. . .
Bobbi Flekman:
You put a greased, naked woman on all fours, with a dog collar around her neck, and a leash, and a man’s arm extended out up to here holding on to the leash and pushing a black glove in her face to sniff it. You don’t find that offensive? You don’t find that sexist?Ian Faith:
No I don’t. This is 1982, Bobbi, come on.Bobbi:
That’s right. It’s 1982. Get out of the ’60s. We don’t have this mentality anymore.Ian:
Well, you should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn’t a glove, believe me.– This is Spinal Tap
3 Inches of Blood made their name with classic, NWOBHM-inspired metal. Between the galloping guitars, Valkyrie wails, and studded gauntlets, these guys would be right at home on a festival stage between Iron Maiden and Accept. If you remember the 1980s, you probably remember something else metal bands of that era had in spades: video babes.
Metal has moved on, and the use of women as video décor is one thing I was glad we’d left behind. At least, I thought we’d left it behind – until I saw the video for 3IoB’s new single, “Metal Woman”. This being 2012, there was every chance the song would be a celebration of women in the metal world – the tireless, brave fans, the musicians kicking ass on stage, the managers and record-company workers and writers who make it all happen.
. . .
3 Inches of Blood – “Metal Woman”
. . .
Those hopes were dashed the minute 3IoB’S new video revealed what they meant by “metal woman”: a mohawked and tattooed model in leather hot pants and a cropped vest, girding her loins with a bullet belt. Loins embellished with a ram-horned skull peeking out of her waistband, leaving the rest to the imagination.
So what does this “metal woman” do, exactly? She poses in a studded bondage bikini, thigh-high boots and – of course – a dog collar and a leash. She drives around in her skull-bedecked black van, luring young female delinquents with a crook of her finger. She cues up 3 Inches of Blood on her iPod. That’s it. No narrative. Just eye candy.
The lyrics describe her in fearsomely sexual terms: “The way she moves to metal gives us all a thrill … Metal Woman / Demon in the sack / Metal Woman / Ready to attack!” She’s the classic femme fatale, a siren luring helpless men to crash upon her rocky shores.
The femme fatale is a tricky archetype: On the one hand, she seems to represent female independence, power, and agency. On the other, those traits lead to terror and danger for the man, who simultaneously fears and wants her in uncontrollable ways. This isn’t even a shadow of modern, post-feminist womanhood: She’s as wild and deadly as Keats’ “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” written in 1819.
At first, it seemed possible that 3 Inches of Blood were having a laugh about metal’s “dream woman”. But let’s face it: Metal does not, as a rule, do irony, and 3IoB are nothing if not sincere in their headlong journey through metal’s classic tropes: myth, fantasy, conquest. With this song, they’re celebrating a very specific fantasy, and that’s fine – we should all know what we like – but to title her “metal woman” implies that all women in the scene are either like this, or ought to be.
Most women in metal aren’t like this. Sure, there are some, and there are others who like to adopt elements of this archetype now and then. But to say only the leather-clad, menacingly sexual ladies qualify as “metal woman” is exclusionary to all the women who don’t meet those criteria. And metal is already exclusionary enough.
So far, the metal press isn’t calling 3 Inches of Blood on it, either. Metalsucks called the video “babe-tastic”, and WNCT entertainment writer Philip Sayblack said, “the song is essentially a tribute to all the women who prove metal’s not just for men.” Meanwhile, at Loudwire: “3 Inches of Blood connect with metalheads in a universal way with ‘Metal Woman’, because we all desire that hot, tattooed girl clad in black at a metal show!”
All of these statements confirm that metal is, largely, “just for men”. “When someone [in metal] suggests that anything other than a male-dominant view of sexuality is exciting, many listeners become uncomfortable. This is not absolute, of course, but it is prevalent,” Natalie Zina Walschots wrote in “Vanilla Violence: Metal’s struggle with BDSM” for the Toronto Standard. Despite the fact that metal is “driven by a determination to subvert cultural norms and celebrate the outsider perspective,” it’s still exceedingly heteronormative, she adds.
It’s long past time for metal’s plebeians to step outside their comfort zone. It’s time to embrace the enormous diversity in the scene, reflected in the mind-blowing breadth of microgenres. It’s time, at least, to stop talking about women in metal as though they’re imaginary, as though they’re not right here, at the edge of the stage, listening to every word.
. . .
Not like Metal is the only genre with gender stereotypes… plenty of “video girls” in the whole history of rock videos (Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer anyone?!?!?)…. and then there’s hip-hop…..
….and yet, why should we care about this issue? 3 Inches of Blood sucks (there’s way better NWOBHM influenced metal going on now-a-days).
I can see Beth’s point – women are too often portrayed as objects of desire no matter what they do. Owning their own van, being fighters, etc. is often window dressing for hyper-sexualised ideals of the female form.
On the other hand, you can also say (as a friend of mine just did) that the lyrics do not represent metalhead women at all but a personal fantasy of the band.
Both arguments are valid, and to be frank the former shouldn’t be written off by the latter (or even vice versa), because readers feel threatened that their sexual fantasies are getting criticised by “the other”.
3IoB wrote a C-grade song with silly lyrics, then made an exploitative video to court controversy, titillate people, and sell records. You fell into the first trap; MetalSucks et. al fell into the second; no doubt some metal fans will fall into the third.
Well, music videos are still seen as PR measure. And PR folks are as conservative in their ways of advertising as most metalheads are in their views of ‘their’ music.
And the classic PR law is “Sex sells”. Attach a more-or-less nude woman of irreal body measures and outfit, and people will talk about it, no matter if they like it or not. Sure, that is not fair, but it is effective. And in terms of promotion, that’s all that counts. It’s all about provocating someone.
And so, Metal will sadly never get fully rid of this’metal woman’ image. (although some bands try to equalize – ever seen Manowar’s stage outfit in Europe? Ain’t any better than the 3IOB metal woman, believe me…and these guys don’t even do that on purpose…)
It can be pointed out that Manowar dress that way to portray (fantasy based ideas of) power rather than to pander to the sexualised male gaze! It also doesn’t help how they tend to sing about (and treat onstage) women, of late.
Another one of these? Didn’t Cosmo’s IO post a story about gender and metal last year?
(Depiction of reality may not conform to actual reality)
1950
Black person: These Jim Crow laws are making my life difficult.
White person: We’ll get on that.
1960
Black person: These Jim Crow laws are still making my life difficult.
White person: Another of these? Didn’t you post on your blog about this already?
Black person: Oh! You’re right. Sorry about that. We’re cool. *walks away*
Dude . . . Holy shit.
