Women rock and t press

The history of women’s rock was always controversial matter. When rock as music genre was first established women were not seen as performers but more categorized as fans. The British rock press influence had always a vanity of its own liberalism and radicalism. In the 1960s the British rock press started its discourse in critiquing rock music. One of the most prolific times for the magazine publishing industry, magazines of this decade were "CREEM," "Rolling Stone," "Melody Maker," and "New Musical Express" (NME) started creating harsh criticism for women in rock. The rock press had a significant influence of how women are treated in rock music. In davies’s perspective of how women were misrepresented by the British press includes that the stereotypes of “groupie” and “teenyboopers” were created to identify rock fans .

A contrary view of this is the history of women in rock, it is similar to other music genres and other musical styles in the field of popular culture are that the roles of females have been mostly partial to being audience members (Bayton,1997). As Bayton (1993) argues “rock history has largely been written by men about men and much of women’s presence and contribution has been rendered invisible or played down in the process.” (p. 311).This statement supports Davies’s argument that women in rock were misrepresented as most opinions that were printed were in fact based biased. It has been argued magazines such as NME and melody maker regularly feature reviews of bands that one would imagine would fall outside of their remit. NME image was to initially create weekly charts and criticize music not gender. The use of “teenyboppers” or “groupies” to identify female fans of popular music belies a disturbing reality of rock culture for women: for decades, those were essentially the two ways to imagine the relation of women to rock (Coates, 2003). The normative power of these prescribed identities remains potent, even though women are increasingly visible in rock culture as musicians and critics. The assumption and prejudices of women being at rock concerts are commonly attributed to one of the following things: groupies and teenyboppers. Sexism is also a persuasive in rock music as in any other form of music. As rock music has been seen a sexist form of music (chappele & garofalo, 1977).Women were marginalised by being denied a mind and reduced to their bodies: Seldom [in song lyrics] does one come across a mature, intelligent woman, or for that matter, a woman who is capable enough to hold a job. (Meade 1972, p. 175) They were sexualised and deemed incapable of handling the intellectual sophistication of the music: women were being seeing only as “sex objects”. 

As a consequence the British press gave the impressions that women could only be categorized as fans when it came to rock music . It also affected lead singers in rock bands. Hurley (1994) mentioned on how the abundance of imagery that exploited women’s bodies as objects and the pouting of the leather clad video vixen. An example of this when you look at the band “No Doubt” Gwen Stefani being the only female member was often portrayed in album covers and magazines, revealing clothes such as a bikini top while men were fully clothes. This type of sexualisation of women is sending the wrong message to people of all ages and genders. It is also resorting back to the stereo type that women in the music industry are groupies and only have to offer sex appeal to music rather then be considered true musicians. since the time of the Ancient Greeks had been seen as the province of men (Lloyd,1984). Women were marginalised by being denied a mind and reduced to their bodies Female rock musicians were never taken as “authentic artists” or “serious musicans” as the label “groupie” or “teenybopper” was always thought of when any women associated in rock music. The Ability of women to play even was always underestimated in the 1980s “Precious Metal” were asked 'Are your boyfriends playing behind a curtain?' when they were performing on a stage which had no curtain! mavais. Women were not seen as “true musicians”. They were sexualised and deemed incapable of handling the intellectual sophistication of music. Frank Zappa laid it out when he said that men come to hear the music and chicks come for sex thrills. (Hiwatt 1971, p. 145). If they tried to make music, they were treated as figures of fun: The very idea of a woman’s rock band is looked upon as weird or a freak show good for a few giggles. (Meade 1972, p. 176). In addition in rock As early feminist writers point out, however, they were excluded from the intellectual involvement in those spaces. They were there to be the physical, and only the physical. To be a woman, in rock hegemony, is to be sexual. As rock was seen as “masculine” genre and male muscians seen as “idols” or “rock stars” in contrast to women seens as “star fuckers”. Their involvement with rock music and stars remains in the private confines of their bedrooms and their hearts. Their only public involvement with pop music is on the dance floor, as a place to find a husband (Frith, 1981, pp. 226-229). 

At the same time, women were very necessary for the maintenance and coherence of rock masculinity, as sexual objects as well as adoring subjects.This contradictory need and disdain for women in rock culture exemplifies displaced abjection. Combined with the Modernist aesthetics mapped onto rock music and culture by early rock critics, strategies of displaced abjection succeeded in making women and girls marginal in and to rock culture. In popular press, as explained by Davies the majority of music journalists in the UK are men, therefore they are more likely to write for the audience they identify with. ‘The music press assumes that all its readers are male as well, so that the situation is often one of male journalists writing for male readers, a fact reflected in the mode of address of much music writing’ . In conclusion the way the press impacted female rock performers using bias oThe history of women’s rock was always controversial matter. When rock as music genre was first established women were not seen as performers but more categorized as fans. The British rock press influence had always a vanity of its own liberalism and radicalism. In the 1960s the British rock press started its discourse in critiquing rock music. One of the most prolific times for the magazine publishing industry, magazines of this decade were "CREEM," "Rolling Stone," "Melody Maker," and "New Musical Express" (NME) started creating harsh criticism for women in rock. The rock press had a significant influence of how women are treated in rock music. In davies’s perspective of how women were misrepresented by the British press includes that the stereotypes of “groupie” and “teenyboopers” were created to identify rock fans . A contrary view of this is the history of women in rock, it is similar to other music genres and other musical styles in the field of popular culture are that the roles of females have been mostly partial to being audience members (Bayton,1997).

