L - R: Zdenka Prado (Estuary), Melissa Hastings (Adorior), Susan Gerl (God Dethroned)
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I was raped when I was 15 years old. It was my first sexual experience. To cope, I disassociated. It wasn’t on purpose; my mind just didn’t want to be in my body while my body was doing things my mind wasn’t ready for. For years afterward, I couldn’t be sexual with anyone without totally checking out of my body.
I’m not telling you this because I’m some kind of victim. I’m telling you this because it hurt like hell, and like all nasty wounds, it needed strong medicine to heal.
When Metallica released “One” four months afterward, I hung on and couldn’t let go. “Now that the war is through with me, I’m waking up, I cannot see that there’s not much left of me. Nothing is real but pain now”. Sure, James Hetfield was inspired by a landmine victim in a 1930s war novel. But you couldn’t convince me that he didn’t know what it was like to be a sexually abused girl. It was clear in every line. Singing with melancholy, numbness, and rage, Hetfield was right there with me, just when I desperately needed to know I wasn’t alone.
At the time, I had no idea why the song rang me like a gong. I just knew I needed more. More guitars, more bass, more double-bass drum pounding like a panicked heartbeat, more angry, sad words. I was already into Guns N’ Roses and a few other metal bands who straddled the mainstream, but after “One” I fell into metal like Baby Jessica falling into that Texas well. The only difference was, I would have savaged anyone who tried to pull me out.
Ironically, the music I suddenly needed most had no use for me. I had every right to listen to the music, at home or in the clubs. But plenty of signals told me just the opposite. At that time especially, metal was very much a guys’ world, from the take-no-prisoners music to the rigors of the mosh pit. In lyrics, women were lamented, reviled, violated, or ignored, but rarely respected. At shows, it was much the same.
When you were a female in the metal scene in the 1980s, you had two choices. If you wanted to bag a guitarist – the one onstage or one in the crowd – your required uniform involved a tight leather miniskirt, a studded bra or bustier, and enough hairspray to light a bonfire. If you were there for the music, you dressed like the guys. Being sexualized was the last thing I wanted, so I went with option two. I hid in black jeans, band t-shirts, Converse high-tops, and backwards baseball hats.
Like any subculture, the world of heavy metal has rules. There’s an obvious dress code; violate it at your own peril. What you give up in fashion choices, you supposedly make back in community. Millions of misfit kids have made their home in heavy metal, and with that comes a sense of belonging: a tribe. At least, that’s how it works when you’ve got a Y chromosome.
I would have loved to join that headbanger tribe. But because of my dress code choices, the guys, by and large, ignored me. It didn’t help that I was shy. At my small high school, male metalheads seemed to accept me. But at shows? Forget it. While the guys bonded over the band’s riffage, I might as well have been a scuff on the floor.
Had we talked, we might have discovered much in common. Adults said such aggressive music would only wind kids up, but for me it did the opposite: it soothed me. I’d read dozens of metal magazines and watched hours of Headbangers Ball and nobody mentioned this effect, so I assumed I was an aberration. It wasn’t until I read the work of Jeffrey Jensen Arnett in my late 20s that I realized guys were listening for the same reason I was. Go figure that in a male-dominated scene, nobody (including the women) would own up to how the music made them really feel.
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Metallica - 'One' (video still)
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The thing is, I suspect their reasons for loving metal were similar to mine. Some of them – possibly most of them – found something in metal that purged their pain and made them feel powerful. And it didn’t just help with big, life-changing trauma. Frustrated at school? Anthrax’ cover of “Got the Time” provided a three-minute thrash-filled vacation. Feeling like my parents didn’t get me – or my love of metal? Accept’s “Generation Clash” provided the perfect, brooding companion to my angst.
Despite those common threads, I was left alone with the music. That, too, was problematic. For example, one of the best – and most inescapable – metal albums of the 1980s was Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. Penned by a bunch of testosterone-fueled musicians just on the far side of adulthood, the album is reckless, alive, full of emotion: anger, love, sexuality, confusion. On the one hand, there are tender moments in “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. On the other, there’s the balls-out version of “You’re Crazy”, the perfect antidote to those times when your friends and loved ones stop making sense. So far, so good.
But then there’s “It’s So Easy” – “Turn around, bitch, I’ve got a use for you / Besides, you ain’t got nothing better to do, and I’m bored” – to say nothing of the sexual exploitation in “Anything Goes”. The original album cover, by Robert Williams, featured a robotic rapist standing over his sprawled, unconscious victim. Sure, a flying monster was about to give the robot its comeuppance, but the damage had already been done.
I don’t know what guys made of these messages. As a female fan – and as someone who had been through sexual assault – it made me uneasy at best. I loved the music, mostly. But I had to love it in spite of what it told me about women. Certainly GNR were not the only ones exploring exploitation and dominance over women: Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper, W.A.S.P. ,and many others belted their fair share of misogynistic lyrics. Even those bands more likely to appeal to “chicks” made sure to feature prancing women in their videos just so we’d know men’s desires were still important. In some ways, it was easier to listen to bands like Slayer and Metallica, who barely acknowledged women at all.
Sure, there were women metal musicians in those days. Lita Ford rocked with the best of them, but she always did so with her breasts on display. All-girl bands such as Vixen gained airplay but were largely marginalized. Their music was too girly for the guy crowd, and their sexy outfits relegated them to pinup status in most people’s minds.
Even the use of makeup among ’80s bands – from Twisted Sister to Poison – was in no way a concession to feminine power. Quite the opposite; by co-opting “girly” makeup, the guys were saying, “I’m so manly, I’m going to doll up and you’ll still know exactly what I am: a hard-rocking, ass-kicking dude”. Looking like a woman was a way of proving how much of a man you were.
Metal’s guy-centric atmosphere can be chalked up to the fact that metal was founded almost exclusively by young men. For a long while, it was a rowdy boys’ club, one where they could let it all hang out, specially their fears and neuroses about women, and about the feminine parts of themselves. Even with counter-evidence staring them right in the face (I was by no means the only female buying records or concert tickets), it was a shockingly long time before guys realized they weren’t the only ones throwing the horns.