I love you.
Because laws are so like some band’s video, you know.
@Sigivald You’re correct, Jim Crow is way worse than a video. The main point of my comment is that problems don’t go away unless repeatedly addressed. There’s more but I’m not explaining it.
I believe that there was an article about gender last year. There was also an article about black metal last year. So I guess we don’t need any more articles on either of those topics, right? Shit, I think we’re covered for death metal too.
I guess I won’t bother writing next month’s Upcoming Metal Releases installment today. Feels like it’s all been done before!
Anyone reading this blog I would assume has the intelligence to not actually be misogynists, and all of about 3 people give a fuck about 3 Inches of Blood…perhaps calling out Rihanna should be more worthwhile. I’d imagine that the number of women who try to emulate what they see/hear in “S&M” (http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DKdS6HFQ_LUc) outnumber 3 Inches of Blood fans full stop.
This is not a blog about Rihanna. This is a blog about metal. There is a lot of misogyny in metal. This is an article about misogyny in metal. If you really care about Rihanna’s “bad example” that much (I’m guessing you don’t actually give a shit – you just want to deflect attention from the misogyny in metal that Beth flags up), go and write your own blog about it.
And I ail to see how Rihanna is being a bad example, anyway. But that’s another issue entirely.
The next thing you know, people will be taking Steel Panther seriously…..
Anyone who is into metal knows that 3 Inches Of Blood have never taken themselves seriously.. To quote Spinal Tap, as above…
“Don’t you think that’s a bit sexist?”
“What’s wrong with being sexy?”
Sexist “jokes” still help to create and maintain an oppressive atmosphere, though, and when Poe’s Law can be evoked, then is the “joke” really all that funny?
Just because there are other music genres with problematic gender politics doesn’t mean metal is off the hook. And just because someone mentioned it before doesn’t mean the problem disappeared, and it certainly doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it again.
Musical merits of 3IoB aside, I’m glad someone is calling them out for perpetuating stereotypes and objectifying women. Fuck those guys, and fuck the metal press that isn’t calling them on it.
Well, the main issue here is: The bulk of “Heavy Metal Culture” actually IS pretty old-fashioned und bourgeois. It’s a scene full of babbitts and machos, at least at it’s more traditional ends, which are still very predominant (at least here in Europe).
The more you get into the more “alternative” and modern regions of hard music, the more people with a “modern attitude” you will find eventually. The ammount of female musicians on the more punky/hardcorey or experimental side of that world, as opposed to the traditional one, speaks for itself.
This vid is a perfect example of Patton Oswalt’s take on 80s metal videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs4v-zexx8M
That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the video. All it needs is a factory that manufactures nothing but sparks.
Clearly the video should have featured a middle-aged, female blogger at home, covered in cat hair.
HAH.
That’s because REAL metal babes are non allergenic
No one complains about middle aged, male bloggers covered with cat hair. WE DEMAND EQUALITY!
it’s easy to say “another one of THESE?!!!” when, as a presumably straight, white male, these issues don’t affect you AT ALL. can’t we all just live in the bubble you reside in?
I think this post is a poorly-chosen battle.
3 Inches of Blood don’t make blanket statements or express a lack of respect for these women. The video in no way depicts the objectification of or any violence towards women. These women do, in fact, look like many of the women into metal that I know, and the protagnist, the “metal woman,” owns her own van, which shows a level of independence that many metalheads, no matter what gender, don’t have. She seems to be having a good time; so what if she’s sexy while doing it? The women in these videos look no different than Doro does on her album covers, besides that they aren’t wielding axes or being alighted on by owls. Not only is metal a scene rife with irony, but no band seems to be more The title of this piece also seems to ally the writer WITH the song–why not name it something like “Metal Woman?” or “I’m Not A ‘Metal Woman.’” More so, the Spinal Tap quote opening it is totally unfair–there is NOTHING like the ‘Smell The Glove’ image in this video.
There are many issues concerning the perception of women in metal which DO need to be openly discussed, but I don’t believe this is one of them; in fact, I would go so far as to say that this type of post weakens other articles on female strength in metal, as it makes commentators on such issues seem overly sensitive and reactionary.
Sorry:
Not only is metal a scene rife with irony, but no band seems to be more grain-of-salt worthy than 3 Inches of Blood, who depict men as idealized physical creatures as much as they do women.
The writer didn’t accuse 3 Inches of Blood of committing some kind of awful atrocity here, but she did point out that they are drawing on this really dated femme fatale image that more or less has the effect of marginalizing the women in the scene — it’s really in line with the Spinal Tap quote at the beginning, that this is an old mentality that we need to get past, because it is locking women in the scene into a box, a very familiar box, of being the sexy dame that goes to the shows and looks sexy and doesn’t do anything else. I think that the writer’s critique is measured and fair. I appreciate that she specifically did not accuse 3 Inches of Blood of being bad guys or a bunch of sexist jerks; she’s just saying that this is something we need to get past, because it is limiting and marginalizing for women for this image to be the predominant image of the “metal woman.” Luckily, I think we can say that 3 Inches of Blood’s view on this, expressed in this song, is a view that is on its way out in the long run, especially when there are so many ripping bands out there that feature some fantastic women. But this is a reminder that we still have a long way to go.
But is it wrong to write a song about one’s hot girlfriend? 3IoB didn’t call their song “Metal Women” or “Women in Metal.” It seems to be about a specific attractive woman who, like the majority of characters in their songs, is really into metal. There are plenty of ripping female musicians out there, yes, but none of them are in 3IoB, and this is their video. To hang out in a van, dress in bullets and leather, and meet up with friends is, in my mind, what metalheads do. The fact that the band wanted to protray attractive women doing that doesn’t tell me that that’s all these women do all the time–I’m sure they also read, eat, go to the bathroom, play instruments, go to school, and occasionally see their families—but in a video about loving metal, why not show them doing what most metalheads do? If anything, these women are already outside of the normal societal box in their fashion and attitude. In a recent Municipal Waste video, a cute hasher chick answers the phone for their repo/demolition service, but that in no read as All Women Can Do Is Be Secretaries. Again: to focus on something as harmless as this detracts from the emphasis that needs to be put on other more harmful depictions of women within the genre.
3IoB are clearly describing an archetype, rather than one specific woman. With respect, it’s not up to you to decide what is or is not “harmless”; this video/song feeds into a strong current of objectification of women in metal (the vid is clearly shot with the male gaze in mind), and is thus at best perpetuating a damaging “ideal” which hurts women in the scene.
