So right now there's a programme on the radio about Sleater Kinney. It started 3 minutes ago and I'm already furious.
The presenter described Sleater Kinney as a band who have transcended gender.
Edit - it's bloody Gideon Coe who is presenting!
*Rage flail* No. