Gender Stereotypes In Music Essay
Introduction
The music scene now is a booming industry, raking in millions of profit monthly for both the artist and their producers. From the fans’ standpoint, music increasingly seems to be more of a business than an art as we can see from the addition of mainstream music. The producers do not necessarily make music or music videos that benefit its audience, but instead those that will attract a lot of views and thus revenue. There are a few ways for the producers to do this, most notably with sexual content, excessive nudity or with a unique twist. With the first two being self-explanatory and apparent in almost all music videos nowadays (generic), we will look in depth regarding the issue of a unique style. Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel, Annie Lenox and Michael …show more content…
Jackson are all very famous artists with huge amounts of success, popularity and commercial wise(Rodger, 2004; Gates , 2010).
The other similarity between them is that they can be classified as an “androgynous” artist. This basically means that they incorporate both masculine and feminine characteristics into their performance, in the process breaking the gender stereotypes that plague the music industry. Males are often regarded to be masculine, while females are normally classified as sex symbols and are dressed up to be as femininely attractive as possible (Rodger, 2004). Donning eyeliner, manicure and heavy makeup, Bill Kaulitz does not look manly. Coupled with a husky, high voice, one can be forgiven for thing that Bill Kaulitz is female (Geyrhalter, 1996). He might confuse with his sexuality, but there is no doubting the success Tokio Hotel garnered over the years. Having sold millions of albums and collecting numerous awards. Even after 11 years, they are still going strong with their distinct style. The key here is that for Bill Kaulitz, dressing feminine is not an act for the audience, but part of him. Every single photo taken of him depicts him in the same way. Encountering something new and unique always pipes your interest, and it is exemplified here. People are so interested in him because he is genuinely different, and not trying to put on a show for the audience. The following paragraphs will attempt to argue that through cross dressing, artists can explore boundaries of music being stereotypical through gender, and only becoming the “freak” that they portray can they succeed in subverting the system of gender.
Androgynous music
The amalgamation of both genders in music can seem surprising because mainstream music is usually what is dictated over the radio. Apparently, this androgynous and sometimes asexual type of music has a very long history. Figurines called “The Tel Ira Plaque Figurine” have been uncovered in Egypt. It holds a musical equipment called the frame drum that has traditionally always been for females only (Burgh, 2004). Studies showed that there is insufficient evidence to deny that some of the statues are actually male cross-dressing as females. Artists portray themselves as androgynous for several reasons and I will explore three of them. The first as mentioned above is to earn substantial profits, like in the case of the Backstreet boys which will be discussed. The second is Michael Jackson and how he is the epitome of “freakishness” fully embraced, in doing so “freed him from connotations of hyper-sexualization”. And finally how Annie Lennox became an androgynous artist, because she could not stand that “she had to be portrayed in an overtly sexual way in the pop industry”. Lennox is famous for cross dressing as males, and even switching her style, for example the gait she has while walking to a manlier one during her music videos. However she does not do this for money, but because she feels strongly against “offer(ing) her body and herself to her audience for consumption as a sexual being” (Rodger, 2004, p. 22). After a few years in the entertainment industry, she actually felt that every single character that she was immersed in shows a different aspect of her and allowed her musical expression to really come through.
Being androgynous and falling short
According to Jamieson (2007) “Straight women fantasize about gay men, how the stereotypical young gay male body… became a new standard for masculine beauty in both straight and gay culture” (p. 245). The young gay male body referred to those soft skinned, thin, youthful and fashionable male sex symbols. With the change in preference for females from the hyper-masculine to androgynous and the rise of the “gay” market, the music industry needed to adapt as well. The Backstreet boys were the first boy band to be advertised to the gay market, and were actually one of the most popular bands in the world from 1996-2000. Nick Carter, their youngest and most androgynous member was made the lead singer, and he attracted a huge horde of followers, females and gays alike although he was straight. The manager of the band cleverly portrayed him as androgynous, and kept his girlfriend out of the media so that he can appeal on both fronts (Jamieson, 2007). Here, although the Backstreet boys were garnering a lot of attention in those 5 years, the fame slowly died out when Nick Carter revealed his sexuality. This brings us back to the point that without fully embracing the “Freak”, it serves to destabilize the fan base and dilute the true meanings of the common system gender they are trying to subvert. In this case of Nick Carter, he did not cross-dress, but depended on his looks, reputation and music to represent his androgynous style. The reason why the fame will die out is because after the novelty and entertainment value of the “freak” is not sustained, the Backstreet boys is the same as any other boy band, and thus do not have that unique twist that can push them to the top anymore. In contrast, “The Suede” is determined right from the start to pose as queers, perverse, and as “on the edge” as possible. The high feminine voice, lyrics that hint at a relationship with males and the cross-dressing subverts the system of gender and are a “radical departure from the overtly masculine look” (Geyrhalter, 1996). The difference with Backstreet boys is that they cross-dress, and the androgynous and asexual theme continues in every album that they produce. As stated by Geyrhalter (1996), “One could almost say that Suede’s amazing success was based on their reputation for flirting with being queer “outsiders”. They support positive, strong images and believe that no sexual preference should be discouraged. This is highlighted when their drummer announced that he is actually gay. This earnest stand on the androgynous and breaking of gender stereotype is what separated them from the backstreet boys, and the resulting success that they receive is tremendous as well. They “received maximum attention from the music papers” and is “one of the most hyped and critically acclaimed acts in years” ( Geyrhalter, 1996). They are actually living up to it according to experts, and the resulting commercial success is substantial evidence. They fully embraced what their cross dressing embodies, and lived their characters on stage in real life. They are anti-homophobic on stage, and embrace the same philosophy off stage with their drummer’s announcement. This is one of the main reasons why they are still so popular. They are constant in their beliefs, and their fans can trust them to keep up with the same attitude.
Embracing the Freak and sticking with it
The two artists that fully embraced their androgynous personas made subverting the system of gender an easy task. Both of them are very successful commercial and popularity wise, and their reputation has stood the test of time. First, Annie Lenox as mentioned above visually transformed herself into a man and “adopted male body language to express powerful emotions”. By doing so, she “blurred the boundaries between male and female” and thus can be said to be truly androgynous. Her own natural voice complements this well as illustrated by Rodger (2004), her own “vocal lines can also be seen to be ‘cross-dressing’”. Her own admission that all this characters are part of her make-up and reinforces her character and personal image, androgynous music for Annie Lenox became a ‘lifestyle’. Success-wise, she has been in the music industry since 1975, and has been going strong even until now. Winning numerous awards and selling millions of albums, she is already a legend in most people’s eyes. Her most telling and impressive accomplishment though, is how she broke and subverted the system of gender. She showed women that in pop, “it is possible to avoid the cute, sexy female pop singer image” and one can express oneself in the way that he/she really is. Michael Jackson often known as the King of Pop, is a glaring example and one of the most successful and beloved artist of all time. He is well known throughout the world, with musical success and fame. Even the child molestation charges and controversies that surround his life could not dim his light. According to Gates, Michael Jackson is the real impersonation of a “freak” and that his freakiness acted as a vehicle that permitted him access into social spaces and identities typically denied to black male entertainers”( 2010). Michael Jackson possesses a “carefully cultivated reputation for being sensitive, childlike, even asexual” and this has enabled him to transient what would typically be considered social and gender boundaries. This very “freakishness” also allowed people of all race and culture to love him, because we cannot classify him to only one group as he combines characteristics of every category. He was one step ahead of Annie Lennox in which he not only surpasses gender, but skin colour as well. This made people realize him for his music alone and thus his talent in music overshadowed everything else. We can see that he successfully broke through the stereotypes of gender in music, and initiated a new dynasty in music where artists, no matter their gender, religion and skin color can express in their own unique way.
Androgyny not that only way to success
Despite the varying degrees of androgyny and its success, many stars that follow the gender stereotypes and are still very successful.
This is a valid point, and one that needs to be overturned in order for this argument to be even more convincing. In this essay, we covered two types of success, commercial and popularity. It is true that there are many stars, for example Katy Perry, Taylor Swift that follow the same mold of female artists and are tremendously successful in both of the categories. The one point that they lack behind artist like Annie Lennox and Michael Jackson though, is their place in history. We will forever remember Annie Lennox as the female artist that so convincingly dressed up as a male, and with so many different characters that mesmerized us. Michael Jackson on the other hand will be remembered as the ultimate “freak”, where he is the model of uniqueness and how he displayed it to the world and won over millions of fans. They revolutionized the music industry and hold a special place in the history of music. Mainstream artists though might not be individually recognized, but categorized together in the tier lower than those that helped to bring about a new dimension in
music.