“thus at best perpetuating a damaging “ideal” which hurts women in the scene”
Are you completely blind that this perpetuating of an ideal within media goes both ways? Do you not think that short men, or bald men feel self conscious when they are constantly “assaulted” with images from every direction of tall men with thick heads of hair presented as the “ideal”?
It’s almost classy for women to say they like “tall,dark and handsome”… but if a man says “I like em’ thin, with big tits and a tight ass” he is a pig, right ? Also, men constantly hear the phrase “man up”… can you imagine the uproar from the feminist crowd if there was a saying even close to that for a woman? Like “Woman up, get in the kitchen”… yet, “man up and get it done” is acceptable and noble.
I’m not offended or bothered by any of this, and I’m just playing devil’s advocate here… But I think it needs to be said that for every fat girl with low self esteem constantly being reminded that she is not the media’s “ideal” female, there is a guy feeling the same way but unable to bitch about without being told “stop being a pussy and MAN UP”
; )
+1 for Irony.
@ Irony
Actually, as a feminist, I am also fed up with the phrase “man up” – I hate it. (Likewise “grow some balls” etc.) It reinforces exactly the kind of hegemonic gender roles which feminism is dedicated to tearing down, so that people of ALL genders (and none!) can reach their full personal potential without being held back by bullshit, socially constructed roles about what men “should” or “shouldn’t” do. Patriarchy Hurts Men Too!!!, as the saying goes.
As for the beauty standard for men: yes, it’s depressing. I’ve seen first-hand the damage it can do to men – trust me, it’s caused great harm to men very close to me. But to compare the relative strictness of beauty standards for men and women is to compare apples with (invisible) oranges. Men are ‘allowed’ to be successful while being pug-ugly; women just aren’t. I could quote a load of stats and academic research at you at this point, if you like. But I doubt you’d listen.
Men in metal are the norm; women are the exception, and are judged by their looks, even before their musical ability. And if you’re saying that the beauty standard holds back men in metal – I’m just gonna laugh in your face, sorry, because that’s preposterous. Name one “ugly” female lead singer in a metal band – just one. I’ll name 100 non-beauty-standard-conforming men in response.
The fact that you can play “devil’s advocate” is a sure sign of your privilege here. To you, it’s a game. To women, it’s our everyday lives, and it’s something we can never, ever be free of. Frankly, it’s kinda insulting that you see the issue as a game, rather than as a daily outrage that should be corrected ASAP for all our sakes.
I disagree. Calling the song “Metal Woman” makes it a blanket statement. And I would argue that pairing that identifier solely with the eye candy in the video makes it declarative – we don’t see metal women in the video on stage playing instruments, we don’t see them in front of the stage and in the pit, we see them being dressed all sexy and using their sexiness to lure in innocents to be corrupted by the power of metal. That’s pretty disrespectful – maybe not to all of the women you see being all sexy, but certainly to the musicians and fans who have no interest in living up to that expectation. It says “this is what a metal woman is” without acknowledging any other kind. Way to ignore the contributions of any women in metal who have the nerve not to stand around being all hot.
I’m not even going to address the “it’s not sexist because she owns her own van” because dude, really?
I’d argue (and Beth can correct me if this wasn’t her intent) that the author wasn’t trying to ally herself with the song, but rather to ally herself with the idea of the Metal Woman as a way to say “this video doesn’t represent me, and I am definitely a Metal Woman, so what the fuck?” She shouldn’t have to frame herself as a correction or exception – this video says “this is what a Metal Woman is”, and she says “uh, not necessarily, sport.”
The important thing about the quote from Spinal Tap isn’t that there’s a literal replication of the image from “Smell The Glove”, it’s that it represents the same sort of obliviousness to women’s roles, worth, and feelings about how they are portrayed as in Spinal Tap. The not knowing the difference between “sexist” and “sexy.”
And whether or not you know women who are like this and enjoy being like this isn’t the point – it’s that no one type of woman represents all women, in metal or otherwise. If some shitty deathcore band released a video called “True Metal Fanatic”, full of skinny jeans and backwards hair and breakdowns and retching alternated with boy-band choruses, the chorus of “NUH-UH!” from other metal fans would shake the heavens with righteous metal thunder. It’s the same principle – this portrayal of Metal Women is limiting, it excludes all other Metal Women who aren’t scantily dressed eye candy.
And – just as a concluding thought – a woman has written an article saying “this is a problem”, and you, as a man, have just said “no it isn’t – you’re being overly sensitive and reactionary.” Dude, I’m pretty sure if a woman says “this is a woman’s problem”, she’s going to know better than a man what a “woman’s problem” is.
Your closing point seems really unfair. Feminism is about equality, and the idea that I can’t argue back at someone about their point because I don’t share their gender is ridiculous. The statement here seems to be “This is a metal problem,” and I’m a metalhead.
I don’t really have much to say about the larger issue here today, but I’m going to chime in with agreement on Scab’s last point. Just because you’re not a member of the group, that doesn’t mean your opinion is less valuable.
Also, to bring up something else from the article, I hate the term “heteronormative.” That seems to imply that this shouldn’t be the case. Hetero is the assumed state; that’s how the parts and the species are designed (loaded term, “designed,” but replace it with whatever you see fit and the point remains valid). Everything else is outside the norm. Wrong or right, I don’t care about so much, but somewhere along the way that movement decided to go too far in trying to control the way everyone else thinks and speaks. In other words, the word “heteronormative” should not exist.
Feminism, however, doesn’t mean that a man’s opinion is necessarily equally valid on all topics pertaining to women — I find it baffling that a man would argue that he would understand something like this as well as a woman would. Sure, have an opinion, no one’s stopping you, but I think a lot of women find it troubling when men try to tell them what they should and shouldn’t find offensive. Men generally aren’t treated exactly the same as women are, so things just aren’t going to look the same. We learn a lot more as men when we listen to what women are saying, rather than just focusing on why they’re wrong and we’re right. Things don’t look the same to us. Women in metal get a lot of shit, and we should listen to them and learn about it; we don’t have to agree with everything they say, but a good first step is not assuming that we always know better about the kind of shit that women face than they do.
Also, with all due respect, Full Metal Attorney, once you remove the word “designed” from your sentence, the point actually doesn’t remain equally valid. People’s parts aren’t “designed,” at least, not to those of us who are atheists. Reproduction is just one part of sexuality. I’m a straight man, but I don’t intend to reproduce, so the reproductive function of the sexual organs means as little to me as it does to a gay man. So why should reproductive function be the norm by which all sexuality is judged? It’s very easy to sit at the center and declare that the rest of the world exists only in relation to how you do things. But the “norm” that you refer to isn’t a norm at all; I don’t think that I can think of many aspects of humanity that have more variation and diversity than sexuality. No one’s trying to control how you think; just consider that not everyone is going to accept that Full Metal Attorney’s sexuality is the “norm” by which all others should be measured and judged.
