2014 Resolution: Let's Treat Women In Music With Respect
posted in: Features
By Em Cassel
Critics everywhere seem to agree that women dominated music in 2013. The Boston Globe, Vice’s Noisey blog, NPR “ all of these fine journalistic institutions published year-end review pieces that were like, “Damn, ladies, way to put those double-X chromosomes to WORK!” Not just in one genre, either “ from the glitziest of pop to the crustiest of punk to the twangy-est country, women were the ones making moves in ’13.
- Frances Quinlan
And that’s awesome! Being a gal myself, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see artists like the ferociously talented Frances Quinlan and singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson getting the credit they so unequivocally deserve. Finally.
But before we go congratulating ourselves for being so progressive or claiming that sexism in the industry is over, we need to take a long, hard look at all the ways that female musicians are regularly mistreated. Because, oh boy, were there a lot of cases of blatant misogyny last year. Get ready to be overwhelmed by hyperlinks¦
Chvrches‘ Lauren Mayberry spoke up about the daily sexual harassment that she receives from commenters on the band’s various social media outlets. (Among them: This isn’t rape culture. You’ll know rape culture when I’m raping you, bitch.) Candy Hearts frontwoman Mariel
- Hayley Williams
Loveland chimed in about the sexism she’s experienced, both online and in person (Are you just the merch girl?). Grimes authored an elegant Tumblr post that outlined a number of ways in which she has been looked down upon, scoffed at, or objectified because of her gender. Even Hayley Williams, one of the most well-known and successful pop-punk artists ever, opened up about the sexual harassment lobbed her way when her band Paramore first started playing shows. And oh, Williams was just 12 years old at the time.
Do I have to keep going? Because I can. Robin Thicke‘s smash hit Blurred Lines received near-constant airplay and became the UK’s second-highest selling single of the year despite its gross rape rhetoric. Beyonce “ our undisputed queen “ was groped onstage by some grody dude. Twice. So was Florence Welch. And Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho gave a stirring speech at McGill University on sexism in classical music, after the head of France’s highest music education institution said that, essentially, women are too busy cooking and making babies to consider conducting.
So. Everyone. Let’s make a little resolution here today. In 2014, we’re going to try to treat female artists like human beings instead of some bizarre alien race that miraculously figured out how to move their vocal cords. We’re going to stop harassing women at shows, both verbally and physically, regardless of whether they’re a fellow fan or the artist you paid to see. Let’s resist the impulse to be that asshole who sexually assaults women online, even if the anonymity of the web somehow makes it seem like a good idea.
And if you’re one of the lucky people who gets paid to write about music? Just remember Maura Johnston‘s always-relevant Village Voice guide to writing about female artists. Sure, it’s full of tips that should be common sense. But judging by the way some of these musicians were treated last year, that’s something a lot of us are sorely lacking.
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