NEWS4U MAY 2022 | ENTERTAINMENT
THE ROCK & METAL PROFS W I T H M AT T A L S C H BAC H & D R . CO U RT L E W I S
Associate professors at Owensboro Community College and Pellissippi State Community College, respectively, Alschbach
and Lewis host the popular podcast The Rock & Metal Profs: The History & Philosophy of Rock & Metal. Now they're bringing their keen insights to the pages of News 4U with a monthly deep dive into some of the best bands of the rock/metal genre and thoughts on music in general.
DOUBLE STANDARDS IN ROCK AND METAL: THE LADIES ROCK! The most recent episode of The Rock and
talent and career, the media
Metal Profs focused on great women in rock
seemed to think that Ann’s
and metal, and in particular, the progenitors
weight was all that mattered.
that paved the way for female performers
This double standard is only
today. What we didn’t anticipate, however,
counteracted when fans
is that it would lead to a conversation about
support and demand respect
challenges unique to women in a genre
for female artists, refuse to
dominated by men. How did remarkable
buy and share biased media
women like Grace Slick, Ann and Nancy
reports, and include women
Wilson and Stevie Nicks carve out careers
as equal when discussing the
spanning decades in an industry that sought
greats of rock and metal.
to objectify, sexualize and market their bodies and looks?
Sure, some folks will point to
PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: MATT ALSCHBACH AND DR. COURT LEWIS
female artists who overtly use Simply stated, there is often a double standard
sexuality to make a name in
in rock and metal. Women have shown they
music, but what about those women who want
can play and sing just as well as men, but
to be recognized for their talent alone? Most
the record industry is so image-driven that
won’t get signed to a major label because
there has been an unwillingness to sign and
they refuse to be sexy and provocative, and
promote women, unless they have a look or
those who do face enormous pressure to “sex
gimmick that gains them notoriety. The media
it up” in music videos and on stage. Metal
also plays a significant role in the double
icon Lita Ford, formerly of The Runaways,
standard when they allow their obsession with
found success in the 80s by dressing in tight
lookism and lesbianism to dictate the stories
spandex while posing and undulating in her
they tell about female artists. For instance,
videos. I can only imagine that Lita would have
Heart, one of the greatest rock bands ever,
rather stood at a mic performing (like her male
was constantly forced to deal with false rumors
peers) instead of rolling around on the ground
that Ann and Nancy Wilson were incestual,
for leering teen boys. The record companies
and instead of focusing on their impressive
would never have asked Motörhead bassist/
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vocalist Lemmy Kilmeister to bump and grind on stage (nor would we have wanted to see that). As you consider the women of rock and metal, ponder the following questions that we tried to answer in our podcast. Why has rock and metal been so male-dominant? How do you reconcile female rock and metal artists to a genre that typically objectifies women? Why have women been so successful in country and pop but not rock and metal? The Rock & Metal Profs podcast is available on iTunes, Google and Spotify.