FMA – In your discussion of the term ‘heteronormative’ you are assuming that ‘norm’ mean ‘average’. If that were the case, then I suppose, on a purely semantic level, you might have a point, inasmuch as a larger percentage of the population identifies as heterosexual rather than homosexual. This is not how the word ‘norm’ and ‘normative’ is being used, however, and I think you know that. To make a normative statement is to say something about what should be, not what is. So, if someone uses the term heteronormative to describe heavy metal and its culture, that person is not necessarily complaining that there are more straight folks than queer folks in metal, but rather that certain practices of heavy metal culture enforce the notion that heterosexual relations are they way things should be. Given what I have gleaned of your religious beliefs, you may likely agree with that latter point, which is fine, but it doesn’t give you license to willfully misrepresent someone’s argument with a falsely neutral vocabulary.
Isn’t it both a metal problem AND a woman problem?
Assuming that you have not lived as or considered yourself to be a woman, you really do not know what it is like to be objectified in everyday life, and to be bombarded constantly with idealised visions of the female form – and the further you fall from that ideal, the more shit you catch from society in all kinds of ways (although even women who *do* fit the ideal face problems of a different kind – do some googling around the concept of the “gilded cage” if you’re interested).
Feminism *is* about equality. As things stand, women are systematically demeaned and belittled in countless ways, big and small; their/our social standing is not equal to that of men. Feminism gives women a space to voice our opinions and our thoughts about how we are treated, and what we can do to improve matters. When men come along and – in essence – tell us that our concerns are overblown, and our problems are trivial, it tends to be received with a certain froideur. Just another example of women’s voices being shouted over and silenced. Sigh.
@ LLC: it does remain valid. The parts, when examined, make clear that they’re supposed to work a certain way; that’s why they exist that way, and that’s why evolution reached the point that they exist that way.
@ Danhammer Obstkrieg (awesome screen name): Your comment is illuminating, so thank you for clearing up a misunderstanding on my part. There’s no willful misrepresentation, and the neutrality of my vocabulary (on this issue at least) is not false. I’m not sure that I’ve seen anything in metal that goes beyond the assumption of heterosexual normality. To be heteronormative, in the sense you are positing, would require somehow going beyond that mere assumption, I would think.
Unfair or not, there’s a specific power dynamic at work here. Insofar as men have more power and influence in the culture than do women, when a woman says “I think this is problematic for women”, and you say “no it isn’t,” you’re communicating that on some level you get to decide what’s problematic and what isn’t in terms of gender, and that her concerns aren’t valid. Moreover, your assumption that you know as well as she does what is problematic for women is part of the problem as well. To the extent that this is a metal problem, if Hunter “That Really Annoying Guy From Liturgy” Hunt-Hendrix came along and said “get over yourself, it’s not a metal problem”, you’d be pissed (rightfully so) because what the fuck does this Williamsburg carpetbagger know about metal? Same principle. She’s living an experience of being a metalhead that you as a man cannot know.
Thank you. <3
Jo – You REALLY need to knock this shit off about being “bombarded constantly with idealised visions of the female form” do you not realize that MEN are bombarded constantly by the ideal male form ??? Tall.Dark.Handsome. ring a bell ? Idealized versions in advertising and culture are not exclusive to women. You are one hell of a narcissist.
@ Irony
You don’t get to tell me what to do. Kindly fuck off with that.
““this video doesn’t represent me, and I am definitely a Metal Woman, so what the fuck?” ”
So, if they featured a fat girl headbanging at the front of the stage, do you think the girl in this video (and others that dress/look like her) would start complaining that “She doesn’t represent ME, and I’m a metal fan ” ?
I think that a fat girl headbanging would at LEAST be a contrast to the mediated idea of a “metal woman” – not only is she into metal, but she is a fat person who is shown enjoying herself rather than being depressed or obsessed with food (which is contrary the media tends to portray fat people).
The fat man headbanging is accepted by the media and metal videos, but a fat woman in any media just having fun and feeling empowered by the music she loves – now that would be something!
3 Inches of Blood seem to inhabit a place where irony and sincerity blur into a big ol’ mess. But at least the original bands they emulate had being part of a less egalitarian time as an excuse – these guys should know better and either don’t care, or honestly see this as much a part of the “True Metal” package as the bullet belts, shrill vocals, and songs about metal. Both kind of suck. And it doesn’t matter if Manowar dresses all skimpy too, or if we should all lighten up because it’s just, like, a joke, or if it’s already been written about, because it’s shitty and insulting to women who are metal musicians and metal fans to be told in a song and video that their entire worth lies in being hot and nothing else.
All I heard while reading this was “Whine whine cry cry”. Seriously, this video in no way says “This is what all girls that are into metal look and act like.” nor does it say “This is what all metal girls should be like.” Honestly, is it even really a bad video from a feminist poi t of view? If feminism is all about equality, than this woman is the epitome of feminism. As near as I can tell she is strong, empowered, completely independent, and comfortable on her sexuality. According to the tenets of feminism, if that is the way that particular woman wants to portray herself then she should have every right in the world to do that. Stop whining.
I very much doubt that the video’s concept was dreamt up by a woman/group of women. And even if it were the brainchild of a woman, that doesn’t stop it being damaging to women in the metal scene; internalised misogyny is a thing, you know.
Such lack of faith in women and men! Are we (women) such complete fools that when we see an image or depiction (that you consider harmful) we have no choice but to unwittingly follow suit and internalise the images due to a lack of critical faculties? Who are these poor ‘other’ women that obviously don’t share your critical skillz? Where did you get them from? Who are you to decide what is damaging or not? Are you saying it is damaging me even though I think it isn’t? Are you saying I’m not intelligent enough to understand context or even coercion? The author of this article is using inflammatory sweeping logic leaps to make a tenuous link between a artistic depiction of fantasy and reality. Your and her disdain for both men AND women is apparent. Enough of the back patting please, this isn’t and shouldn’t be an us vs them debate. You aren’t any more qualified to talk on my behalf as a woman… if anything that’s typical bourgeois white woman talk.
I, for one, am REALLY sick of all the videos featuring tall guys with thick heads of hair and big muscles. It’s damaging to men in the metal scene who don’t meet this ideal.
Funny how the “epitome of feminism” consists of standing around, wearing little clothing, and not doing much more and looking sexy. That’s…awfully convenient.
