"And what about it?": When women fight back
Happy Wednesday! This week we're taking a look at the iconic moments when women stood strong against sexist BS.
There is nothing I enjoy more than watching women in our industry dialling up the sass and standing up for themselves. It’s something I’ve always loved to see, especially as a teenager when I was just finding my feet in music myself.
Now as a music journalist, sexism is something I’ve spoken about with my interviewees a lot and is something I always keep in the back of my mind when I think of what I’m going to ask prior to any chat – Could this come off the wrong way? Is this sensitive and respectful? Will they be open to speaking on this? These are questions I ask myself before going into an interview where the topic of sexism, equality or any other form of injustice will be a prominent point.
And I’ve had some great discussions on representation – one that I always remember is my chat with Joanne Shaw Taylor. She’s a huge blues artist and an insanely good guitarist. Although sexism wasn’t something in my original interview questions, we naturally veered that way as she noted she hadn’t spoken to many female journalists for guitar-focused magazines before. She asked me a lot on my back ground and ended up telling me about times when people have used the “Oh you like [insert band here]? Name 5 songs” tactic against her, where she would say “Why don’t I play them for you instead?”
She also spoke about the weirdness of phrases like “you’re my favourite female guitarist”, where she came out with the iconic line, “What does that even mean? I don’t play guitar with my ovaries!” – Amazing!
This week, we’re looking back on the times when women were outrageously iconic in standing strong in their beliefs, so let’s get into it, shall we? *flips hair*
Lady Gaga
How can you not love Lady Gaga? She’s vivacious, talented and she’s strong in her opinions too. She’s had countless iconic moments over her years of stardom, but this clip is unforgettable. In this interview, she’s asked about whether her sexually empowered aesthetic could take emphasis away from her music, a question that I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man get asked. “If I was a guy and I was sitting here with a cigarette in my hand, grabbing my crotch talking about how I make music cause I love fast cars and f*cking girls, you’d call me a rockstar,” She says. “Because I’m a female, because I make pop music you are judgemental… I’m just a rockstar.”
Disclaimer: At the end of this interview Lady Gaga says she’s not a feminist, but this interview dates back to 2009 and I think it’s safe to say her view on feminism has probably changed since then.
Britney Spears
This one is short but sweet, but you don’t need me to tell you that Britney Spears has dealt with a ridiculous amount of crap in the industry, a lot of which has especially come to light during the #FreeBritney movement. In this interview, she spoke of the double standards between herself and the male pop artists around her. I’ve seen a multitude of interviews where Britney has been asked some terribly grim questions, so it’s nice to see her standing strong in this one.
Ariana Grande
You’ve definitely seen this as a GIF floating about on Twitter, and it’s one of my faves. Here Ariana can be seen taking her sweet time as paparazzi hound her for “not looking” in their direction, to which she responds “And what about it?” whilst remaining composed and graceful – beautiful. She’s also spoken out before when asked silly questions of whether she could live without her phone or make up. Would we ever ask men if they could choose between football or beer? It’s stereotypical and very very weird.
Hayley Williams
This clip has been bouncing about for years on YouTube, and to this day it’s not exactly clear what led up to Hayley getting feisty with this security guard at her show. There were rumours he was being creepy towards her and also claims that he wasn’t helping a fan who was struggling in the crowd, but nothing has been confirmed.
Madonna
This speech from Madonna is captivating. “If you’re a girl you have to play the game, what is that game? You’re allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy, but don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion, don’t have an opinion that is out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut but don’t own your sluttiness. And do not, I repeat do not, share your own sexual fantasies with the world.”
Taylor Swift
Shake It Off singer Taylor Swift is a proud feminist and her song The Man is a fantastic musical exploration of the advantages given to men in the music industry, “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man,” She sings. Even for those who aren’t all that into pop, you cannot deny it’s brilliantly written. Here in this clip she explores the double standards she too has experienced.
Song Of The Week
For this issue I’ve chosen Lily Allen’s F*ck You, which was performed by herself and pop idol Olivia Rodrigo at Glastonbury over the weekend in dedication to the US Supreme Court. Solidarity with our sisters in the States.
Thanks as always for reading, I’m thrilled with how many people are joining us each week. If you enjoy Girls To The Front be sure to share it and do get in touch if you’d like to get involved!
Stay unapologetically loud,
Rachel