I'm sorry warrenpidgeon, but this stuff is real. There's Hammeron, right now, being told that it's basically amazing that a woman was able to play guitar. Wow. Whoda thunk. There's an equivalent for men when we're told we're amazing for being able to change a nappy or something. But it all comes from the same place - people believing that men and women are good at different things for no good reason, and then constantly putting pressure on each other to act that way by saying how bizarre it is when we don't and making assumptions.
This often repeated claim that women try to gain equality by bringing down men is actually so rare, it's very interesting that men focus on it so much. Defensiveness? Mostly men are frustrated at being told that they can't have it all their way in more. Since they regarded having it their way as their right, they feel their rights are being taken away when actually women are just asking for the playing fields to be leveled.
Women musicians have the right to expect not to be treated as less capable than men in the arena of music. To not be told that, 'you're not a bad guitarist
for a girl.' (because by a man's standard you're shit, but hey, by the much lower standard that you can expect from women, it's ok. It's cute of you to try. Doing it to catch a man?)
ICM, I don't know if you were brought up in the era in which people still tried to force you to write with your right hand. Where people thought there was something actually wrong with you, inferior, for being left-handed. Because people really did feel that way. Now, I think I'm right in thinking that it's
mostly just an inconvenience, where your needs are neglected. But imagine if you were assumed to be incompetent just because you were left-handed - before anyone had even found out what you can do? While those kinds of attitudes exist they need to be fought. The idea that women can't play as well as men, or understand the technical side as well, or are more likely to be singers, or just aren't real musicians like men are needs to be fought.
Jayhell wrote:
I think we are extra critical when it comes to girls/woman/ladies with instruments, I don't know why this is, maybe because the feminine approach to such things are different. We can say what we want, we all do this, even girls to other girls. Why are there fewer famous female guitarists than male guitarists? Why when we see a girl with an instrument we immediately assume she is going to suck until we are proven differently? Why do we always have the need to explain sound and gear to girls even thou we don't know what they know? Maybe it's just me? I don't want to be this way but I am. I have played in bands with girls before on three separate occasions. The one was an exceptionally crap drummer, the other one turned out to become one of the best bassists I've come to meet, the other one also a bassist turned out to be mind blowing as well. But still I find myself critical until proven otherwise. I am ashamed but it's true.
On another note, If I see a lady lugging her 100w bass amp through a club I always offer to help, is this sexist or am I a gentleman?
Admitting it is great. You can't erase your prejudices. All you can do is catch yourself and go, "Wait. That's BS."
Hammeron wrote:
Remember seeing an interview with Lemmy regarding the all girl band 'Girlschool' who toured extensively with Motorhead. After a show someone commented to him that Girlschool wern't a bad band considering they were females. Lemmy's thoughts were' they are one hell of a lot better than you'll ever be'. 8)
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