Major Essay - A Critique of Blanket Statements Used in Susan Cole’s Article “Gender, Sex, Image, and Transformation in Popular Music”

Women have always been subjected to female stereotypes and it is hard to deal with and change these perceptions. In Susan Cole’s article “Gender, Sex, Image, and Transformation in Popular Music” in the 1993 edition of Limited Edition: Voices of Women, Voices of Feminism Cole discusses women and gender issues prevalent in the 1980’s and early 1990’s from a feminist perspective, drawing on her own personal experiences and opinions as well as her own knowledge of women and how they have been treated. It is difficult for Cole to be objective and non-biased because she is talking about her personal experiences as well as her opinions. Several topics Cole discusses in her article can directly correlate with today’s world of popular and rock music which still impact the way we view women and men in the media and the music industry. She also makes many comments in her article that are no longer true and not applicable to today’s society; some of her conclusions are outdated. Cole has made several blanket statements in her article which are statements that are true with no variation; they state facts and are best used when also using another resource to support an opinion. This analysis of Cole’s article will focus specifically on blanket statements made about several different topics relating to the sexuality of women and men and its representation in the media and music and will also comment on how their image and roles have changed in the last few decades.

Cole discusses the use and exploitation of women in the music industry and sympathizes with their situation: “the road to pop stardom is littered with women who have been used and discarded” (Cole 88). Although this statement may be true to a certain extent, Cole fails to examine the use and mistreatment of men in the music industry. Speaking from personal experiences and feelings and being told by a rock consultant, someone “whose brain is picked for suggestions as to how a rock group could find success,” (Cole 93) that in order to be a successful female rock band she must “go a little heavier on the make-up and skimpier on the costumes;” (Cole 93) Cole was offended and outraged at this demeaning comment and reality. Cole is inclined to side with exploited females who have been used in the music industry because she has been exploited as well and personally felt the pressure to change the image of her band and conform to a more accepted idea of women in music. This stereotypical image involves being more overtly sexual to help sell more records, as women are considered weak, submissive, and small-scale (Halstead 233) as described in Jill Halstead’s article “Sex, Gender and Music.” It was thought that women used their sexuality to make themselves noticed. Most pop stars today have been produced and created into big stars by creative producers. The artists have very little control over their image and the way they represent themselves to their fans. A few of these stars, such as Madonna, do eventually gain creative control over their career but the majority of pop music performers are products of the marketing team that created them. Although the music industry has become more accepting towards female artists, it is still a struggle for women to be accepted for their talent and skills and not their sexual image.

The impact of rock and pop music on young teenagers in Western culture has had a variety of positive and negative effects. The majority of these effects seem to be positive as music empowers young people to accept themselves for who they are and encourages them to express themselves honestly and creatively. In the article “Does it really matter? Young people and popular music” Christina Williams agrees that “teenagers in particular use music to build identities” (Williams 232). Williams also argues that teens understand that “‘media awareness’ is characterized by a sophisticated knowledge of the nature of the pop music industry, an understanding of the press, a perception of pop stars which recognizes the constructedness of an image, and a general cynicism towards commercialism” (Williams 230). Most teenagers realize that everything they see in the media is not necessary realistic and has been manufacture to appeal to them. Cole discusses a specific situation in the United States when the U.S. Senate Hearings were investigating the impact rock and pop music had on youth; many parents felt that rock music was having a negative influence on their children (Cole 89). Cole comments that “not a single woman musician or performer took the stand on behalf of the [rock music] industry. Women were absent not only because male voices tend to carry more weight and credibility: plainly, women in the industry could not bring themselves to say under oath to members of Congress that everything in the industry was fine” (Cole 89). Cole’s statement about the complete absence of women voicing their opinions on the influence of rock and pop music is questionable as she has not supplied any legitimate proof to back up her argument. She cannot convincingly state that in the United States not one woman voiced her opinion to Congress. Her choice of words imply that this statement is true when in reality it is more her personal opinion than a documented fact which discredits her argument.

A child’s opinion of his or her parents is influenced by gendering, which is a social process in which “members of both sexes take on prescribed sex roles though a socialization process” (Cole 89). In the 1970’s the responsibility of parents was generally more defined and specific in male and female gender roles. The father would go to work and financially support the family while the mother would be the primary care-giver and attend to the child’s needs: “women are nurturent caretakers while men are active doers” (Cole 90). However, today these clear cut lines between whose duties it is to nurture the child and financially support the family has become blurred. It is not uncommon for the mother to maintain a steady, well-paying job while the father stays at home with the child. It has also become common that both parents have steady full-time jobs and leave their child at a daycare center during the day. Over the decades women have achieved more responsibility, control, and respect in several aspects of their lives. Women have more freedom and independence in their home, career and the way they represent themselves in music. Although women are not equally represented in many aspects of the music industry it is becoming more and more common to see women taking on traditionally male focused roles whether it is on the music stage, in the home, or at the office.