Since Spinal Tap is in the air: There’s a fine line between clever and stupid. This video is stupid. I’ve never taken this band seriously and the video offers me less of a reason to do so; taking your cues from Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” shouldn’t earn anyone respect, especially in 2012.
Of course, this video is problematic if you look at it through a gender lense but most music videos exist to showcase female near nudity and treat women like Christmas ornaments, especially rap videos (ever see ‘Rump Shaker’?) Ditto beer advertising and the ringside ‘girls’ at MMA fights. Why not focus on the women who are actually fighting?
However, freedom of speech is a very pure thing and if we’re going to allow all sorts of lyrical content in metal than we also have to allow for complete sexist bullshit. Allowing and accepting are, of course, two different things. If you really want stuff like this to go away hit them where it hurts: the pocketbook. Don’t buy the albums; don’t buy merch and don’t support them in any way. Allow them to be ignored and wither.
True that on the free speech point. In practice, not all free speech is equally free. For instance, in the United States, you’re allowed to make nasty generalizations about racial minorities; such speech is constitutionally protected and you won’t be sent to jail for it. But you might get fired by a boss who doesn’t tolerate such views, or find yourself ostracized by your community.
Social costs of this sort are the product of broadly held norms. These norms constantly change, and people are great at coming up with non-legal ways to gradually alter them. One way is to refuse material aid to those who violate a desired norm (for instance, not buying records by bands that objectify women, as you suggested). Another way is to publicly castigate them for doing so, which is basically what this piece does. It shouldn’t be illegal to make a music video that objectifies women, but I’m in favor of pushing back against the practice.
That’s it exactly, Doug. 3IoB can make their regressive and unimaginative video; Beth can say why she finds it troubling and harmful. The system is kinda working!
Agreed on this one !
The “other genres do it too!” argument is irrelevant. It’s shitty and awful there too – that doesn’t mean this gets a pass. It’s all shitty and awful, and it all needs to be called out.
Interesting.
http://metalinjection.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Decibel-Magazine-August-2012.jpg
The language used. The bottom line, and the reason this needs to be discussed again, is that there are hundreds and hundreds of dudes out there who will complain about this not being an issue, about an article like this going overboard or picking the wrong specific engagement to undertake in this battle; guys who will say, “Dude, give me a fuckin’ break!” Guys who will say, “You’re being too sensitive and blowing this all out of proportion.”
Then when they are at the Witch Mountain, Kylesa, Hammers of Misfortune or Landmine Marathon gig, under their beer-breath, they’ll mutter, “Fuckin’ cunts.” Or yell, “Show us your tits!” http://canadaartsconnect.com/magazine/2012/05/girls-metal-sigrid-sheie/
And they’ll feel in their heart of hearts that women don’t “belong.”
I clicked the Decibel link and involuntarily rolled my eyes at yet another aggressively sexist “hottest chicks in metal” magazine cover…and then I actually looked at the cover. What does it say that that’s the first time I can recall seeing three women on a metal magazine cover and there’s no cleavage, no sexy posing, and the word “hot” is nowhere to be found. For a scene made up by and large of individuals who pride themselves on being out of step with mainstream society, we sure have some work left to do.
Dude, the story about the Hammers gig and the crowd walking out is totally on point in relation to this post. It’s also completely fucking horrifying. I wish I’d been there to support Hammers at that show.
This has all reminded me of a story I heard once. Don’t know if it’s true. But supposedly Jeff Beck was at a radio station doing one of those things where you’re played chunks of five or six songs and asked to critique them. Jeff Beck asked who the guitar player was on the Girlschool track the DJ played. When told it was a woman, he got irate, insisted that, “No woman can play that well,” then stormed out of the station when the DJ insisted that he wasn’t pulling Beck’s leg.
that Hammers has female members is irrelevant to how awful that is. Jeez just as a friggin’ metal fan WHO the hell walks out of a Hammers of Misfortune show?!? All those who left should be condemned to a lifetime of LMFAO and Katy Perry for such an act.
Agreed! Hammers of Misfortune is metal’s best kept secret. I’ll keep saying that until the entire world is listening to them constantly. And they are one of the best live acts around. I’ve been hoping since they were signed to Metal Blade that they would finally start getting the wide recognition that they deserve; I think it is happening slowly, but honestly, I don’t understand why Hammers still isn’t one of the biggest metal bands out there. The simple fact that 3 Inches of Bloods is so big and Hammers isn’t is in itself a scandal! (not slagging 3IoB musically, I just think that for NWOBHM-infused power metal, Hammers is vastly superior).
Shitty band = shitty video = shitty ideology.
With this kind of videos what they are doing is not only to offend women, they offend metal because they are strengthen the misconception that we are misogynists and stupids
Are we absolutely sure that the problem isn’t just that music videos are stupid?
With the sole exception of that one Lair of the Minotaur video?
I’m very inclined to say that sitting and staring at a video display is not metal.
(I’m quite aware of the irony of publicly decrying video display content as not metal via screen.)
sounds like your angry because you’re not as good looking as the babe in the video. or ever will be. zing!
sounds like your angry because you’re not as smart as the babe who write the article. or ever will be. zing!
wisdom brings depression college boy, i’ll take my heavy metal with hot women and die happy.
At 45, I’ve learned that’s only true if you’re doing it wrong.
I could not agree more Beth… metal is supposed to give the finger to lame, frat boy d-bags, not reaffirm the same dumb-ass, sexist stereotypes they celebrate. Metal needs strong women and men who can think outside the heteronormative box. Sadly, too many of the glue sniffers on here don’t seem to get that…
I think you missed the “exclusionary” part of the article.
Like Beth, I too hope that one day men will stop slavishly fantasizing over some mythical “metal woman” and start talking to the equally lusty, independent, real metal women standing right next to them.
Hopefully none of us have forgotten that metal’s audience is still predominately male and I’d imagine a noteworthy percentage of which are to a degree sexually frustrated. Nothing revelatory or unrealistic about that generalization. So speaking towards “issues that should be addressed” and given that audience I really don’t see how, or even why, the genre would seek to change it’s stance on the way it views this issue. Maybe I’m playing devil’s advocate here but how are you going to convince those individuals to change their mindset?
for the last time, heavy metal by and large is made by and for willfully ignorant sexist crude males. shut up and deal with it or GTF back to your radical feminist vegan collective where everyone gives so much of a fuck about your grand ideas on making everything so welcoming and less “exclusionary”.
I remember my first beer.