When it did come, that awareness didn’t come so much from the guys themselves but from the women who powered their way into the scene. At the end of the ’80s, as grunge took over the airwaves, everyone took a break from the hyper-masculine world of heavy metal. Guys got a chance to be angsty and emotional with bands such as Alice in Chains and Soundgarden – and to share the auditorium floor with girls. Meanwhile, Riot Grrrl put women in power. Their guitars roared with it; their voices screamed with it. Even when women like Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love dressed like sexy little girls, it was clear that it wasn’t for titillation.
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Appetite for Destruction - Original Cover
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As metal soldiered on, it branched out. Operatic and folk metal bands place women musicians front and center. Singers like Angela Gossow, Stevie Floyd, and Otep Shamaya have proven they can bellow with the best of them – and rock out without flashing their goods. Mainstream metal acts, from Tool to Lacuna Coil, offer emotional music that doesn’t emasculate the audience.
Now, many metal shows see something approaching gender parity. Many women still adopt the t-shirt/jeans uniform, but others finally feel free to dress in their own style without the risk of being ostracized. Sure, there are limits – metal is still a subculture with some fairly strict rules, but those limits are expanding.
That doesn’t mean the sexism is gone. The rise of women in metal bands has unfortunately given rise to such ideas as the “Hottest Chicks in Metal” tour, reinforcing the idea that women are only onstage to be ogled. And not just onstage – even now, there are men who will tell you that if you dare sit on someone’s shoulders so you can see, you’d better show your tits. If you want to crowd-surf, you might as well be Lara Logan in Tahrir Square. And when a woman shows her love for Slayer by belly-dancing to “Black Magic”, it’s only fair to (a) laugh at her or (b) talk about how hot she is, right?
It isn’t gone from the music or the videos, either. Behemoth’s latest, “Ov Fire and the Void”, maintains one of the oldest feminine symbols in the book: woman as demon – a sexy, child-bearing, edible demon.
There are no quick fixes for the misogyny that’s been rampant in the metal scene since Ozzy sang “Evil Woman”. Partly, that’s because the sexism in metal mirrors (and distills) the sexism in larger society. To get past it, we have to consciously choose to transcend thousands of years of cultural and DNA programming.
The good news is, metalheads love finding ways to rebel against mainstream society. We can use this to our advantage. Musicians and listeners both need to get past the blockade known as the male gaze. Stop assuming that the primary listener is a heterosexual male, and you’re already on your way.
Guys can do their part by making space for women in the scene. For starters, get past the idea that women “don’t like metal”. Be friendly at shows, but don’t flirt. Talk about a song you like, or the last time you saw the band live. Then ask women about their experiences with the music and gigs. In other words, make them feel welcome without making them feel like a steak on a platter. Keep your hands off. If you see fellow guys mistreating the women in the audience, say something.
Women have their responsibilities, too. Show up, rock out, and speak up for your love of metal. Do it your way and don’t let anyone cut you down for it. Talk to guys at shows – about the music. Keep an eye on women in the crowd who aren’t being respected, and step in (or get help) when that happens. Get involved. Take pictures at shows, or start a blog. Make a lot of noise about the bands who write music for everyone. Make a lot of noise at bands who don’t.
Readers: What have your experiences of sexism in the metal scene been? What lyrics, images, or behaviors stand out to you? And what do you think can be done to make the scene more welcoming, particularly to female fans? What, if anything, needs to change?
Pictured front: Susan Gerl
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Beth Winegarner is a frequently published author in print and online.
She blogs at Backward Messages about misconceptions of metal, violent video games, the occult, and other topics.
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Great article, and I agree there still is a very sexist, beer-swilling attitude in metal, though I read another fine article about how women for some reason were much more accepted and treated as equals in doom and sludge circles but I can’t seem to locate it.
Nevermind, here it is: http://codeaires.tumblr.com/post/2132955843/women-in-sludge-metal-an-analysis-to-view
i have a female cousin who is 15 years younger than me (i am male) and when she was just getting into music, at the age of 14/15, i would take her to gigs that she wanted (interpol, okgo, the walkmen etc) and in return she accompanied me to gigs i wanted to go to if i had no one else more suitable available (cannibal corpse, forbidden, exodus, origin, necrophagist, enslaved, mastodon etc)
so, as she got to 17/18, with long black hair, tended to wear black and grey skintight clothes and was/is basically drop dead gorgeous, but in no way a metal fan, it was interesting to hear her views on the difference between metal gigs/ audiences and those of a more mainstream indie/club scene and she reckoned that in all the times she went to my gigs she got the ‘anonymous hand on the arse’ only once whereas at her gigs, with or without me there, she lost count of the uninvited fondling, juvenile leering and general bullshit sexual attention she had to put up with, as opposed to any positive friendliness or generally positive male attention
we came to the conclusion that fans at metal gigs, at least for the type of metal that i like, either don’t really know how to react to a beautiful, ‘non-metal’ woman, and therefore don’t hassle her, or they are just there for the music and to headbang and assume everyone else is too, whether they are male or female- i guess we’ll never know but, even if she never loved the music, she DID love the atmosphere of passion and genuine excitement at a metal gig with it’s lack of need to be ‘hip’, regardless of the sexual politics
we are both feminists though and it was always interesting having those discussions about songs such as cannibal corpses ‘fucked with a knife’ or ’stripped, raped and strangled’, which we both see as so far beyond reality that they are all about a kind of laughable comic, gross-out effect, whereas the WASP/crue/guns n roses stance is too close to the everyday attitude of too many men, or at least what they would want if they were king for a day, and therefore far more disturbing- but then i guess it all comes down to the fact that it is all a fantasy world and, male or female, you pay your money and make your choice about what you personally identify with, metal or not
That “Hottest Chicks in Metal” was such an insult to legitimate female musicians in metal.
Thank you!!!!
Personally, I’ve found that in the metal scene, if a woman acts like one of the boys, she gets treated like one of the boys. I know a few female metal fans who are treated no differently than guy metal fans, particularly because they come across as legitimate, genuine fans of the music. They’re generally a bit tomboyish though. It seems to me that girls that are regarded as sex objects in the metal scene are regarded that way because they *choose* to convey that image. Simple advice: don’t dress and behave like a hussy. I know more than a few girls whose raison d’etre seems to be to have sex with various metal bands. Guys are suspicious of girls like this, qua metal fans. Maybe I’m making a huge and unjustified assumption here: that the girls who dress and act like tramps aren’t real metal fans.
Part of the reason that metal is largely a boy’s club is that the aesthetic simply does not appeal to most girls. They just don’t give a shit about it. It’s not a very feminine-friendly kind of aesthetic given what it is fundamentally. And when some girl does try to enter the metal scene, well, you’re talking about a scene populated by guys who generally are kind of “outsiders” and are pretty awkward with women generally. It’s no wonder that you’re going to encounter some strange attitudes. I think a lot of metal music is guys *very indirectly* working out some frustrations that they have with lack of social success, girls, etc.
In actual day to day behavior, though, I’ve seen a lot more of a conservative and “chivalrous” attitude among metal guys than among a lot of other guys in the broader culture. I don’t think there’s outright misogyny in the metal scene. I think the relationship between metal subculture and women is weird and complex and hard to pin down precisely. I don’t know…is chivalry sexist? I can’t keep up with what feminists are up to these days.
I personally feel no responsibility to anyone in metal, at shows. I am there for my reasons and I couldn’t care less about yours. Let alone your gender.
In my circles, women are respected as equals as any other. Just like males, if they don’t want respect, they don’t get it. If they’re there to get laid, then that’s their choice and not mine. I surround myself with those I want to be surrounded by. That said, I know several women in my international circle that are enthusiasts and love metal just as much as I do, and for that, they earned my respect, just like any other male, and it really doesn’t matter what their gender is.
Honestly, I couldn’t care less what reason anyone has to be at a show. I’m there for my purpose, and that’s it. The only people I hate are windmillers because it’s all about them.
Maybe I’m missing the point by seeing women as equals and those with other purposes are not on my radar. I can only worry about my own life, my own circle, my family, and my friends.
this may be a little off topic, but I’m still finding metal has an unfortunate attachment to white power… AT the deicide toronto show a couple months back, there was certainly a few. Not instantly recognizable, but when you start to see the details like white power crosses tattooed on forearms, you feel like things aren’t always positive and forward facing in metal.
It bugs me too to see dudes grabbing tits in the pit, and then playing it off as an accidental bump. Yeah right.
As a community we need to be quick to approach these issues. sexism and racism have no place in my metal community.
Great, personal article. There’s no denying that sexism runs rampant in metal, but I think it’s slowly getting better. The machismo factor probably won’t go away any time soon, but you need to look at men as a whole in this case–the phrase “boys will be boys” exists for a reason.
I recently wrote an article for OurStage.com (http://bit.ly/l9JGe8) that talked about the great women in metal who were sort of breaking the stereotypes, and I think it’s something that needs to happen a lot more. While I have no problems with bands like Epica, Lacuna Coil, and Nightwish, they’re helping perpetuate the stereotype that women are all too soft and dainty for the metal world (which is certainly not the case).
That being said, I think the new metal styles to be born in the last few years are a lot more accessible, and less of a boys club (things like “djent”). Hopefully things make a real change for the better.
Thank-you for saying a lot of things that needed to be said.
Great piece, Beth. Embedded sexism very much still exists, and often times the “it’s not my problem” attitude or turning a blind eye is as harmful as those who practice outright misogyny. When people keep their eyes closed, it’s hard to see what’s happening around them.
So much of this is what I was trying to get across to people in my local scene. Unsurprisingly, few gave a fuck and I just called that good ol’ marginalizing term, PC.
Thank you for opening up about your past and articulating the elements of this awful issue that plagues so much of the heavy music we all love.
Fantastic article!
It’s an unfortunate thing that women can’t go to shows without being ogled if they’re even remotely good looking, or completely ignored if they don’t look the part of a vixen. The music should be the focus at all times no matter the gender of the band members or the gender of the crowd.
Going to a show should be a fun experience not a test to see how much crude behavior one can stomach for an evening. My wife LOVES metal, and she also loves going to shows, but sometimes it can be an irritating experience due to the general overwhelming misogynistic attitude of the crowd.
I’ve also been to shows where dudes have actually tried to fight some women because they refused to be groped. I will say this though it’s amazing how fast pansies like that will do a 180 when confronted with a 6′2″ 280lbs guy that looks more than a little pissed.
Guys need to look out for the women in the crowds at metal shows, not because they are weaker than us, but because it’s the right thing to do.
DMH
I remember watching Karyn Crisis and Alicia of 13 endure all sorts of sexist and misogynist behavior in the early 90’s — they really broke barriers for women as extreme metal vocalists. Hell, I remember people turning their backs on Karyn when she performed because “chicks shouldn’t sing like that” and because her lyrics called them out on their dumb-ass behavior. Things have certainly changed since then. There are more women in metal than ever, women who are respected front-people for their bands, whose music is taken seriously. But the problems haven’t entirely gone away either.
This was a great blog post. Articles like this is why I respect and appreciate Invisible Oranges and its audience.
Thank you for the honesty. It appears we grew up around the same time, and your story hits close to home in many ways.
The best we can do as ‘humans’ is to openly and actively listen to the opinions and experiences of others and weigh them as equally as our own, when we determine our attitudes, behaviours, and generally course in life.
There is room for everyone at the table, for it is the voices of all in the community that will shape our future. Anything else is basically oppression.
