Re: Women in Rock and Sexism

[THRH79B@prodigy.com ( K D GILES)]

Samantha,

>Not that I am a huge fan of female singers ( bands, etc), I've 
noticed many
>women sing songs that have a horrible angst against men.  Do women 
think
>that in order to make up for the time they've been "abused" they 
have to
>treat men badly?

Apparently this sort of thing is what the market wants, and as long 
as it continues to sell people will continue to make that kind of 
music.  And, as Carolyn has alluded to, there are plenty of 
misogynistic rock songs floating around out there.  Sauce for the 
goose, sauce for the gander, or the old chestnut of your choice.  Is 
turnabout fair play?  I honestly don't know, but many people believe 
that it is.

>Another point, it's perfectly okay for women to organize the
>exclusively female Lilith Fair, but I'm sure if men were to hold a 
concert
>to celebrate masculinity, there would be someone complaining.

One could argue that virtually every rock festival in history was a 
celebration of masculinity.  I am not disposed towards making this 
argument, but I do not doubt that there have been festivals where 
every performer was male.

The problem *I* have with the Lilith Fair is its lack of musical 
diversity.  This not only makes for a dull show, but serves to 
strengthen the view that female musicians are all members of some 
sort of female genre, and are all playing the same kind of music.  
You said above that you are not a huge fan of female singers, bands, 
etc., and I know many other people who have said the same thing.  But 
female singers and bands are not all alike, although the ones 
currently being shoved down are throats may be difficult to tell 
apart.  There are all kinds of women making all kinds of music out 
there.  The belief that women are only good for one kind of music is 
a symptom of the sexism in the industry, and the Lilith Fair is 
guilty of perpetrating this myth.  Until such notions are put to rest,
 it will be difficult for women who are doing different things to 
break through to the mainstream.

-Yellow "Dedicated to the Memory of Mia Zapata" Ledbetter