Rock & Metal Profs

THE ROCK & METAL PROFS

WITH MATT ALSCHBACH & DR. COURT LEWIS

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 Metal Profs focused on great women in rock and metal, and in particular, the progenitors that paved the way for female performers today. What we didn’t anticipate, however, is that it would lead to a conversation about challenges unique to women in a genre dominated by men. How did remarkable women like Grace Slick, Ann and Nancy Wilson and Stevie Nicks carve out careers spanning decades in an industry that sought to objectify, sexualize and market their bodies and looks?

Simply stated, there is often a double standard in rock and metal. Women have shown they can play and sing just as well as men, but the record industry is so image-driven that there has been an unwillingness to sign and promote women, unless they have a look or gimmick that gains them notoriety. The media also plays a significant role in the double standard when they allow their obsession with lookism and lesbianism to dictate the stories they tell about female artists. For instance, Heart, one of the greatest rock bands ever, was constantly forced to deal with false rumors that Ann and Nancy Wilson were incestual, and instead of focusing on their impressive talent and career, the media seemed to think that Ann’s weight was all that mattered. This double standard is only counteracted when fans support and demand respect for female artists, refuse to buy and share biased media reports, and include women as equal when discussing the greats of rock and metal.

Sure, some folks will point to female artists who overtly use sexuality to make a name in music, but what about those women who want to be recognized for their talent alone? Most won’t get signed to a major label because they refuse to be sexy and provocative, and those who do face enormous pressure to “sex it up” in music videos and on stage. Metal icon Lita Ford, formerly of The Runaways, found success in the 80s by dressing in tight spandex while posing and undulating in her videos. I can only imagine that Lita would have rather stood at a mic performing (like her male peers) instead of rolling around on the ground for leering teen boys. The record companies would never have asked Motörhead bassist/ 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

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: MATT ALSCHBACH AND DR. COURT LEWIS

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.