P.S. David Pankey, 39…if I ever see you again this this life, you are a dead man.
i am a legitimate fan of heavy music and i love going to gigs but i’m not going to stop dressing how i want just because of the attitudes of guys in the crowd. i don’t feel comfortable in a pair of jeans compared to a skirt and tights. i don’t want to be a tomboy, i like being girly and feminine but i also like watching bands. i don’t want to be perceived as being intentionally ’sexual’ just because i don’t want to hide away under a cap and a hoodie. i don’t feel confident going out without doing my hair or make up. this doesn’t make me a poser in any ‘metal scene’, it’s just my personal views.
Dear Beth,
Thank you for such a great article on the plight we face as women in the metal scene. I could not relate to/ agree with it anymore.
For those of you interested in additional reading on the topic of gender and metal, Chapter 4 of Robert Walser’s Running With the Devil (1993) is still the academic benchmark on that topic.
I think that this may vary from region to region and genre scene to scene, in fairness. Although there are key issues raised here, it’s not really a guarantee that women will be fondled at each metal show or even shown courtesy in the crowd. In which case, Beth’s point about being prepared rings true though for some gender may not even be the main issue at gigs – there’s also age and other factors to consider (i.e. if the audience is mainly composed of young kids, mostly older people, etc.)
While treatment at shows is something to bear in mind, it’s not necessarily clear-cut.
I’d also like to argue (again) that perhaps Otep and Angela Gossow aren’t really the best examples of women in the metal world except from a very mainstream POV – what about the women who were in underground thrash, speed and heavy metal bands during the 80’s/90’s, or even ladies like Lilith Necrobitch in Korgull the Exterminator? These are underground examples sure, but it would be interesting to see more reference to this sector of metal when discussing music scenes and gender as opposed to the more typical names being cited so often (Gossow and Otep).
Just my two cents.
Thank you for writing this; it’s absolutely wonderful.
Great piece, and thanks so much for sharing it. I think that things have been getting better within the metal scene over time, but there is a long way to go and we should work to make it better. Part of the improvement is that misogynistic lyrics are much less common than they used to be; at least, it seems that way to me. Much worse, though, is the kind of commentary you still see — so many metal blogs and even magazines make such a point to talk about women in metal in terms of their attractiveness and fuckability and don’t give much attention to their musicianship or even for that matter address them as human beings. There are exceptions to this, of course, which is why I love Invisible Oranges and also love Decibel Magazine (which is pretty good on these issues and even has openly mocked Revolver several times for their highly sexist “hottest chicks in metal” features and things like that).
With that said, I want to point out that people who express the attitude that I’ve already seen in these comments, that women who dress “slutty” (whatever that means) to metal shows are for some reason less deserving of respect, because they don’t look like they take the music seriously, or whatever: that attitude on your part is a big part of the problem. A woman shouldn’t have to prove herself by dressing the way you think is appropriate in order to deserve your respect as a legitimate metal fan. And who are you to be making that determination anyway? Women should dress however the hell they feel like it to metal shows. You should respect them like you respect the rest of your fellow fans there, however they’re dressed. She doesn’t have to prove herself to you; you’re not the gatekeeper of the show.
It’s amazing to me sometimes just how conservative metal fans can be (which was one of the great points made by the author of this piece). My attitude is “live and let live,” and a lot of my favorite metal musicians reflect this ethos as well in their work.
Great article.
I wrote on the topic of women and metal here: http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/2011/03/women-in-metal.html
My observations–from reading media more than anything, since I don’t really personally know or hang out with, well, anyone, let alone fellow metalheads–are that metal is actually better at gender equality than the mainstream. Listen to top 40 radio (if you dare) or pick up a Rolling Stone, and you’ll immediately see it’s more sexist than metal.
As a man, who has never personally met a metalhead woman, I’m having a hard time really relating to your article. But what I picked up on was that you listened to the music in spite of lyrics that you find troublesome. I think this is something we Christian metalheads have to deal with a lot. The best solution, I find, is to listen to bands with vocalists you can’t understand, whether it’s their vocal style or because they’re singing in a different language.
@ pete
I hope you’re not referring to an iron cross as a white power symbol. It can be, but I think between metalheads, bikers, and people proud of German ancestry, it’s been taken back from the Nazis. I think you’re misinterpreting it, unless there’s some other cue you’re picking up on.
Very well-written, and, like Metalcakes mentioned, for saying a lot of things that needed to be said.
Wonderful piece, Beth. Wonderfully written, too. It takes a lot of courage to share something like this.
In fairness, the idea of the woman as trickster-vixen-succubus in music predates “Evil Woman,” by many decades. It’s a standard blues template. There are some blues numbers that are outright sexist by today’s standards and advocate domestic violence. Little Walter’s “Boom Boom” is about a guy who tracks down and beats the crap out of an unfaithful lover. Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Your Funeral, My Trial,” is a threat to a lover; do what I say or you’ll be dead and I will be in jail.
This kind of backwards thinking isn’t limited to metal, either. When I grew up the jocks had many more issues of entitlement around women than people who listened to metal. It’s particularly bad in rap where women in thongs have been paraded around as window dressing since the 1980s. I’d like to think metal has outgrown a lot of the idiocy spawned by bands like Motley Crue and WASP.
Also, I wonder if people who need the “ground rules” you laid out at the end aren’t already lost causes…
Let’s face it: Metal isn’t high IQ music–when I was a teenage metalhead in the mid 80’s, we didn’t sit around and discuss social issues over tea–it was a “youth gone wild” for our “metal health” to “shout at the devil” (in all its forms, like the PMRC). Nor is metal particularly progressive when it comes to social acceptance issues, be it race or gender or sexual orientation like punk rock was. There was also not much redeeming value in its messages for a time; however, there also wasn’t much redeeming value in anything else either–Reagonomics, televangelism or “greed is good” philosophies. It was, and still is, a middle class white boy social club. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that as you look around a concert venue–but it also doesn’t take a genius to realize that it doesn’t take much to rebel against when you’re primed and ready to rebel against ANYTHING. And, as all social clubs, changes of attitudes from within grind slowly. I’ve often wondered what the effect would have been if Twisted Sister had used a girl behind that school desk to scream “I WANNA ROCK” instead of a burned out looking guy in their video. That would have been something. Instead, we got endless hours of Tawny Kitaen grinding all over a Corvette while David Coverdale bellowed lyric after lyric of different ways to bed a woman. My point is that it was no different than an athletic club: testosterone only. Thankfully, much has changed, and will change more over time, and we should choose to inspire and be inspired by only those things that strive more towards that equality, and support them. I feel thankful that I’ve had, and have, a number of strong women in my life–I got more, and more useful, advice from them than anybody, and more of those types of women fronting bands and being active will help change it hopefully for good.
