MUSIC & GENDER
Hello, everyone!
As most of you know I'm Jade Hope, I'm a junior here at Converse and I'm currently studying Musical theater and dance! When it comes to discussing the topic of gender and how it affects music, I become very sensitive. Not only is this a topic I still discuss with peers of mine, but I also find myself educating family members. What makes this topic so hard to put into words is because I identify as non-binary, meaning for me, I feel I don't fit into the " gender norms" or fit in "one gender". When identifying as non-binary in this industry it's harder to find roles that I would be comfortable in. And let me explain why.
One of the reasons why I say it's harder for me to find roles in this industry is because in society, people already have an image of a character who is male or female. Rather that character is male or female, as a non-binary person I don’t fit into that typical societal image for characters and mentally it’s harder for me to allow myself to play those roles. Even though it's a mental struggle for me, I also receive verbal backlash. It's hard trying to explain to someone who doesn't understand the concept of " just because you are born into a certain body or labeled as a female or male doesn't mean you are going to feel as such" which is the biggest problem in today's society. For me, identifying as non-binary is the hardest thing in this industry because society has the conception that all women should be feminine, and all men should be masculine. As a non-binary person, I feel as if I don’t fit into those societal ideals of what defines a female or male, I wouldn't be given the same respect.
With all that being said, when it comes to the question on how gender affects music it's all about the stereotypes on what society has placed. When looking at music videos, you will see men usually over sexualizing women and making women feature their personality, for example.
Blurred Lines: By Robin Thicke
Lyrics:
We see in the lyrics and Music video that they are over sexualizing women
Ex:
" Tried to domesticate you, but you're an animal, baby it's in your nature"
" I'll give you something big enough that will tear your a** into two"
" I always wanted a good girl"
In society sadly this is a very common thing we see in music videos.
If you want other points about this topic, here's a great video. I recommend watching.
I really enjoyed reading your take on music and genders and I agree with everything you've said. In my opinion there shouldn't be a stigma around many things that come with music and gender.
ReplyDeleteHey jade! I really enjoyed reading your blog. I do agree with you where you talked about how men sexualize women in their music. This is a common thing we see nowadays in music, and I feel as men should take this in consideration of how it will make women feel.
ReplyDeleteI agree women have been put in a box in culture, especially in the music of sex appeal meaning to be a necessity. Very few female artists have been able to break away from this stigma and continue a successful career in the music business. While I don't think it was Robin Thicke's goal to degrade women it was certainly a foreseeable outcome.
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