There is sexism, sadly, in every industry. From STEM professions to politics, from the classroom to the boardroom, inequality can be found everywhere. Increasingly, however, the sexism present in the music industry has begun to bubble to the surface, after simmering for decades upon decades. Of course, everyone knows the sexism is there, and always has been – the overwhelming number of successful male artists in all genres, outnumbering their female counterparts, shows that quite clearly. But the extent to which this and the sexism behind the scenes affects female artists is becoming increasingly publicised.
This week, recently revived Britpop group All Saints revealed the difficulties they faced as an all-girl group in the 1990’s. Speaking in an interview to the BBC, they disclosed that they were pressured to go topless by popular BBC programme Top of the Pops, at risk of sacrificing their appearance on the show. They also claimed that all-male bands at the time weren’t treated any differently for acting arrogant or ‘stroppy’ – these were negative labels exclusively afforded to all-girl groups. This is a stereotype which is still perpetuated today – artists such as Halsey face criticism for being pretentious in the image she portrays, whereas similar artists such as Matty Healy of The 1975 are praised for their creativity their image perpetuates. This is just one example of the differences in the way male and female musicians are treated, particularly in the pop industry. Another way these double standards manifest is in the way male and female artists are treated for exposing their bodies. When 5 Seconds of Summer pose naked on the cover of Rolling Stone, they are lauded and called ‘sexy’ – when female artists dress in revealing clothing, they are called ‘sluts’ and accused of exploiting their bodies for advancement and monetary gain.
The sexism discussed recently by All Saints has been present since before the 90s, and continues to affect female artists today. Young British pop star Charli XCX attempted to expose the sexism she faced in a documentary entitled ‘The F-Word and Me’, touching on subjects such as criticism she faces for not fitting a specific ‘mould’ of artist in how she dresses and acts, and the way she has been treated by those who accuse her of ‘selling sex’ in her music. Yet this incredibly powerful and relevant documentary was relegated to a late-night slot on BBC 3, significantly lessening its impact and also illustrating the lack of value afforded to female artists by those behind the scenes.
A number of other current artists have started to voice their discontent with the inequality they face, increasingly unafraid of the consequences they may face from labels and managers. With the rise of Twitter and other forms of social media, it is ever easier for artists to connect directly with their fans and thus speak out about these issues. Marina and the Diamonds has in the past announced via Twitter that her music video would be released late due to her management objecting to the presence of her body hair. ‘Life ain’t a fucking Nair commercial’ proclaimed Marina after this incident, which revealed the extent to which the appearance of female artists is prioritised and scrutinised, something which male artists face to a considerably lesser extent.
There is no starker example of the sexism present and still present in the music industry than in the case of Ke$ha, whose career has effectively been ended due to her speaking out about the sexual assault she suffered at the hands of her producer, Dr Luke. In speaking our, KeSha hoped to escape the toxic contract she was trapped in with her abuser. Instead, her claims were dismissed and she is being forced to see through the contract, which is no doubt greatly damaging to her mental health and wellbeing. In contrast to this horrific injustice, American singer-songwriter Chris Brown was convicted of assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna, yet still continues to maintain a successful musical career today, something Kesha will not be able to do despite being a victim, not an abuser. This demonstrates the extreme inequalities still present in the music industry and really illustrate that something needs to change.
It’s no secret that the music industry is a hotbed of inequality – while there have obviously been improvements since the mistreatment faced by all-girl groups such as All Saint in the 90s, the fact that young artists such as Charli XCX and Marina and the Diamonds still battle inequality says so much, not to mention the absolutely horrific treatment of Kesha by the music industry as well as the judicial system. Something has to change. The double standards for male and female artists need to be eradicated. And the exploitation has to stop.
Comments are closed.