Browsing Tag

Sexism in the Music Industry

The Meaninglessness of the UK Misogyny in Music Inquiry

Misogyny

The UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has recently concluded an extensive inquiry into the pervasive ‘Misogyny in Music’, a probe that spanned over a year and a half. The committee’s findings, encapsulated in a hard-hitting report, lay bare the stark realities faced by women in the music industry. The report begins with a powerful statement, highlighting the myriad challenges women encounter, ranging from limited opportunities and support to gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and the ever-present issue of unequal pay in a sector rife with self-employment and gendered power imbalances.

Despite some progress in representation, the report underscores that these issues are deeply ingrained and further exacerbated for women contending with intersectional barriers, especially racial discrimination. The report delves into these issues in detail and puts forth several recommendations. For the British government, these include enhancing protections against sexual harassment and discrimination for freelance workers and legislating against the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of sexual abuse, harassment, misconduct, and bullying. The music industry is also addressed with recommendations such as labels committing to regularly publish data on the diversity of their creative rosters and workforces, including gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Furthermore, the report suggests licensing recording studios with a sexual harassment risk assessment, a mandatory accreditation programme for music managers, and incorporating conditions to tackle bias, harassment, and abuse in the licensing rules for music venues.

However, the report also takes a broader societal perspective, stressing the need for educating boys and men on misogyny and consent, and how to respect and support women better, acknowledging that these issues are often unfairly deemed as solely women’s concerns. The report’s release has prompted responses from various industry bodies, acknowledging the gravity of misogyny in music and society and the need for concerted efforts to address it. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and UK Music have expressed their commitment to tackling these issues, emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny and discrimination.

…If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is

Amidst these developments, there’s a palpable sense of scepticism about the potential for real change. The UK is on the cusp of a general election, with the ruling Conservative party, in power since 2010, now facing a resurgent opposition Labour Party. The government’s current focus seems to be on internal politics, quick-fix policies, and cultural battles, leaving issues like misogyny in the music industry on the back burner. While individual MPs, including committee chair Caroline Nokes MP, have shown commitment to these issues, the transformative change needed in the music industry’s heart, as Nokes points out, seems a distant dream.

The report, though clear in its recommendations, may only see significant attention post-election, possibly under a new government. Of course, there is no guarantee that the Tories won’t get to extend their tyrannical rule over the UK, and let’s not forget, the Conservative Party is just as misogynistic as what they are pretending to go up against to benefit women in the music industry. Remember when they trashed tackling sexism and racism as ‘woke concerns’? Remember when Caroline Nokes called the party institutionally sexist? Remember when the home secretary, James Cleverly, made a date rape joke? Don’t fall for the populist agendas.

As much as I would love to see the music industry become a meritocracy that is free from misogyny, that optimism doesn’t make me naïve enough to believe that the UK government is going to do anything to support musicians in any capacity. In recent years, the music industry has been decimated by Brexit, the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and the general lack of appetite for new music because nostalgia tastes so much sweeter when modernity is sour. Not all of the above can be pinned on our current government, but they certainly haven’t helped with their proclivities towards disaster capitalism.

5 Ways the UK Government Has Failed to Support the Dilapidating Music Industry

  1. Inadequate Support for Live Music During the Pandemic: One of the significant failures of the UK government in recent years was the lack of appropriate support packages for the live music industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector, which heavily relies on live performances and events, was one of the hardest hit, yet the government’s response was criticised for being insufficient to address the unique challenges faced by artists, venues, and support staff.
  2. Unresolved Streaming Royalty Issues: Despite numerous reports and discussions highlighting the unfair distribution of streaming royalties, the UK government has been slow to address these concerns effectively. Many artists and industry professionals have expressed frustration over the lack of concrete action following inquiries into streaming services, which continue to leave many artists under-compensated for their work.
  3. Brexit’s Impact on Touring Artists: The government’s Brexit plans significantly impacted the music industry, particularly in terms of touring. The lack of consideration for artists and musicians in the Brexit negotiations led to increased bureaucracy, visa issues, and transportation costs for UK artists touring in the EU. This oversight has been seen as a failure to acknowledge and support the international aspirations and careers of UK-based artists.
  4. Underfunding of Music Education: The UK government has also been criticised for its underfunding of music education in schools. This lack of investment not only diminishes the quality of music education available to young people but also impacts the long-term sustainability of the music industry by failing to nurture the next generation of UK talent.
  5. Neglecting the Grassroots Music Venues: Grassroots music venues, crucial for the development of emerging artists, have faced neglect and lack of support from the government. These venues, often the starting point for many successful musicians, have struggled with issues like rising rents and strict licensing laws, with little to no governmental intervention or support to address these challenges, leading to closures and a diminishing music scene at the local level.