What decade are you living in?
trying to live in the 80’s here, but then you have articles like this that keep rudely awakening me from my pleasant fantasy
Yeah…the 1880s
Here is a point that sometimes doesn’t get made, and this is one that my wife will agree with. The woman that actually give a damn about metal are still very much in the minority. I know this all too well just from my little ass local scene. It has nothing to do with not having an “open minded” scene either. Most of the women that I know, that go to metal shows, can’t hold a fucking discussion about metal to save their life. All they want is to be seen and fuck the musicians. So you want to be taken seriously? Be apart of the scene and take no quarter. I have a lot of respect for my wife for that very reason. She can hop in a pit, jam some grind and sludge, and just chill the hell out and enjoy the music. The meathead thought process won’t go away till metal loses it’s popularity again. Feel free to flame away.
Oh cool, some fucking Christian talking about how the word “heteronormative” shouldn’t exist. Who lets this asshole on here?
From what I’ve seen, 3IoDumb is every thrash metal stereotype rolled into one, with a singer whose Hetfield worship borders on parody, in both style and choice of axe. Nothing original, and this video and it’s content speak to that. This ain’t 1986. And in case most serious HM fans didn’t know it, Metalsucks, Decibel, Loudwire, et al, are generally pathetic excuses for rock crit, written for the most part from the POV of an acne dabbed and unsexed 15 year old boy to get said 15 year old boy to give them his lunch money.
I also remember being that unsexed 15 year old boy, watching Tawny Kitaen crawl all over a sports car in that Whitesnake video, listening to Motley Spew sing about “Girls, Girls, Girls”, making out for the first time to Scorpions, and gleefully attending an AC/DC concert to meet girls. I dropped that crap like a hot potato when I discovered better music, but it’s part of music’s, and HM’s, history. The point is, I grew up, was lucky enough to have had a wonderfully strong mother along the way who instructed me to respect women, and had a bunch of fuck up male family members to learn what not to do from. It’s your surroundings and your family you ultimately learn from. 3IoDumb seem to be fine with not learning from that, willfully ignoring it, or milking the shit for all it’s worth. Good for them, because they will ultimately end up a footnote in HM history, to wither and die. And there will be women who like that type of shit, eat up their type of shit, and milk that shit for all it’s worth. That’s the way it is. But for every Lita Ford, there’s a Doro Pesch; for every Tawny Kitaen, there’s a Joan Jett, for every Evanescence, there’s a Grace Perry. And on and on. And there’s this woman, from the 80’s, who would chew up and spit out a 1000 male poseurs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5pDWFLMykM
“For every Lita Ford, there’s a Doro Pesch; for every Tawny Kitaen, there’s a Joan Jett, for every Evanescence, there’s a Grace Perry.”
Thankfully.
I think that this band just made an homage to how goofy and over the top 80s speed/shred metal was. This is because everything that 3IOB does is an homage to how goofy and over the top 80s speed/shred metal was. Just like Spinal Tap, it is a parody. What I am suprised at is the media response to the video (including this post), apparently taking all of it seriously, as though a bunch of heshers want to perpetuate a bizarre, completely out-of-context stereotype from 25 years ago today. I don’t even think these guys are trolling. I think you just trolled yourself.
Caught them live just last week… it’s not parody. They certainly see the inherent humor in metal, but this isn’t some giant meta joke on the metal community.
This thread makes me think about a bunch of fat, alcoholic, scared and lonely metalheads dying alone in their parents’ basements at 50, riddled with cancer and heart disease and diabetes.
And about a bunch of fat alcoholic, scared metalheads married to very traditional-value-rooted women who won’t let them go to shows any more, who won’t let them spend money on music any more, etc.
“It’s long past time for metal’s plebeians to step outside their comfort zone. It’s time to embrace the enormous diversity in the scene, reflected in the mind-blowing breadth of microgenres. It’s time, at least, to stop talking about women in metal as though they’re imaginary, as though they’re not right here, at the edge of the stage, listening to every word.”
No.
They never did it, don’t do and will never do.
Because mainstreamers are too fond of their comfort zone. Or simply too lazy: Have you ever heard of a mainstreamer explaining the process of giving themselves sufficient time to allow an album to “sink in”. Oh shit, an album is too long for them lazy brains.
How many records that initially made you puke are now more precious than your ears? It’s only this digestion process that allowed you to find the proper perspective that permits absorption. That “sinking in” process is peculiar to people with that special patience to get accustomed to an acquired taste, and not so many people are gifted with that form of open-mindedness about such a monstruous genre as metal.
I’ve abandoned the idea of explaining metal’s idiosyncracies to mainstreamers, it’s simply not worth the effort.
Whoa you guys! I just realized this article was written by a woman!
And while we’re here, metal needs to leave Jesus alone too.
good point! there are christians into metal too! we as a community should be more respectful of their feelings lest we come off as “exclusionary”
You choose to be a Christian. You don’t choose to be female.
and you choose what subculture you associate yourself with, as well as what media you consume. If you don’t like this video or this band, don’t watch/listen to it/them. If you can’t take a little bit of dumbass machisimo, or your looking for a genre of music that supports your feminist views, you should probably get out of the heavy metal scene.
Also, if yall andrea dworkin types want something to cry about, listen to THE MENTORS, that ought to give you enough blogging fodder for the next decade
(Depictions of reality may conform to reality)
1920
Black Person: These Jim Crow laws are making my life difficult.
White Person: What’s the problem? Go see a KKK rally, that’ll give you enough blogging fodder for the next decade. Go to Africa or something, you don’t have to live here, nigger.
2012
Black Person: Those Jim Crow laws were awful. They made our lives difficult.
White Person: Agreed.
Why try to change anything? Just accept the world as it is, right? That is, after all, the metal ethos — just accept it all as it is. Accept Christianity, accept censorship, accept all different types of oppression. Don’t stand up for yourself. Don’t take a stand for what you think is right. Just accept the status quo. Yep, if metal has taught me anything, it’s taught me that.
Wow, Deathfiend, you’re so edgy. You’re so edgy I bet you cut yourself when you get dressed. You sure showed all of us.
Also, Christianity oppresses. Women as a group do not. Apples and oranges comparison, really, unless this person thinks that women are the enemy, like so many of us think that Christianity is. And maybe he does; a lot of guys really do seem to think that women are the enemy, since they insist on having minds of their own and thinking for themselves and not taking any bullshit (how very un-metal of them!)
PC police type feminists are just as self righteous preachy and delusional as christians IMHO. have fun changing the world, i’m gonna goto my smelly practice space drink beer and play loud offensive music with like-minded cavemen.