 As Bayton (1993) argues “rock history has largely been written by men about men and much of women’s presence and contribution has been rendered invisible or played down in the process.” (p. 311).This statement supports Davies’s argument that women in rock were misrepresented as most opinions that were printed were in fact based biased. It has been argued magazines such as NME and melody maker regularly feature reviews of bands that one would imagine would fall outside of their remit. NME image was to initially create weekly charts and criticize music not gender. The use of “teenyboppers” or “groupies” to identify female fans of popular music belies a disturbing reality of rock culture for women: for decades, those were essentially the two ways to imagine the relation of women to rock (Coates, 2003). The normative power of these prescribed identities remains potent, even though women are increasingly visible in rock culture as musicians and critics. 

The assumption and prejudices of women being at rock concerts are commonly attributed to one of the following things: groupies and teenyboppers. Sexism is also a persuasive in rock music as in any other form of music. As rock music has been seen a sexist form of music (chappele & garofalo, 1977).Women were marginalised by being denied a mind and reduced to their bodies: Seldom [in song lyrics] does one come across a mature, intelligent woman, or for that matter, a woman who is capable enough to hold a job. (Meade 1972, p. 175) They were sexualised and deemed incapable of handling the intellectual sophistication of the music: women were being seeing only as “sex objects”. As a consequence the British press gave the impressions that women could only be categorized as fans when it came to rock music . It also affected lead singers in rock bands. Hurley (1994) mentioned on how the abundance of imagery that exploited women’s bodies as objects and the pouting of the leather clad video vixen. An example of this when you look at the band “No Doubt” Gwen Stefani being the only female member was often portrayed in album covers and magazines, revealing clothes such as a bikini top while men were fully clothes. This type of sexualisation of women is sending the wrong message to people of all ages and genders.

 It is also resorting back to the stereo type that women in the music industry are groupies and only have to offer sex appeal to music rather then be considered true musicians. since the time of the Ancient Greeks had been seen as the province of men (Lloyd,1984). Women were marginalised by being denied a mind and reduced to their bodies Female rock musicians were never taken as “authentic artists” or “serious musicans” as the label “groupie” or “teenybopper” was always thought of when any women associated in rock music. The Ability of women to play even was always underestimated in the 1980s “Precious Metal” were asked 'Are your boyfriends playing behind a curtain?' when they were performing on a stage which had no curtain! mavais. Women were not seen as “true musicians”. They were sexualised and deemed incapable of handling the intellectual sophistication of music. Frank Zappa laid it out when he said that men come to hear the music and chicks come for sex thrills. (Hiwatt 1971, p. 145). If they tried to make music, they were treated as figures of fun: The very idea of a woman’s rock band is looked upon as weird or a freak show good for a few giggles. (Meade 1972, p. 176). In addition in rock As early feminist writers point out, however, they were excluded from the intellectual involvement in those spaces. They were there to be the physical, and only the physical. To be a woman, in rock hegemony, is to be sexual. As rock was seen as “masculine” genre and male muscians seen as “idols” or “rock stars” in contrast to women seens as “star fuckers”. Their involvement with rock music and stars remains in the private confines of their bedrooms and their hearts. Their only public involvement with pop music is on the dance floor, as a place to find a husband (Frith, 1981, pp. 226-229). 

At the same time, women were very necessary for the maintenance and coherence of rock masculinity, as sexual objects as well as adoring subjects.This contradictory need and disdain for women in rock culture exemplifies displaced abjection. Combined with the Modernist aesthetics mapped onto rock music and culture by early rock critics, strategies of displaced abjection succeeded in making women and girls marginal in and to rock culture. In popular press, as explained by Davies the majority of music journalists in the UK are men, therefore they are more likely to write for the audience they identify with. ‘The music press assumes that all its readers are male as well, so that the situation is often one of male journalists writing for male readers, a fact reflected in the mode of address of much music writing’ .

 In conclusion the way the press impacted female rock performers using bias opinions brought up credibility and authenticity, therefore the struggle for females in rock can be still seen as some are not taking as “serious” artists.pinions brought up credibility and authenticity, therefore the struggle for females in rock can be still seen as some are not taking as “serious” artists.

keep on rocking , Tamana xx