Alright, let's face it. Female artists, while just as talented or more so than male artists, DO NOT get the recognition they deserve. This world is a haven for injustice, and here is one that CANNOT be ignored any longer.
We all are familiar with the battle of the sexes, who's smarter, faster, stronger, etc etc....stemming mostly from males' inability to cope with the presence of strong, female competitors in their chosen field.To be outdone by a woman is to be seen as "effeminate" or "weak", which is about the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. Men often resort to denegrating the quality of work produced by women, stating that "Women belong in the home, that's where...not in the work force." and blah blah blah. They simply cannot accept being bested by someone with a vagina rather than a penis.
The same goes for the music industry, with bands with all female members or a female frontwoman being categorized as "chick rock", something that only women would like. And some male music fans will refuse to listen to "pussy music" and explode into boisterous rounds of SHOW YOUR TITS!!!! as soon as a female performer steps onstage. We all are familiar with the grouping of female bands under the same genre. Babes in Toyland, Tori Amos, Michelle Shocked, and Ani Difranco are ALL VERY DIFFERENT genres of music, yet are mishmashed together in discussion in rock magazines as "female music". Festival events, which historically have been monstrosities of anger, violence and misogynism, have been re-evaluated, producing more positive showcases, such as the Lilith Fair, created by Sarah Mc Lachlin, a successful singer/songwriter herself. While the standard of large rock festivals is overwhelmed by MTV and radio giants such as Limp Bizkit, System of a Down, Insane Clown Posse and (God save us)Korn, female fans are slowly realizing that they are not being represented in a flattering way.
At a 1998 Ozzfest show in Virginia, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit was heard saying, "Alright, how many guys out there have been fucked over by girls? (thousands scream wildly) Ok, now how many girls out there have been fucked over by us guys?(thousands more shriek their guts out) Well, that's GREAT cuz, that's what y'all are FOR! FUCKING!!" He went on to instruct the men in the crowd to grab the woman closest to them and feel them up, whether they knew them or not. I don't know about you, but I draw the line at sexual assault for the sake of entertainment.
Limp Bizkit lost more than a few fans that day, including myself.
But the bottom line here is there isn't too much we can do about it now, except push the limits, shatter stereotypes, and piss on tradition, and
oh yeah,
learn to shred the guitar better than any guy you know.:]
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