Article by Amelia Vandergast

Objectification isn’t Appreciation: How Misogyny is Necessitating a #MeToo Movement in the Music Industry

Misogyny in the Music Industry

With the Manosphere promoting the idea that misogyny is called for after feminism has levelled the playing field and left men the most disenfranchised members of society, the recent calls for a #MeToo movement to sweep through the music industry are unlikely to get answered.

When men would prefer to follow the likes of Andrew Tate, who has been convicted on sex trafficking and rape charges, rather than accept the idea that misogyny will only leave half of the population at odds with each other, collective faith in the eradication of sexism is quickly waning.

While I have witnessed and heard endless accounts of sleaze in the music industry, the instance that inspired this piece was what occurred when I went to see the Anchoress at the Deaf Institute in Manchester on the 13th of May. While she was giving a live rendition of her sophomore album, The Art of Losing, which covers harrowing themes of grief, baby loss and sexual abuse, to a crowd which mostly consisted of men, it became painfully obvious that the vast majority weren’t there in appreciation of her ethereal vocals and lyrical eloquence.

One man felt COMPLETELY comfortable making what could only be described as clamorous sexual groans every time she announced the next song and took every possible opportunity to try and grab her attention, even going as far as saying that he wished she wrote some of her songs with him on her lap. Funnily enough, when that gig was covered by a Manchester-based publication, they mentioned the man in question but completely omitted the unsolicited lecherous comments thrown at the singer-songwriter. Instead, they documented it as “a conversation between Catherine and a clearly emotional North Easterner”.

The Anchoress: The Art of Losing review – giving voice to her grief | Pop  and rock | The Guardian

Even if women on live music stages don’t attempt to take advantage of the fact that sex sells, that does little to get in the way of some people treating them like objects in a peep show, which just so happens to have a musical element. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being attracted to musicians; I’m not attempting to override innate human desire. But if you care enough about an artist to buy a ticket to their shows, maybe don’t choke the atmosphere with patronising entitlement to project your sexual fantasies on them.

The hypocrisy that lingers around the artists who present themselves in a way to evoke a certain response from male fans and then chastise them for it probably shouldn’t go unmentioned. While I don’t want to victim blame or insinuate that sexual assaults, verbal or otherwise, are ever necessitated by what someone is wearing, I can’t help but feel that when artists play the part of Lolita, they are only diminishing the progress of the women that are fighting for equality away from misogyny. I fully saw the reasoning behind Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill stripping off on stage with ‘SLUT’ sprawled across her stomach because she knew that is the way the male gaze would greet her anyway. However, when that is perpetuated in modern culture away from that pioneering protest, as a woman, I don’t feel as though it is empowering; in the slightest. I see what kinds of fans those artists and bands attract, and honestly, it makes me feel a little sick to see the throngs of men at the front with their cameras shuttering on wankbank material. Almost as sickening, are the male promoters who only tend to work with attractive female artists; the rest of the scene sees you behind your thinly veiled virtue.

 

The Riot Grrrl Style Revolution | AnOther

At this point, I will address another elephant in the metaphorical room and acknowledge that the sexualisation of musicians can and often does go in the other way too, and while I don’t want to dismiss the uncomfortable experiences endured by men when fans decide to get handsy or send gyno shots on social media, the misogyny and sexism inflicted on women is part of a far bigger picture, which has been making the music industry one of the most daunting industries to be a part of with XX chromosomes. If you speak to any woman in the music industry, she will have her fair share of stories, from patronising sound guys to getting groped after their set to being discriminated against by labels to not being given the same opportunities.

How often do you see posts on social media where talents and contributions to a cultural society are overlooked because, to some people, nothing could ever be worth more than appearance? One article that effortlessly exemplifies my point is an article by The Richest, which has since been taken down, that listed 15 ugly singers that get by with their hot bodies. Note how artistic merit is completely thrown by the wayside in the article.

We clearly have a long way to go before the music industry is prepared to treat artists, regardless of gender, on a meritocratic basis. Sex may sell, but it only buys you cheap fake fans that will only support you until you’re no longer the apple of their lascivious eye.

 

Article by Amelia Vandergast