the body of the woman in particular is the focus. The
Raincoats understood there was more to be said than physical appearance, and their community
of punk rock supported this portrayal of strong, musical women with a message (OMeara). By
committing to an image in music where gender role is removed from the art itself, the Raincoats
and
To understand the injustices of Rap music, specifically gangsta rap, is no stranger to the
treatment of women in the community and behind the performances. Differently from the punk
community, the actual content of a lot of gangsta rap [reduces women] to mere objects
objects that are only good for sex and abuse and are ultimately a burden to men(Adams and
Fuller, 940). Such hateful lyrics, however brutal, can be traced concretely to the origins of such
mindsets. Predominantly in the African American communities of the US, but not limited to, the
cultural attitude towards the women of rap stems from a capitalist patriarchal system based on
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the principles of White supremacyracism and sexism (Adams and Fuller, 942). Seen with the
Raincoats and the feminist attitude of the womens rights movement, the lamentation for
forward action in the rap community stems from the cultural burden placed on African
Americans during the Civil Rights movement. Although many of the acts themselves did not
live through such atrocities, the forward effect of such discrimination and criticism lies deep
within a society that produces such music. Men in this community are engrained with these
images of a need to feel superiority, and that women are inherently subhumans, who willingly
perform degrading acts (Adams and Fuller, 950). The treatment of women in this sphere will
wholeheartedly dissuade women from taking a stand and performing in such a genre, not
particularly at the fault of those who discriminate, more often than not from the society from
which they are bred.
Key to understanding this society of which I speak, turning to those who are consumers
of the product and the underlying perceptions of womens gender roles which make informal
decisions about their ability to perform on the same level as men. Across all races and
disciplines, determinations that women are the primary figures for most childrensuggests that
mothers will exert a significant influence on future attitudes of their children(Blee and
Tickamyer, 23). Noticing there is no gender added, just that most children will formulate
opinions on properness of actions based on parenting. In this same case, quite interestingly,
African American men are more inclined to be favorable of hard-working women, where White
men seem to be more conservative on the idea mostly analyzed as being a difference in where
the two groups grew up and under what circumstances (Blee and Tickamyer). This research may
lead to suggestions that the success of women in the music world can be directly correlated to the
views of women as a child progresses to adulthood. Thinking to the Raincoats and punk rock
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music, although these women face injustice, they are generally supported by men and women
alike in their plight to gain notoriety for feminism. However, in some cases these women are not
taken as seriously as their male counterparts in the same genre of music. In rap music, women
who are largely objectified by the music are not necessarily discussed as being outrightly
discouraged from participating. This sort of adverse affect on gender role perception and
participation may have more to do with the fans themselves of the genre than gender alone.
Group or gang mentality towards a subject can be devastating, especially amongst the
fans of different genres of music. Specifically turning to rock music, men and women in this
particular discourse seem to form biased opinions of music whether or not the singer or leader is
female or male. When integrated into the discourse, the music press assumes that all its readers
are male (Davies, 301), not accounting for how women perceive the same music men may listen
to. This dangerous assumption aims to dissuade women from entering a career of music
performance for a lack of being taken seriously by fans and critics alike. Women are considered
in music to be a perpetual novelty, rather than carving an auspicious place in the respect of
artists. (Davies, 302). Davies also mentions that women in music are not considered musicians,
rather just women. As if a feat of design, women get downtrodden simply for being
biologically born an alternate to men. Women must play into this perception, as they continue to
compete in the music sphere with men, maybe unknowingly. Still, these women in present day
will still be treated as just that women rather than performers with something to give back
to their communities.
Evident that women need to find their voices in music as an industry, although not
respected as musicians to the industry itself, the fans typically are generally favorable towards
women who perform particularly emotional lyrics. Men and women alike admit that musical
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lyrics and meaning are not necessarily thought about in a social setting the key to realizing the
true nature is observed while alone. While men subconsciously distanced themselves from
lyrical content that specifically represented women performers gendered lives offstage, they
revere the women speaking about their issues as good role models for women (Bessett, 57-58).
Men do not identify with these issues, yet they identify that women should heed the messages
from powerful women in music as scripture. Men are inherently acknowledging that there are
issues within the feminist community and music, while at the same time excluding it from being
an important factor to their personal enrichment. This mutual exclusion is poisonous, especially
in musical discourses of male dominance (like punk rock) where these men could potentially
serve as vessels for the propulsion of the womans plight.
When women do decide to speak up on the issue, one important thing to analyze is the
language women choose to represent themselves and the misogyny they face by the culture at
large. In a digital age, women are allowed quick communication of the internet, interacting with
fans much more easily. The sexually aggressive comments against women in music, such as
pop rocker Lauren Mayberry expresses, are seeded from a long root of unbiased hatred for
women in the limelight. Oftentimes, these comments of sexual degradation are viewed on
YouTube videos, blog comments, Facebook comments, etc and are categorized as banter. The
musings, however, have urged people like Mayberry to reject an acceptance of the status quo
namely the acceptance of anti-female reaction of fans of female led bands (Chvrches Lauren
Mayberry). Although nice in theory to stand up for rights on the internet, Mayberrys actions
are interesting when analyzed by syntax. Mayberry chooses to use phrases such as in my
position, referring to her position as a woman in the music industry, only once. She does,
however, refer to her plight as a group, mention the band and us and we much more
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frequently. Her message is clear misogyny in music must cease to exist, and sexism in general
must go along with it (Chvrches Lauren Mayberry); however, based on her discomfort with
accepting the issue as her own, this feat is going to be difficult for anyone. Mayberry does not
directly address the issue or prove any necessary solution to the issue throughout her entire
article, although passionately written. Once again, with the enlisted help of men who proliferate
the music that women are creating, voices like Mayberrys could be more poignant.
Another interesting case where language plays a vital role in perhaps womens own
degradation of their public image in feminism can be observed in an interview with Kathleen
Hanna, a member of the Riot Grrl movement band Bikini Kill (and more presently the group Le
Tigre).
After reviewing the femininity of music versus the general masculine sphere it inhabits,
the structure of those making the determinations for change outlay for themselves a discrete
power structure. Generalized to the arts as a whole, not necessarily music specifically, the reason
for purveying such options stems from gain. The end result of choosing to perform in the music
sphere is for a profit of some sort. The operators, or big whigs of the music industry deny that
womens rights have any profitability for the company as a whole or an individual (Rosenblum,
66). Thusly, womens degradation in music, albeit horrendous, is not detrimental to the thriving
nature of the business as a whole. Again, even in a business mentality, women are seen as
women and not again as performers where the performers are the true source of
income for these corporations such as record labels and PR firms. Rosenblum so tastefully
chooses that these businesses [have] turned art into a commodity, rather than just that an
actual art form. At the end of the day, womens plights are not marketable and are difficult to
capitalize on. Just as Mayberry spewed her heartfelt disdain via the internet blog, there would be
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no way for the music industry to capture and more importantly capitalize on her energy and
efforts. This umbrella which places women under this cloak of big business unfortunately seems
to be blocking the issues from passing over into something introspective.












Works Cited