Gender Roles In Popular Music

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The struggle for women to gain equal access to the world of professional popular music is clearly one of the key themes to emerge so far within music history and rock culture. Female performers have long been viewed as inadequate in comparison to their male counterparts in popular music culture. In this essay, I will discuss gender roles within music, making reference to the Riot Grrrl movement, a feminist punk rock movement which strived to empower females, as well as provide a brief examination on why female performers have perhaps never received the attention of their male counterparts within popular music. I will discuss dominant female figures in the music industry, particularly those who challenged society’s patriarchal gender norms. …show more content…

As Shmutz and Faupel stated in ‘Gender and Cultural Consecration in Popular Music,’ the dismissal of censorious attention and affirm for the female performer is exceptionally problematic due to the role that critics have in ‘cultural fields and in processes of consecration.’ (Shmutz et al, 688). They go on to confirm that female performers are at a greater risk of neglect in receiving ‘cultural legitimacy’ of any type, whether this be critical, professional or popular. (Shmutz et al, 697). It is evident in rock culture and popular music history that male performers represent a more prominent historic importance to the general public, perhaps solely due to their gender and natural position in the patriarchy of society. Critic’s have a tendency to discuss male artists with regards to performers autonomy, historical importance and high art criteria which contrasts greatly to the way in which they draw on female artists. For female artists it is more typical for critics to comment on the nature of their personal and professional ties, whether it be within or outside the industry, as well as their ‘perceived emotional authenticity.’ (Shmutz et al, 703.) The strategies more often utilised for male artists which place direct emphasis on for example, their ‘autonomy in the creative process’ and the ‘originality and complexity of their music attribute a certain degree of agency to male …show more content…

Much like Madonna, the Spice Girls provided an idea of physical and mental strength as well as power and authority for females through their music and image. They were popular not only in their physical appearance, but based on their representation of confidence, self awareness, energy and comfort in who they are as individuals. They introduced an idea of ‘Girl Power’ which comprised elements of a ‘free spirit, self acceptance and self fulfilment.’ (Lemish, 21). There was a rather remarkable depth however to the cliches in which they represented. Lemish argues that they were a ‘group of five “hot,” energetic and extremely successful young women, declaring their independence, taking control of their lives and inviting you, a nine or ten year old girl growing up in a confusing world of indeterminate gender boundaries to join in!’ (Lemish, 21). The spice girls completely disobeyed ideas of male authority and they display a conscious demonstration of sexuality in which sexuality is portrayed as a sense of pride that should be celebrated rather than hidden. They portray ideas of passion and sexuality in such a way that they are ‘not at war with rationality and dignity.’ (Lemish, 22). Evident in many of their songs, their authority can be seen in the lyrics ‘stop right now thank you very much/ I need somebody with a human touch/ if you want to be

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