More than the scene at metal shows, it bugs me how metal critics and some fans disregard female bands. It’s almost as if for every female in the band, there is twice as much dismissal of the band itself. Kittie is an excellent example. They have some angry, feminist lyrics (which to me seem right at home in the sound of metal) that perhaps male fans can’t identify with as well as women can. And of course, men dominate the music press. And we female fans proceed to doubt our own tastes!
Based on my personal experiences with meeting female metalheads from different parts of the world, they generally do know how to balance superior intelligence, mental and physical toughness, and a genuine love for the music while maintaining their femininity and respectability.
I’m sorry, but that was a lame article. It lacked focus and depth. It wavered between female contributions to the metal scene and complaints about the many sexist aspects of the metal scene, without really exploring either. The omission of the contributions of women like Karyn Crisis, Tairrie B, and even the chickadees from Kittie was detrimental. And starting out every damn article with “I got raped” is an utter hack community college gender studies move. Maybe this could have been used as an opportunity to introduce people to amazing up and comers like Laura Christine of Warface, but no.
The article posted by Full Metal Attorney makes a very important point: women are making some of the most innovative underground metal out there right now, and everyone should go check it out. The more mainstream you go with metal, the more sexism you’re going to find, because guess what? The mainstream is *gasp* sexist! Metal music has a rep for being a testosterone-fueled boy’s club, but rep and reality often don’t mesh. I was going to all-ages metal shows in full riot grrl gear when I was fourteen, and I had far fewer problems than one might expect in that situation. This was in Southern California though; I imagine if I was in Wisconsin it might have been different.
I have seen so many metal bands with female members, NOT just singers, and it really grinds my gears to see an ostensibly “feminist” article come off so under-researched and negative.
Great article. Way to speak up for us women who just want to see the band without being nearly molested.
RESPECT!!!
The most Metal person I know and will probably ever know is a women and she put’s most guy’s to shame.
Metal, like life in general, obeys to the basic rules of collective living with its fair share of genius and idiocy; it all depends on the perspective you have on it, what’s good for one isn’t for an other. Metal failed to be an alternative to the world it so dearly despises: It just follows the rules of the outcasts, being themselves a part of society. A bunch of black sheep is still a heard and obeys heard mentality.
Thanks for all the comments. I’m so glad so many people enjoyed this piece and felt it was important.
@Supreme: Women should not have to act “like the guys” in order to be respected. They should be respected no matter what they’re wearing. A woman in a skimpy outfit is not less worthy of esteem. http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/what-is-slut-shaming/
@Glenn: thanks for mentioning Walser. His entire book is brilliant.
@Jason: I don’t agree that metal is universally “low-IQ music.” There are examples of that, sure, but there are also examples of smart, literate metal, particularly in power/epic/folk, but elsewhere too. Plenty of thrash bands tackled weighty political, cultural, and economic topics. There was a time when many metal fans didn’t think of themselves as particularly smart or intellectual, I suspect because so many of them had been told they were dumb (either for listening to metal, or independently of that), but even that’s changing. I don’t think you can argue, as a reader of Invisible Oranges, that metal and intelligence can’t go together.
Interesting article. As a woman who grew up right around the same time as you (13 in ‘89 and started playing guitar then as well), I can see some of what you’re saying. I played guitar, was in metal and punk bands, went to shows (and at the time my dress code was very much your second option – band shirt, jeans, etc. and I hung out with mostly guys) I was the only girl to play guitar at my school, and when I’d put up ads at my local music shop (this is what we did pre internet – haha) looking for other musicians, I would get all sorts of calls from guys looking for a date, not to join a band. I didn’t let it discourage me, I eventually found people to play music with, was taken seriously by my peers as a musician and had a lot of fun. The only thing is, I refuse to let my gender define me, to tell me who I’m “supposed to be”, what I “should be” doing, screw that, I love music, I played in bands, I hung out with musicians, I worked in the music industry, and started my own business. At the same time I’ve got my feminine side firmly intact, wear makeup, wear dresses, dated boys (but only ones who had the same taste in music!) before I got married, and am fully a three dimensional person.
I just don’t go in for all these gender debates, people are people, they do what they want and if someone doesn’t think you should be there because of your gender, do it anyways! There are closed-minded people everywhere, if everyone listened to what every nay-sayer said, nothing would ever get done!
While I tend to agree with a lot in this article. It makes one glaring mistake that most special interest topics do: It makes no attempt what so ever to understand or even humanize the people on the other side of the topic.
Telling me what I can do to make women feel more accepted? I’ll be painfully blunt here. I’m not at a metal show to make you feel accepted or unaccepted. In fact, I’m not there for you at all. I really don’t care one way or the other if there are any female metal fans in the crowd or not.
I’ve met many female metal musicians in the 7+ years I spent playing in a band. If I treated them any differently It was far from intentional. I got to know some of them very well over the years and got along just fine with them.
As the article makes a huge effort in pointing out. Metal is by and large composed of social outcasts and rebels. This typically doesn’t make for the most socially adept individuals. The author of the articles herself admits to having been shy and socially awkward.
Guess what, It’s no different for the guys. At least It wasn’t for me. I would go as far as claiming most male metal heads really don’t know how to talk to the opposite sex. Hell the miniscule amount of times I was actually hit on by a girl at a metal show I clammed up and had no idea what to say or how to react.