Dude, no one’s stopping you. You joined the conversation over here, remember? It’s not like all of us barged into your place. We heard you. Your opinion on this topic is not unique; it probably represents a majority view. So don’t worry too much about being repressed; there are a lot of dudes out there who are not very concerned about making space for women in metal as anything more than eye candy.
Point taken. I never heard 3 inches before. Sounds kinda like Priest with Udo singing, except more generic. I would personally not call my band three inches of anything…
I appreciate this conversation. It seems like the only whining going on is those who pathetically defend misogyny in metal. I am tired of hearing about dweebs who cover up their fear of women with assertions that metal is for men and that it is too brutal for women. I work as an advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual violence (who are mostly women) and the survivors I know are tougher than any hesher. I have loved heavy music my whole life. What I’ve learned from my work working with women who’ve suffered deeply from is that the most common factor for someone who perpetrates domestic violence is holding stereotypical and rigid views of gender. I’ve always believed that heavy music is about pushing boundaries and steering clear of the popular perspective (and misogyny is nothing if it isn’t popular). I applaud the women who make metal even more awesome and who challenge us all to have more complex views of who can create and appreciate heavy music.
As a female, I think this video is a poor example of misogyny in the metal scene. It’s unfortunate that men having a healthy sex drive is now viewed as “sexist”, when what the term really should mean is hatred towards the female gender which is quite a bit different than what you see here. I would like to see someone write a piece about misogyny in the pornogrind scene because that particular subgenre is a lot more explicit in its depiction of hatred towards women. And before people start crying about censorship, I also think there should be a place for depiction of extreme brutality in art, whether directed towards women or just in general, since many feminists have made art that is equally as violent and it would be hypocritical to expect for male artists to act differently. However, the thing that I wonder about it is how many of the musicians who depict misogynistic violence are even remotely concerned about real acts of violence towards women. Unfortunately, probably not too many because it seems like the whole pornogrind subgenre in general is made for frustrated nerds who are angry because they didn’t get to have sex with the cheerleader in high school.
@ the one true street jammer; it should read: BLACK PERSON: These Jim Crow laws are making our lives difficult, I WISH ALL THESE WHITE WOMEN WOULD SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THEIR COMPARATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS.
but seriously, if proportionality has no significance, then I guess we can all bitch about whatever we want with no-one calling B.S. on it! YAY VICTIMHOOD!
(Depictions of reality may conform to reality)
2012
Cancer Patient: Cancer sucks. Hlp plz.
Non-Cancer Patient: It’s not that bad, really. Way more people get a cold every year. Patient, heal thyself.
i’m having trouble locating your argument here, it seems as if youre saying that questioning the legitimacy of anyones complaints about anything is wrong. let us assume, for the sake of argument that making the metal community free of nasty and exclusionary gender bias is a worthy and realistic goal that women and metalheads and metalhead women everywhere should strive towards. with that being said, is there a hypothetical grievance that someone could blog about that you would agree is frivolous/misguided/or otherwise stupid? or are you making the argument that human beings are incapable of bitching about pointless crap, and EVERYONES concerns are equally important and worthy of respect?
When it comes to issues like human rights, everyone’s concerns and grievances are equally worthy of respect. You take them seriously, you think through them, THEN you decide whether you want to act on them. Listening and trying to understand is not so hard compared with the actions required to make a change.
And yes, women’s rights in metal are human rights issues. Sexual assaults have occurred at metal shows. Unwanted groping is just the beginning.
Why would you HAVE to assume for the sake of argument that clearing gender bias out of metal is not a good thing?
Here’s a stupid, shitheaded, sexist reason to clear out gender bias: more girls at more metal shows means more opportunities to score. I’ll never understand why men don’t get that. You CAN think with your penis, right?
Now here are some actual, legitimate, worthy reasons to clear out gender bias:
Metal is art, and art matters in people’s lives. It could have benefits for women if they get into it.
More women in the scene means more women making art. I’ll never object to more singers like Doro, or more guitarists like Elizabeth Schall.
Clearing sexism out of metal is a small step in removing sexism from society at large. Sexism affects half the population. I’d argue that it damages men as well.
Women have equal rights in society. Exactly why wouldn’t they have equal rights in metal?
And finally, answer me this: what purpose does gender bias in heavy metal actually serve? What are you so scared of? You could have songs about sexy metalhead women that are respectful. You could probably show sexy metalhead women in videos.
Oh, and since you asked: a grievance we could hear and not act on. How about complaining about women demanding that metal not be sexist.
Women! Rise up! Stop procreating with nitwit shitbags and they’ll eventually die out.
The video and song are profoundly, embarrassingly retarded. Boring as a beer commercial.
I say to the apologists: your rationalizations are beneath you. Or maybe not. She’s “empowered” because she owns her own van… to get drunk in and drive to see 3 inches of blood? And writhe in a leather bikini and dog collar before an unseen voyeur? My fingers tremble as I type. That’s no little missy, but a bone-fide bra-burning, van-owning Feminist.
So yes, a feminist critique is certainly valid but runs the risk of dignifying crap that lacks not only ideas but a coherent ideology to decode apart from the adolescent sexism it lazily exploits from the broader culture. Why shoot these fish in a barrel when there are bigger fish to fry (heh)
I’m reminded of the Bill Hicks bit about Lethal Instinct: Is it too sexist? Is it this, is it that? The answer? It’s a PIECE. OF. CRAP. Move on! (Trust me it’s funny the way he does it)
That being said I’m glad people speak out decisively against this crap and rhetorically crush it underfoot, but ultimately the best response is to move and go to a Hammers of Misfortune show instead.
Hmmm, i watched the video, after reading the article and responses, and was kinda shocked at how tame it was. Sure there was the scantly clad bsdm lookin lady but there were two other fairly “normal” metal ladies in there too. Do you think they were put in there to show that not all metal chicks are scantly clad bsdm lookin ladies? no one mentioned them….
Pretentious, pseudo-intellectual and overly-P.C. Metalheads UNITE!