Conclusion
In conclusion, gender stereotypes in music disturbingly categorize music and that produced most of the mainstream music that we hear now. Females being forced to dress up as sexy and attractive so as to sell their music through their body are a common place. In this article, we pay tribute to these brave pioneers that dared to defy the ordinary, and succeeded with great triumph. Suede, Annie Lennox and Michael Jackson started a new dynasty in which entertainers like Lady Gaga can prosper through their own relative and unique style.
(1989 words)
References
Auslander , P. (2004). I wanna be your man: Suzi quatro 's musical androgyny. Popular Music, 23(1), 01-16. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/195181265/5 Accessed on 17 march 2012
Jamieson , D. (2007). Marketing androgyny: the evolution of the backstreet boys. Popular Music, 26(2), 245-258. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/195176613/1 Accessed on 17 march 2012
Geyrhalter, T. (1996). Effeminacy, camp and sexual subversion in rock: The cure and suede. Popular Music, 15(2), 217-224. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195175817?accountid=28662 Accessed on 18 march 2012
Gates , R. J. (2010). Reclaiming the Freak: Michael Jackson and the spectacle of identity. Velvet Light Trap, 65, 3. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/222863852/fulltextPDF?accountid=28662 Accessed on 17 march 2012
Wolf, S. (2007). Wicked Divas, Musical Theater, and Internet Girl Fans. Camera Obscura , 65(2), 39-60. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/217536280?accountid=28662 Accessed on 18 February 2012
Burgh, T. W. (2004). "Who 's the Man?" Sex and Gender in Iron Age Musical Performance. Near Eastern Archaeology, 67(3), 128-136. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/jstor/stable/pdfplus/4132375.pdf?acceptTC=true Accessed on 18 February 2012
Rodger, G. (2004). Drag, camp and gender subversion in the music and videos of Annie Lennox. Popular Music, 23(1), 17-29. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/195181340/7 Accessed on 18 February 2012
The music scene now is a booming industry, raking in millions of profit monthly for both the artist and their producers. From the fans’ standpoint, music increasingly seems to be more of a business than an art as we can see from the addition of mainstream music. The producers do not necessarily make music or music videos that benefit its audience, but instead those that will attract a lot of views and thus revenue. There are a few ways for the producers to do this, most notably with sexual content, excessive nudity or with a unique twist. With the first two being self-explanatory and apparent in almost all music videos nowadays (generic), we will look in depth regarding the issue of a unique style. Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel, Annie Lenox and Michael …show more content…
Jackson are all very famous artists with huge amounts of success, popularity and commercial wise(Rodger, 2004; Gates , 2010).
The other similarity between them is that they can be classified as an “androgynous” artist. This basically means that they incorporate both masculine and feminine characteristics into their performance, in the process breaking the gender stereotypes that plague the music industry. Males are often regarded to be masculine, while females are normally classified as sex symbols and are dressed up to be as femininely attractive as possible (Rodger, 2004). Donning eyeliner, manicure and heavy makeup, Bill Kaulitz does not look manly. Coupled with a husky, high voice, one can be forgiven for thing that Bill Kaulitz is female (Geyrhalter, 1996). He might confuse with his sexuality, but there is no doubting the success Tokio Hotel garnered over the years. Having sold millions of albums and collecting numerous awards. Even after 11 years, they are still going strong with their distinct style. The key here is that for Bill Kaulitz, dressing feminine is not an act for the audience, but part of him. Every single photo taken of him depicts him in the same way. Encountering something new and unique always pipes your interest, and it is exemplified here. People are so interested in him because he is genuinely different, and not trying to put on a show for the audience. The following paragraphs will attempt to argue that through cross dressing, artists can explore boundaries of music being stereotypical through gender, and only becoming the “freak” that they portray can they succeed in subverting the system of gender.
