The increase of women in the music industry is a problem that needs to be addressed. Now that women are on the cover of magazines, running venues, headlining shows and even writing the articles we read, who are our sons supposed to look up to?
Society is bending over backward to feature women. They even have their own month. While I absolutely believe in gender equality, this isn’t equality. What message are we sending to young boys by providing them with female role models?
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A woman simply cannot teach a boy how to play the guitar, write songs, produce music and more. Additionally, male role models are essential to teaching men how to respect women. Boys cannot learn how to respect women by listening to them and need a male role model in a male-dominated world and industry to teach them about equality.
As we all know, music is solely competitive, and by uplifting women, we are actively destroying the careers of hardworking men. We cannot just make an unlimited amount of music or expand the music industry to be more inclusive and lucrative.
Each time you feature a woman on the cover of a magazine, you are taking that spot away from a man. That man could have inspired hundreds of young boys to pick up a guitar and write music about their sad, tough life of never being able to get a girlfriend.
According to a recent study, only 21.7% of all musical artists, including solo artists, duos and bands, are female. Clearly, this is because men are simply better at music, so why do we continue to feature women when there is a man that does it better?
With such a small percentage of female musicians, why are we seeing them on the covers of magazines in the first place? It would make more sense to eliminate them in totality than to uplift their voices in hopes for equality.
Additionally, girls don’t even need to see themselves represented in the media. They know that if they work as hard as the man on the magazine cover that they will be successful. Men, on the other hand, need constant reassurance that they are the superior gender.
The study also interviewed 75 female songwriters and producers. 43% of them admitted that their skills were overlooked or discounted by their male coworkers. Obviously, they were lying. Their skills were not being discounted but simply improved by the men who know less about the subject. “Mansplaining” is one of the best ways a woman can learn about the music industry.
Personally, I never would have been able to plug in my bass amp if I wasn’t shown by a man. Even though I own all of my equipment, I have no idea how to use any of it. I bought it during one of my typical shopping sprees, so I’m just so thankful someone could teach me what all the buttons do. Like many others, I also do not know how to use the Internet.
This is why nearly 98% of music producers are male. Music production requires an in-depth understanding of sound and technology, and women simply cannot grasp this concept. Their heads are full of romantic comedies, fashion magazines and recipes.
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There is no reason women should feel that they aren’t taken seriously in the music industry. Men do not favor other men — they simply hire men at a higher rate because it helps create a more productive and drama-free environment.
By allowing women to be an equal part of the scene, we are destroying the foundation of the industry and ruining the future for millions of boys. This is a threat to the music culture as a whole.
Editor’s Note: This is a satire for April Fools’ Day. Real names and the events surrounding them may be used in fictitious/semi-fictitious ways. Those who do not read the editor’s notes are subject to being offended.
Mandy Error can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @maddyerskine_.
