SUBLIMINAL SEXISM IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

A sociological and psychological examination of how two of the music industry's biggest and most profitable genres contribute to the gender gap

In an interesting debate over class/politics/gender with a friend of mine (send him twitter hate), he made the following rhetoric: "Like its not sexist that the rock industry is dominated by males and pop industry is dominated by females?". This was interesting because it opened up a new perspective. We've all heard a lot about the fact that the industry is sexist - women as a whole have experienced moments were they aren't treated as serious musicians, but as pop puppets in the male game, etc. - however, through inclusive probing (scanning the web, looking at statistics, reading the opinions of others) I've theorised a possible explanation for why the industry is so rooted in sexism (besides from - but not excluding - the obvious existence of the capitalist patriarchy).

EOIN LOVELESS OF DRENGE: no girls allowed?
(photo creds: NME)

If you turn a blind eye and look at the side of the argument where the industry can be perceived as non-sexist, the difference in genres could be down to the biological difference between the sexes. Men are typically physically stronger, women are typically more empathetic. Solid fact. Therefore, it can be seen that the sexes have separated themselves into genres in which they thrive in due to their alternative biological wiring. Extensive research by scientists and psychologists alike have found key differences in men and women that suggest that we were born to be different. For example, Dutch studies on transgender and cisgender individuals in the late 1990s discovered that the size of the BSTc (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), which is located in the thalamus of the brain, correlates with preferred sex rather than biological sex. This is one of the many pieces of research which defines just how men and women think differently - and are therefore fundamentally separate. Our brains are built differently and are zapping with different kinds of hormones. But how does this apply to our taste in music and preferences for different genres?

This study, and many others that consider the differences in male and female brains, would suggest that its highly possible that men dominate rock and women dominate pop because of our integral human diversities. But still, how would this explain why Royal Blood have female fans or why your mate Tom bought the Lorde record? Here the argument falls flat, and we are back to arguing the case in favour of sexism in music.

The biggest selling music act of all time is The Beatles. John, Paul, George, and Ringo changed music forever following the release of their debut 1962 single Love Me Do. The Liverpudlian quartet would go down in history as four of the most influential individuals of the Twentieth Century, but why is this? Probably because of the magic of the Lennon/McCartney writing duo and their consequent success following the band's demise, but Beatlemania would become way more significant than they had ever predicted. For reasons that have puzzled scholars and remain largely ambiguous, four working class boys from the North sent teenage girls across the world into a heightened frenzy. Beatlemania was a phenomenon never seen before. The Beatles were an important watershed in showing the big bosses just how many bucks they could make if they marketed acts to the right audience.

Henceforth follows the next fifty years in music when the ability to correctly market an act to an audience became one of the most successful ways to sell records. Of course, not all big artists sold because of marketability - take acts such as Pink Floyd, Whitney Houston, Fleetwood Mac, Jay-Z etc; covering a wide range of genres and line-ups, it's undeniably clear that merit and skill also churns out success. However, if we specifically examine other million-selling artists (particularly those from the 21st century) such as Rihanna, Katy Perry et al we can recognise similarities in marketability traits. Not to say these ladies should be diminished of their talent because they've proved to marketable, however their ability to be sold to the public as a product is of note.

MILEY CYRUS: is her sexuality the extent of her male appeal?
(photo creds: idolator)

Since the beginning of the media world we live in, the deprecation of women has been an essential factor in selling products. Unfortunately, as a woman, you are likely to have been socialised to be belittled since before you could talk, walk, or think for yourself. The media has used this belittlement to its advantage and so played on the universal insecurities which women suffer from in order to sell products. This works especially in cosmetic products, but can also be applied to fashion, food, and - in this case - the records we purchase. This means that females are more impressionable, simply because we've been socialised to believe that we can always be better than what we are. L'Oreal does this when they want you to buy their latest celebrity endorsed product, as do a multitude of other major corporations who cater to the female market.

This means that young girls can be easily sold to the pop star façade. Figureheads in pop are a model for girls to imitate. When males see a female pop star they don't think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - I'm going to buy her single on iTunes"; they're more likely to think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - she's one for the wank bank!". On the other hand, the manipulation of a young woman's psyche can lead her to think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - what's her secret? How is she so goddess-like? Maybe if I buy her record, I can be like her. Maybe then I'll appeal to males too."

BRUNO MARS: one of the biggest pop stars
of the last five years
(photo creds: Us Weekly)

This works too with the boyband phemoneon. It's been happening since, what seems like, the beginning of time with groups from The Monkees to N*Sync, but the most recent and relevant example is, of course, One Direction. The British group are five attractive, wholesome, boy-next-door types and have been manufactured in order to centre their marketability on making them accessible to their audience. Songs like What Makes You Beautiful aren't just catchy pop classics, but tools to lure in their audience and make their listeners believe that they could be singing to them, triggering fantasies about being the one who makes Zayn Malik overwhelmed. Pop music is, therefore, female-orientated and relies heavily on feminine ideals and aspirations in order to appeal not just to the people who enjoy a well-written Mariah Carey track, but also to the vulnerable who have been manipulated by the pop star smoke screen. This is one of the many reasons why pop music succeeds. (Again, I do not disregard the genuine talent and star power of the majority of pop musicians. I am not destroying pop - it is a fantastic, innovative, and zesty genre - but, like all systems in society, it has its major flaws.)

'Pop' isn't just a fizzing burst of energy - it is also a contraction of 'popular'. Pop is the mainstream. Therefore rock - or alternative - acts as a counter-movement to the revolution of pop music. Therefore, it's an alternative to pretty boys in suits - though, being real, rock music is not shy of them - and big budget arena showdowns. Alt seeks to be the polar opposite of pop, though the lines are becoming more and more blurred as the genre is slowly being embraced, by creating a genre which encircles male interests by pushing out the females. Males dominate the genre because it's a territory they believe to have acquired. Not only does this lock out a lot of passionate female acts, but it ostracises female fans as it means they're not taken seriously as ardent music lovers.

CHERRY GLAZERR: women who rock
(photo creds: LA Record)

Girls are made fun of for screaming at concerts (which, okay, is extremely irritating and uncomfortable for those surrounding them, but it's all just a bit of fun) or for worshipping their favourite band (which Jack Black TOLD. US. TO. DO), but no one bats an eyelid at the "spirited" fans of sports teams who literally riot when their teams lose...They resort to actual violence over something that has no importance after the season finishes. Yet teenage girls at Justin Bieber concerts are 'sad' and 'pathetic'. Regardless of your opinion of the Biebs, is this not misogyny at its finest? And yet, I have met boys who've acted with surprise at the fact that I love Foo Fighters. Am I not allowed to because societal standards dictate that my gender means I've crossed into the wrong territory? Gender doesn't dictate where your music preferences lie. I simultaneously enjoy the tunes churned out by Taylor Swift and by The Cibs, and I don't see the problem.

I leave you with the following quote. Unfortunately, I don't know the source as I found it on Tumblr but I hope that it makes you think about the impact of socialisation on young girls and in the media in which we consume:

"There’s still very much this stereotype that teenage girls are not serious consumers of music, even though they are the number one purchasers of music. Teenage girls are the number one consumers of music, they are the number one drivers of taste, and yet they are still not considered serious music fans." (x)

READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS ON FEMINISM-RELATED ISSUES (I promise one day that I'll write something that's more important than Western white feminism, just give me a couple o' trys)

• feminism for beginners (march 2014)
• gig groping: the philosophy of ask the cutie before you touch the booty (november 2014)
• international women's day mixtape (march 2015)