Sexism in the music industry does not go unnoticed. According to an article by SALON, "a survey of five major festivals’ 2013 offerings — Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands and ACL — revealed that 71 percent of the total bands were all-male outfits, with all-female (mostly female solo artists) only claiming 9 percent. Bands dominated by men, but with at least one female member, represented the second largest group at a scant 13 percent." Further, "the only woman to claim a 2013 headlining spot for herself at one of the five major festivals is Bjork at Bonnaroo." In addition, in 2013 alone the only female music artists to grace the cover of Rolling Stone were Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and Naya Riviera. Billboard Magazine did a little better- of their 51 issues in 2013, 11 women were featured on their cover (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Band Perry, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Katy Perry, Jenni Rivera, Kelly Clarkson, Sia, and P!nk). So far, in 2014, Lorde, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Miranda Lambert, and Melissa McCarthy have graced the cover of Rolling Stone.
The issue is not only personally held overt and covert sexist beliefs but rather, sexism at an institutional level. Higher-up individuals in the music industry and in music journalism determine who is in a festival lineup, whose face is put on the cover of a magazine, etc.- they hold the power to choose which musical artists receive attention. It may be the case that this emphasis on male musical artists is intentional and it may be the case that individuals are unaware of their hidden biases for choosing male artists over female artists.
The intention behind showcasing female artists is to provide a unique space where women are acknowledged and celebrated for their music.
Here is a list of articles to check out:
http://theliftedbrow.com/post/90291941819/noise-in-our-heads-by-evelyn-morris
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-coachella-women-20140418,0,4504749.story#axzz2zjo1yXzg
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/sep/30/chvrches-lauren-mayberry-online-misogyny
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/24/no_women_allowed_summer_music_festivals_are_dudefests_again/
http://beatsmedia.com/sexism-and-the-music-industry-exposed-2/
http://www.factmag.com/2013/04/30/sexism-in-the-music-industry-aint-nothing-new-why-arent-female-artists-getting-their-due/
www.huffingtonpost.com/kayley-kravitz/can-the-music-industry-ov_b_3242209.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/verymuchso/7-female-musicians-discuss-their-experiences-with-sexism
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-01-16/music/pazz-jop-taylor-swift-grimes-and-lana-del-rey-the-year-in-blond-ambition/
The issue is not only personally held overt and covert sexist beliefs but rather, sexism at an institutional level. Higher-up individuals in the music industry and in music journalism determine who is in a festival lineup, whose face is put on the cover of a magazine, etc.- they hold the power to choose which musical artists receive attention. It may be the case that this emphasis on male musical artists is intentional and it may be the case that individuals are unaware of their hidden biases for choosing male artists over female artists.
The intention behind showcasing female artists is to provide a unique space where women are acknowledged and celebrated for their music.
Here is a list of articles to check out:
http://theliftedbrow.com/post/90291941819/noise-in-our-heads-by-evelyn-morris
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-coachella-women-20140418,0,4504749.story#axzz2zjo1yXzg
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/sep/30/chvrches-lauren-mayberry-online-misogyny
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/24/no_women_allowed_summer_music_festivals_are_dudefests_again/
http://beatsmedia.com/sexism-and-the-music-industry-exposed-2/
http://www.factmag.com/2013/04/30/sexism-in-the-music-industry-aint-nothing-new-why-arent-female-artists-getting-their-due/
www.huffingtonpost.com/kayley-kravitz/can-the-music-industry-ov_b_3242209.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/verymuchso/7-female-musicians-discuss-their-experiences-with-sexism
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-01-16/music/pazz-jop-taylor-swift-grimes-and-lana-del-rey-the-year-in-blond-ambition/