This isn’t an excuse for any guys being downright assholes. But try and keep in mind that, for the most part, guys at metal shows may be just as socially uncomfortable toward you as you are towards them.
kick ass. i really appreciate your perspective.
though i think grind has been a bit better than most metal on bringing women into the fold as equals (thanks disrupt/nuclear death for breaking that ground), i was thinking the other day about the gender/racial disparities in my musical collection. not sure yet how to address that.
and ugh. hottest chicks in metal. i ranted about that on my blog once. the only comment i got was your typical internet asshole “ur a fag” response. i hate humanity a lot of days.
I don’t agree that metal is universally “low-IQ music.”
i’d go even further and say that tying musical taste to intelligence is engaging more in social positioning than anything related to the arts.
anyway, good essay. the male gaze and a sort of ambient misogyny is thick in many musical genres, though i think FMA above might have a point about it being (at face value) less worse compared to modern r&b or pop, and definitely better than hip hop. whether being better than shitty is worth clapping about is another story.
@Jeffrey, thanks for that comment. You make an excellent and very valid point.
This article was one of the best and most honest that I’ve read on the subject. But as for what women can do to make their scenes better, there’s one more you didn’t spell out. As always, they can start bands.
I’ve listened to kittie, arch enemy, and the agonist, among others, and while it’s cute to hear a woman growling metal, it’s obviously not their thing.
metal is conflict, metal is aggro, is blood, is violence, is the male war instinct at it’s best, any femenine attempt ai it will fail.
arch enemy and the agonist havent’t failed because they keep being an all male bands with just one woman
female musicians are lame
just make a youtube search among all the people making metal covers at home, for every not-so-bad female guitar player, there are fifty kickass male players
among those videos there are a few of asian girls who are the purest technical perfection, like their asian gymnasts and prodigy musician kids, so perfect that their music sounds soulless and empty, is like listening at a midi ringtone.
just tell me, what is the female equialent of Steve Vai, of the Satch, Eddie Van Halen, Gene Hoglan or Mike Portnoy?
I agree, you all look super cute strumming an electrig guitar, but seriously, stop complaining, put on your groupie outfit and be happy.
BTW, seriously, sorry about what happened to you, but don’t use it as an excuse to strip metal of its inherent manliness.
I think I should be offended by you, but I am not.
I agree that metal is about power and “blood on ice”. But there is no denying that metal music is also deeply sensitive. Some emotions, not only anger and frustration but sadness and love are portrayed more realistically and vividly in metal than in any other genre of music.
These are emotions both men and women experience equally. Do you think we women never get so angry that we want to kill or just let go in a mosh pit? I agree that we might not be as physically strong as most men, but tell me, how many men you meet everyday would be brave enough to jump into a pit? Metal is not for EVERYONE. It is for those who are willing to embrace a darker, louder facets of life. Whether you’re a man, a woman, both or neither, or whether you’re black, white or Asian, does not matter.
I picked up a guitar when I was 13 and the comments I got were not pretty. My dad somehow thought it was unnecessary for me to spend time learning music and made a fuzz about taking me to class. My mom took me by bus a few times (she cannot drive) and this soon became too much of a hassle. I went to an all-girls Buddhist school at the time and there were definitely no fellow “metalheads” there. For a while, I tried learning from UltimateGuitar etc. but somewhere down the line, I gave up. A few years later, when I was old enough to navigate the cities on my own, I picked up the violin (definitely a very feminine instrument) and made some progress with it. Giving up on the guitar is one of the biggest regrets I have in life (and hopefully one I will overcome someday soon).
But what I want you to understand is that women the world over probably face similar circumstances. Going to gigs can be very intimidating if you are alone and a female. If metal was more accessible, I bet you would see more women on stage and on youtube kicking serious ass!
Fantastic article. As a female metalhead I think the idea of the Hottest Chicks in Metal would be alright if it were balanced with a Hottest Guys in Metal. But alas, it’s not. At least not yet. Having been to all types of concerts, my experience has been metal shows tend to have fewer ogling guys than most. I was recently at an Industrial club with my son’s girlfriend where I got a high five from someone for being the old lady in the club. Now that was refreshing!
Women like Angela Gossow and Lita Ford, while looking sexy onstage take their jobs seriously and shouldn’t be looked down upon for being beautiful women and dressing provocatively. My philosophy has always been, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. But be prepared to take what comes with it.
My experience as a female metalhead has always been respectful when interacting with other metalheads, both male and female. The only issues I have had have been with people who don’t listen to metal and don’t get why I do. As a woman metalhead who is older than most (I’m 51) I am constantly amazed by how narrow minded people who don’t get metal are. Just because we listen to metal doesn’t mean we are stereotypes!
@ Metalgrandma
You’re awesome. That’s all I have to say about that.
@ Malisha
No, it wasn’t the best written article, but I think we could all follow and appreciate her train of thought and the issues she raised. When something hits that close to home for an author, and they have a lot to say about it, it’s very difficult to stick to a narrow, focused topic.
@ Jason
You sound very intelligent, but your assertion that metal is dumb is . . . dumb. Yeah, there’s lots of dumb metal out there. But it has a lot of smart stuff too, and that came before the dumb. Sabbath and Maiden had some pretty smart music, and it wasn’t until Van Shit Halen that idiocy was introduced to the equation.
As a female guitar player in a metal band, I loved this article. I was asked early on in the bands career to do the “hottest chicks in metal” revolver magazine thing. I said no..so I love it being brought to light all the reasons I didn’t want to do it.
After reading/scanning over this article and comments I believe there is one serious, serious omission to the text. I will correct that omission.
Girlschool: “Demolition” (1980), “Hit and Run” (1981), “Screaming Blue Murder” (1982).
Fixed.