Androgynous music
The amalgamation of both genders in music can seem surprising because mainstream music is usually what is dictated over the radio. Apparently, this androgynous and sometimes asexual type of music has a very long history. Figurines called “The Tel Ira Plaque Figurine” have been uncovered in Egypt. It holds a musical equipment called the frame drum that has traditionally always been for females only (Burgh, 2004). Studies showed that there is insufficient evidence to deny that some of the statues are actually male cross-dressing as females. Artists portray themselves as androgynous for several reasons and I will explore three of them. The first as mentioned above is to earn substantial profits, like in the case of the Backstreet boys which will be discussed. The second is Michael Jackson and how he is the epitome of “freakishness” fully embraced, in doing so “freed him from connotations of hyper-sexualization”. And finally how Annie Lennox became an androgynous artist, because she could not stand that “she had to be portrayed in an overtly sexual way in the pop industry”. Lennox is famous for cross dressing as males, and even switching her style, for example the gait she has while walking to a manlier one during her music videos. However she does not do this for money, but because she feels strongly against “offer(ing) her body and herself to her audience for consumption as a sexual being” (Rodger, 2004, p. 22). After a few years in the entertainment industry, she actually felt that every single character that she was immersed in shows a different aspect of her and allowed her musical expression to really come through.
Being androgynous and falling short
According to Jamieson (2007) “Straight women fantasize about gay men, how the stereotypical young gay male body… became a new standard for masculine beauty in both straight and gay culture” (p. 245). The young gay male body referred to those soft skinned, thin, youthful and fashionable male sex symbols. With the change in preference for females from the hyper-masculine to androgynous and the rise of the “gay” market, the music industry needed to adapt as well. The Backstreet boys were the first boy band to be advertised to the gay market, and were actually one of the most popular bands in the world from 1996-2000. Nick Carter, their youngest and most androgynous member was made the lead singer, and he attracted a huge horde of followers, females and gays alike although he was straight. The manager of the band cleverly portrayed him as androgynous, and kept his girlfriend out of the media so that he can appeal on both fronts (Jamieson, 2007). Here, although the Backstreet boys were garnering a lot of attention in those 5 years, the fame slowly died out when Nick Carter revealed his sexuality. This brings us back to the point that without fully embracing the “Freak”, it serves to destabilize the fan base and dilute the true meanings of the common system gender they are trying to subvert. In this case of Nick Carter, he did not cross-dress, but depended on his looks, reputation and music to represent his androgynous style. The reason why the fame will die out is because after the novelty and entertainment value of the “freak” is not sustained, the Backstreet boys is the same as any other boy band, and thus do not have that unique twist that can push them to the top anymore. In contrast, “The Suede” is determined right from the start to pose as queers, perverse, and as “on the edge” as possible. The high feminine voice, lyrics that hint at a relationship with males and the cross-dressing subverts the system of gender and are a “radical departure from the overtly masculine look” (Geyrhalter, 1996). The difference with Backstreet boys is that they cross-dress, and the androgynous and asexual theme continues in every album that they produce. As stated by Geyrhalter (1996), “One could almost say that Suede’s amazing success was based on their reputation for flirting with being queer “outsiders”. They support positive, strong images and believe that no sexual preference should be discouraged. This is highlighted when their drummer announced that he is actually gay. This earnest stand on the androgynous and breaking of gender stereotype is what separated them from the backstreet boys, and the resulting success that they receive is tremendous as well. They “received maximum attention from the music papers” and is “one of the most hyped and critically acclaimed acts in years” ( Geyrhalter, 1996). They are actually living up to it according to experts, and the resulting commercial success is substantial evidence. They fully embraced what their cross dressing embodies, and lived their characters on stage in real life. They are anti-homophobic on stage, and embrace the same philosophy off stage with their drummer’s announcement. This is one of the main reasons why they are still so popular. They are constant in their beliefs, and their fans can trust them to keep up with the same attitude.