Cole comments in her article that classical music is less restrictive in its expectations of what musical instruments women play even though classical music is a more conservative and traditional genre than pop or rock music (Cole 90). Cole states that “many of the world’s great concert artists are women. They play pianos, flutes, [and] cellos” (Cole 90). It is important to notice the three instruments Cole mentions in her discussion of classical music. The piano, flute, and cello are instruments that have feminine qualities according to Jill Halstead in her article “Sex, Gender and Music”. String instruments such as the violin and cello are commonly associated with feminine traits. In Beth Abelson MacCleod’s article “Whence Comes the Lady Tympanist” MacCleod discusses the struggle women had to overcome to play a wider variety of instruments. MacCleod claims that “when women played other instruments, they made themselves vulnerable to sarcasm and ridicule… it was important that women always appear delicate and decorative; to appear otherwise by playing a massive or seemingly awkward instrument challenged accepted notions of what was appropriately female” (MacCleod 10). The visual and sexual image of women performing in music should also be considered as MacCleod states that “a woman could play an instrument but only if she looked attractive” (MacCleod 21). Over time it has become more acceptable for women to perform on a wider variety of instruments. This approval is still evolving as women are now beginning to be noticed and acknowledged for their performances on typically male dominated instruments such as the acoustic guitar and drums. Cole notes that “instrumentation in rock and pop music is quite obviously gendered. Women almost never play electric guitars… they seldom play an instrument at all” (Cole 90). The evolution of women’s roles in classical music demonstrate that with perseverance and determination women can influence and change the way they are perceived in the modern world of rock and pop music.

Cole comments that bars “are not hospitable places for women, let alone feminists, and let alone feminist rock bands… Most women who venture in… are looking to be picked up” (Cole 94). Cole’s opinion of bars is influenced by a bad situation she encountered as a feminist band trying to play in a stripper bar. Most bars have become a neutral area for both men and women to hang out with their friends and meet new people rather than a place only for men. Today it is common to see as many women in a bar as men and women usually do not feel intimidated entering bars as they may have once felt. Cole inaccurately views a bar as a “sexual battleground where female submissiveness and male power are played out” (Cole 94). This opinion is not true in today’s society and Cole’s opinion is outdated.

Another significant change in the last few decades is the magazines available to men. Instead of sexually focused magazines such as Playboy and Maxim, there are magazines published for homosexuals and metrosexuals who are a “heterosexual male who has a strong aesthetic sense and inordinate interest in appearance and style, similar to that of homosexual males” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/metrosexual). Magazines such as GQ and Men’s Health offer advice to men about trendy clothing styles, how to dress, how to eat properly and stay in shape, and they advise men how to properly treat women. These magazines are not sexually demeaning to women and are focused on a man’s physical, mental, and social needs as opposed to his sexual desires. Cole’s opinion of male magazines is outdated as she comments that “men read Playboy to gain a sense that they deserve Scotch, cars, and women, or that women are there to be looked at and thus owned” (Cole 95). Although magazines like Playboy are still available to men, there is a wider variety for men to choose from that better suits their personal needs and opinions.

Just as women are objectified and sexualized, men and their bodies have become sexualized as well. It is common to see large billboards in cities displaying a male model showing off his muscular body to sell a particular brand of clothing or cologne. In many instances, a female and male model will both promote a certain fashion together and fashion shows with male models are also becoming more popular. Cole’s perception of bodies in society differently than women’s status: “in all of these cultural genres, men’s bodies are not displayed in the same way or as often” (Cole 95). Jocks as centerfolds in women magazines and the presentation of star athletes are becoming more and more sexual. David Beckham, an extremely popular British football player is known equally for his talent as a football player and his talent as a sexy male model, endorsing everything from clothing brands, to cologne and sport drinks. In the past, the concept of athletes using their bodies for something other than sports was very risky. The typical stereotype at this time was that professional athletes were admired for what their body could achieve and not made less valuable because of how their bodies were used (Cole 96). Cole comments that ex-baseball pitcher Jim Palmer had to break through this stereotype when he chose to pose in underwear ads. His associates believe he lowered himself and his status by modeling underwear (Cole 96). Although male modeling is not quite as common as female modeling, it has become acknowledged and accepted.

Growing up after this article was written, it is sometimes hard to relate to many of the ideas and concepts that Cole discusses. By the time I became aware of feminism and the exploitation of women, many things had changed to improve how women were perceived and treated. Although Cole raises some interesting points, some of her opinions are outdated and her information does not accurately state the facts. A critical reader may questions the validity of some of her points. Hopefully with time women will have even more control over their choices in life and the way people view and accept their actions. There may be several aspects of the female gender that may never change just as there may be aspects of a woman’s femininity that women do not want to change. Feminists like Cole help make people aware of gender issues and they serve to make society aware of the struggles and stereotypes that both women and men continue to overcome.