The new Autopsy song “Dirty Gore Whore” is not going to be a favorite of many commenters (or the author), it would seem. In our world of extreme music and lyrics, even I found the content of this particular song to be shocking. Another commenter mentioned some of the Cannibal Corpse songs that obviously take such an over-the-top approach (“Fucked With a Knife” / “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled”), that they aren’t a real affront to women b/c, I mean, they’re fantastically outlandish. Those quoted from GNR, however, seem more dangerous due to their proximity with reality. I’d agree with that. These Autopsy, lyrics, however, just left me a little cold despite the cartoonishness. Perhaps that’s the idea. To repulse. What do you think? http://bit.ly/DirtyGoreHorror
It’s a shame, too… the music (like the rest of the album) is sick in the absolute BEST possible way…
Looks like more than a few posters took me to task for saying metal wasn’t “high IQ music”–I’ll take my lumps, and further explain what I meant. Any art form is about creativity and authenticity, and what I meant was that in my formative metal years, there was more of the latter and less of the former: with few notable exceptions, it was the Motley Crue’s, the Dokkens, the Ratt’s and Twisted Sisters with the videos and such–authentically stupid. Of course you also had Metallica, Iron Maiden and Queensryche et al, but they weren’t all over the radio and MTV–you had a one sided view, and what those guys represented of the female gender was terrible to say the least, and horribly skewed–definitely not music that made you think, and most definitely NOT exclusive to metal music either (that could be a whole other post). Take a look at only old Hit Parader from the 80’s–awful for the most part. Thankfully that was swept away, and a more representative harmony of creativity and authenticity began to form. However, any replay of Heavy Metal Parking Lot will show you the kind of fans I often saw/met at shows–more meatheads than metalheads, and I stand by that. It’s way different today, with the music industry the way it is now, fans’ inclusive attitudes and media savvy at its peak (but tell me you still don’t laugh whenever you scroll thru your itunes collection and see the funniest and dumbest song titles ever, c’mon)–I still remember the first time I learned White Zombie had a bass player who happened to be a woman, and it was “wow, that’s cool!’ and it changed my thinking. It also might be that otherwise intelligent people thought that going to a show, or hanging with their male metal peers gave them license to be/act dumb–I’m certainly guilty of that, and its also true that I got asked “why do you listen to that music?” or told “that music’s stupid” more than once. One thing’s for sure, metal won’t creatively thrive or survive without women’s input, and I only wish it had happened sooner.
Jo Bench.
How many metal-related websites are there today that can spark such controversya around a topic? Not many, certainly.
This is one of the reasons I come back here every single day. Its editors are not afraid to deal with polemic topics, such as this one.
Beth–Amazing article. Thank you!
Boy, talk about not burying your lead. Amazing article, thanks.
Metal is made up mostly of people who can tolerate things like white power and sexism. Metal is the music of the white male with visions of conquest and domination. Dominating by force, rape, murder, victimizing and mocking the weak and unfit along the way on the path to glory, metal is the music of the white male devil.
I’ve been going to metal shows for over twenty years now, and the number of women I see at these events has grown exponentially just in the last 5 or so. It’s so cool to see this style of music becoming less threatening to women and also more welcoming. I’m spoiled in that I live in Portland, OR where egalitarian views are held by a majority of folks, but it’s still gratifying to see amazing music being celebrated without the sausage party vibe. I hope this continues forever.
@Malisha why the dig against the midwest? As an Indiana native and a person who has been to shows all over the midwest I can definitely say that most of the metalheads and punks are just as progressive as they are anywhere else. Yes, I’ve been to shows in plenty of other states as well.
@Beth. I really enjoy your article, and find that sexism is a very real problem in our society and probably in the more mainstream areas of metal culture. Being involved in the DIY punk and hardcore scene in the midwest though, and traveling a bit with the few bands I’ve played in has left me with the impression that at least in the DIY scene there seems to be almost a lack of sexuality at shows.
Anyone can express anger and find catharsis in rage and I’ve seen some women fronting bands who do it just as well as the boys. When I’m at a show sex is the last thing on my mind.
I personally feel like it’s unfair to single out the metal “scene” when discussing sexism. If a girl chooses to wear an outfit exposing herself, I guarantee she will get the same negative treatment most places she would go. I’ve seen it on tv, in bars, on the street, and at non-metal shows through all walks of life. The people who are interested in things for the right reasons can detect others like them, male or female, and that goes for ANY hobby/interest. Male posers get hassled just as much as females, if not more. The guys who would treat a woman unfairly at a show are clearly there for the wrong reasons, so they are no more innocent or guilty than females who go to shows for attention. A scumbag is a scumbag. Who cares what kind of music some of them happen to listen to? Metal is no exception nor an elite boys club as many like to think. Women get exploited and mistreated all over the place, especially in mainstream media. (and for the record, using a female representation of a demon is putting her in a place of power, especially in music that glorifies evil. If a woman controlling and captivating a man doesn’t define power, I don’t know what does, so that’s a bad example to me.)
I have to say as a musician involved in the metal scene (fringe metal that is) I have not really experienced the blatant sexism that you see with bands like guns n roses ect. If anything i have found much support from my male counterparts as individuals. I would have to say that sexism that does exist is subtle and has to do with what standards of behavior you are held to in terms of being social (dress like a dude but don’t talk like one or have strong opinions), and also how much you emulate your male musician counterparts in your music. This stuff is cultural and not any worse in metal than anywhere else. Mostly, What i have found, is that over the years there are more and more women showing up, showing up without ‘dates’, and showing up to hear or play the music. Metal fans tend to be more open minded than any other group (at least here in pdx) in terms of crossover, progressive music, weird music in general. of course i am sheltered by ‘art metal’ and the west coast….I also have my doubts that girls playing heavy or progressive music are really taken very seriously….but that goes for corporate america as well-way worse….what to do?
p.s. Metal heads have always been nicer to me than non metal heads both interms of being able to socialize, and as musical peers. but i am kind of seeing an indy-ization of metal, and some metal snobbery that i never noticed much before-and these people tend to act a little more sexist in my opinion.