Embracing the Freak and sticking with it
The two artists that fully embraced their androgynous personas made subverting the system of gender an easy task. Both of them are very successful commercial and popularity wise, and their reputation has stood the test of time. First, Annie Lenox as mentioned above visually transformed herself into a man and “adopted male body language to express powerful emotions”. By doing so, she “blurred the boundaries between male and female” and thus can be said to be truly androgynous. Her own natural voice complements this well as illustrated by Rodger (2004), her own “vocal lines can also be seen to be ‘cross-dressing’”. Her own admission that all this characters are part of her make-up and reinforces her character and personal image, androgynous music for Annie Lenox became a ‘lifestyle’. Success-wise, she has been in the music industry since 1975, and has been going strong even until now. Winning numerous awards and selling millions of albums, she is already a legend in most people’s eyes. Her most telling and impressive accomplishment though, is how she broke and subverted the system of gender. She showed women that in pop, “it is possible to avoid the cute, sexy female pop singer image” and one can express oneself in the way that he/she really is. Michael Jackson often known as the King of Pop, is a glaring example and one of the most successful and beloved artist of all time. He is well known throughout the world, with musical success and fame. Even the child molestation charges and controversies that surround his life could not dim his light. According to Gates, Michael Jackson is the real impersonation of a “freak” and that his freakiness acted as a vehicle that permitted him access into social spaces and identities typically denied to black male entertainers”( 2010). Michael Jackson possesses a “carefully cultivated reputation for being sensitive, childlike, even asexual” and this has enabled him to transient what would typically be considered social and gender boundaries. This very “freakishness” also allowed people of all race and culture to love him, because we cannot classify him to only one group as he combines characteristics of every category. He was one step ahead of Annie Lennox in which he not only surpasses gender, but skin colour as well. This made people realize him for his music alone and thus his talent in music overshadowed everything else. We can see that he successfully broke through the stereotypes of gender in music, and initiated a new dynasty in music where artists, no matter their gender, religion and skin color can express in their own unique way.
Androgyny not that only way to success
Despite the varying degrees of androgyny and its success, many stars that follow the gender stereotypes and are still very successful.
This is a valid point, and one that needs to be overturned in order for this argument to be even more convincing. In this essay, we covered two types of success, commercial and popularity. It is true that there are many stars, for example Katy Perry, Taylor Swift that follow the same mold of female artists and are tremendously successful in both of the categories. The one point that they lack behind artist like Annie Lennox and Michael Jackson though, is their place in history. We will forever remember Annie Lennox as the female artist that so convincingly dressed up as a male, and with so many different characters that mesmerized us. Michael Jackson on the other hand will be remembered as the ultimate “freak”, where he is the model of uniqueness and how he displayed it to the world and won over millions of fans. They revolutionized the music industry and hold a special place in the history of music. Mainstream artists though might not be individually recognized, but categorized together in the tier lower than those that helped to bring about a new dimension in
music.
Conclusion
In conclusion, gender stereotypes in music disturbingly categorize music and that produced most of the mainstream music that we hear now. Females being forced to dress up as sexy and attractive so as to sell their music through their body are a common place. In this article, we pay tribute to these brave pioneers that dared to defy the ordinary, and succeeded with great triumph. Suede, Annie Lennox and Michael Jackson started a new dynasty in which entertainers like Lady Gaga can prosper through their own relative and unique style.
(1989 words)
References
Auslander , P. (2004). I wanna be your man: Suzi quatro 's musical androgyny. Popular Music, 23(1), 01-16. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/195181265/5 Accessed on 17 march 2012
Jamieson , D. (2007). Marketing androgyny: the evolution of the backstreet boys. Popular Music, 26(2), 245-258. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/195176613/1 Accessed on 17 march 2012
Geyrhalter, T. (1996). Effeminacy, camp and sexual subversion in rock: The cure and suede. Popular Music, 15(2), 217-224. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195175817?accountid=28662 Accessed on 18 march 2012
Gates , R. J. (2010). Reclaiming the Freak: Michael Jackson and the spectacle of identity. Velvet Light Trap, 65, 3. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/222863852/fulltextPDF?accountid=28662 Accessed on 17 march 2012
Wolf, S. (2007). Wicked Divas, Musical Theater, and Internet Girl Fans. Camera Obscura , 65(2), 39-60. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/217536280?accountid=28662 Accessed on 18 February 2012
Burgh, T. W. (2004). "Who 's the Man?" Sex and Gender in Iron Age Musical Performance. Near Eastern Archaeology, 67(3), 128-136. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/jstor/stable/pdfplus/4132375.pdf?acceptTC=true Accessed on 18 February 2012
Rodger, G. (2004). Drag, camp and gender subversion in the music and videos of Annie Lennox. Popular Music, 23(1), 17-29. Retrieved from http://explore.library.smu.edu.sg:50080/plainsrcpq/docview/195181340/7 Accessed on 18 February 2012