THE PUSSIFICATION OF METAL STARTS HERE!!!!
bahahahah ^^^fuckin’ THIS.^^^^
street jammer, ill stop trolling for a minute because you’re bringing up issues of legitimate import. The rights to not get sexually assaulted in public, or passed over for a job, or be able to simply conduct your personal life as you see fit without the harassment or undue intrusion of government or private entities, are human rights issues which i believe strongly are the birthright of every human being male, female, trans, gay, straight, etc. etc. The “right” to have your gender/race/bowling club represented in media the way that YOU think they should be portrayed is an impossible, bratty, and thoroughly first world problem that you made up. let me add “quixotic” to that list of adjectives because you guys are tilting at fucking windmills, while the real dragons in the world seek to overturn roe v. wade, perform female circumcisions, force women to wear burkas etc. etc. etc. yea depictions of reality may conform to reality, but c’mon, “conform” and “reality” were never terms you were particularly fond of, no? better to set yourself up against a nebulous oppressor so you can claim that you were “always already” defeated and thus avoid walking any sort of walk that you talked. i guess thats why this shit pisses me off, i can always ignore posers in my insular exclusive scene, but i wish they directed that shit outward where it had a snowballs chance in hell of doing some good, :/
This is what it comes down to. I could nitpick one small point, but I won’t.
Well, that and the comments above to the effect that analyzing something like this in an intellectual way is both missing the point and dignifying something that doesn’t deserve it.
If you like metal, and want to complain about the state of things, why not start a band? Moaning about some band’s stance on a forum just makes you a troll I’m afraid. Don’t like their lyrics/videos? Don’t listen to them. Not a Nazi? Don’t listen to NSBM (unless of course you think you can enjoy the music without agreeing with it…) It seems simple to me :S
More feminism run amok and trying to tear down one the last bastions of manhood. This is metal, the epitome of alpha male music. It is ear testosterone and with that comes the corresponding desire to breed. We like pretty girls and play songs about them. If you want egalitarianism, go buy a weepy album by some emo betas.
“…trying to tear down one the last bastions of manhood.” – Who sounds like the fantasist pussy “victim” here?
“We like pretty girls and play songs about them.” – Ratt, Poison, Winger, Dokken, Cinderella, Motley Crue did this 25 years ago. Is this what you’re referring to?
I suppose I have a somewhat unique take on this whole situation because I am actually one of the actors in this music video (the curly-haired girl). For a while after making the video, I was fascinated by the dichotomy between the characters involved. My role in this video is completely unsexual. For wardrobe, I was told to take inspiration from Motorhead and Girlschool, which means I’m wearing the same tomboyish, unsexy metalhead garb I do every day (seriously, I just got dressed as usual and went to the set). It’s not erotic. It’s practically innocent. It may be “metal”, but it is distanced from “woman”, whereas Malice McMunn’s character is all about the physical trappings of womanhood but is barely about metal. However, she is the only one who matters and the only one people respond to. Filming this video actually made me extremely jealous of that kind of person, who can use sex appeal alone to gain so much attention as to actually become the face of an entire gender within a genre of music. Meanwhile, I’m still over here in my Maiden shirt, wondering if anyone would ever give me a second glance. My lack of sex appeal as an average metalhead somehow makes me less of a woman, within the context of this video and beyond.
Sorry, rant. Might be unorganized, but I’ve been thinking this stuff since the video came out and have had nowhere to put it until now.
Interesting. So you interpreted Malice’s role as that of a desirable archetype? Was there any conversation about these issues on the set? Did you talk to the 3IOB guys about it at all?
I only realized these issues after the video was released. You see, all the different components were shot seperately – Malice in Los Angeles, the band up in Vancouver (I believe), and the other girl and I in Seattle. I was simply given a very brief plot synopsis by the producers and we got to it. I didn’t know what the final product would be. I’m not saying I regret doing it – I don’t at all, and would do it again even knowing the message it would send – but it only became apparent that I had some issues with the concept after everything was said and done.
You were hotter than Malice.
Thank you for sharing your side of it Wraith.
Seconded.
“But to say only the leather-clad, menacingly sexual ladies qualify as “metal woman” is exclusionary to all the women who don’t meet those criteria. And metal is already exclusionary enough.”
So fucking what? I demand guys to don denim and leather, too. Welcome to Heavy Metal. There’s a reason why there’s songs about “Denim and leather!” and “Long hair!”, and not the opposite.
Ooh. Metal is exclusive. So bad, guys. Wouldn’t want to look like arrogant assholes now would we? That may make us look bad!
Sexism is hating someone or judging them harshly purely for their gender. Enjoying and encouraging something as normal and as natural as sex and naked bodies is not. Look at Wendy O Williams if you want a Metal woman to idolize.
Ugh. I never really saw the appeal of the ’80’s “metal woman” personally. Nowadays metal girls are a lot hotter than that. I ended up married to a hippie chick anyway.
Ummmm… Where exactly did the band say that this how a ‘metal woman’ has to be? Besides, anyone that knows Malice personally knows that she eats, breathes and shits metal. The woman is a powerhouse with a giant spirit. I agree that metal is still largely dominated by men and their puerile notions of what women should be like, and where they think women belong in the scene but this was(I think) a poor example to use to illustrate that point.
i am malice mcmunn and i agree with most everything said women have it way harder than men in metal and everywhere else in life that you can name but to say that i am not a type of metal woman is unfair i have been listening to metal since i can remember im 37yrs old i live and breathe metal like jen said even tho im considered to old to still be in this “phase”. i idolize women like wendy o williams and all the hot chicks from the 80s videos i always wanted to be one of those chicks because i think when a woman takes charge of her sexuality it is very empowering. I applaud the record label for using real metal chicks in the video. 3iob had little to do with the making of this video but if you are really into metal you should know that this band is paying homage to a genre and a time when metal was daring and sexual and your mom wouldnt let you listen to it. the song metal woman really isnt about the girl or girls in the video its about metal and the fact that metal is sexy to them and to anybody else who really loves metal! My look may make it seem like im trying to get attention from men but i prefer women! the video kinda shows that although i dont think they knew that was my thing! interesting coincidence …. with the exception that i dont drink especially not with what looks like underage girls!! (wraith no offense if you are actually 21 you look so young to me that is a good thing i am an old hag) and sometimes im picking up a carload of girls to go to an aa meeting wich im sure would really kill the vibe of the video. Music videos about metal are always about fantasy nothing is real in metal thats why it rules! nobody wants to hear their favorite metal band singing songs about paying taxes and getting parking tickets! i am down to help keep metal evil and sex is evil so im doing my part! horns up!
Really good comments here, I’ve ran across some women into metal but there really aren’t that many. Most have really diverse tastes and tend to be drawn towards more traditional rock structured things or they’re just a clueless druggie whore that wants to be fucked and seen. I’ve realized I’d rather be with a woman who knows nothing about metal, men can handle nihilism better than women. Women become sexless and hateful or manipulative and destructive, going against their destiny as nurturing creators of life, metals now for women, sorry to say, I honestly believe this, with no smirk or asshole intent, just my personal observation.
well fuck you very much
not for women oops i fucked up see you in a few months