As far as the whole act like a bitch get treated like one concept. I disagree. no matter how a person acts, they should not be treated as a sub-human or object. this assumes that some females are deserving of more than others because of what they choose to wear which isnt really as sexist as it is classicist.
I have to agree with the statement about the indy-ization of metal, snobbery, etc. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music and I’ve lived in a few different cities. I actually meet many more men who genuinely respect women, and women who respect themselves and other women, in scenes centered around punk, hardcore, and metal than I do in a lot of indie type music scenes. Sometimes, it’s almost like the quieter the music is the more restrictive I’m going to find the gender roles.
Thanks for the article!
@Chris Dalton Yeah, You right Girlschool is amazing!
Well, this is a great article! i almost agree with everything, speccially the part of the sexism, yeah, it was/is a veri sexist genre!
The ideas and rules is something that fortunately are being brokened, or that, or me in metal rules doesn’t exist, the thing is, we just need live form metal and love it!
at the part of the “uniform”, well maybe in earies 80’s or that time, it was maybe necessary, which, i almost agree that actually not, but i don’t agree wit calling it “uniform”, just because, it maybe can be a way, or a sterotype, or something like that, but if someone dress like that actually, means that he/she likes it, and do it cause maybe is the most similar thing to look like his/her idol, it is common when someone is a teen, and it’s not bad.
Lot of good ideas are on this! \m/
just throwing this into a long dead topic, but I would imagine Keith/Mina would be able to shed some more light on this topic now!
http://www.metalinjection.net/shocking-revelations/life-agonys-keith-caputo-underwent-sex-change-operation
in the words of steel panther “bitch it wont suck itself”
It is interesting to read about other women’s experience with heavy metal. The genre is undoubtably sexist – and I think that is attributable to the hyper “masculine” themes, and by that I mean what is culturally understood as masculine – but I think that literally ALL genres of music are sexist. Music is engendered as a masculine trait, read Marion Leonard’s “Gender in the Music Industry: Rock, Discourse and Girl Power” or Susan McClary’s “Feminine Endings” and you’ll understand why. However, that being said, I found when I was younger and attending metal shows – I have been going to metal shows for about a decade now – it felt much more hostile than it does now. I remember sensing this hostility and becoming introverted as a result, but now instead of being hostile I simply introduce myself and say “your first time seeing the band?” or something to that effect. Sometimes the person will ignore me, but 9 times out of 10 such questions will receive enthusiastic responses. Perhaps it’s due to people in the metal scene knowing me, but it is now rare that someone will grab my ass or give me shit. As for female fans, in my city they are pretty damn cool. We have everything from women like myself who obsess over covering every inch of their vest with patches, to women who dress like they would when they go to the club, to one particular girl who always wears an adorable dress and high heels and literally dances in the pit while headbanging at every single show I’ve ever been to. Women play guitars, drums, bass, keyboards and sing in popular bands, organize and promote festivals, write, photograph, and do PR. Clearly, my city has a very liberal scene because I’ve lived in Philadelphia, New York and Helsinki and things were much, MUCH worse in the American cities in terms of disparaging comments, constant sexual harassment, and a generally disinterested attitude from others. I think that type of attitude is constantly echoed on the internet because people become easily angered and threatened, which is then just echoed like the dip shit above. Sure, sexism is robust online, but take a look at Youtube and you’ll see racism and homophobia is just as bad. Hmm. Well, this is a complete mess of a statement. All I think is obvious is that as sexism increases on the internet, it decreases in person. The losers who can’t deal with chicks at metal shows are just that, and feel compelled to go online and spew out their vitriolic puerile nonsense. For all the women here, we will do just fine, and will continue to be ourselves and be part of the metal community.
Wonderful article! Even though the sexism in Metal is undeniable, it is far less rampant than in most other genres like pop and rap. I think one of the main reasons for this is that Metal relies less on visual appeal than other types of music. For instance Metal music videos (which are a bit of a rarity) become popular because of the sheer awesomeness of the band, and not because of the naked women in it.
We have a relatively small but very active and growing metal community in Sri Lanka. I have been attending gigs since I was about 16 and for all these years I have NEVER been groped in the dark or even received any ugly comments. I have always been treated with respect, learned much and made great friendships. Most guys are courteous and make sure you do not get hurt in the mosh. With the amount of alcohol and other things that are passed around at these events, this will indeed come as a surprise to many.
About the “dress code”, I agree that black is the uniform. But Metal stands for freedom of expression and even though we find a sense of liberation in the equality of black, we all find a way to add a zest of personality into what we wear. Personally, I choose denims and a (black) blouse/t-shirt, comfy shoes and sometimes a shawl. I think that is my way of unconsciously adding just a dash of femininity and South Asian exoticness to what I wear.
Also, a piece of advice to women- if you choose to go to a gig, go with an open mind. Go to have a good time and enjoy the music. If you are not familiar with the band or the particular sub-genre, ask someone and have a chat about it. Don’t be afraid to say you do not know. Most people are more than happy to talk about music for hours. (I do this quite often and trust me, I have learned SO MUCH!) Do not go to gigs because you want to post pictures on Facebook. Do not go because you think it will be easy to get a guy or whatever. People will recognize you as a poser and the repercussions will not be pretty
I am an avid concert goer. Have been for years. I have been groped, fondled, elbowed (not sure if accidental)…But the groping has also happened at work, school, by neighborhood kids…who didn’t listen to heavy metal. When you have a large crowd of people (sometimes small) you’re gonna get those few guys who think its ok to grab women. They are everywhere. I am big chested and some men have no control! I find myself wearing clothes that aren’t sexy, at all, so i’ll be left alone. But I do like to dress a little sexy and won’t because the sexier you dress the more hands that grab. When you have hundreds of sweaty bodies touching, few random women, drunk guys, loud music…its gonna happen. I’m know your not trying to get our pity, but I’m very sorry about the rape.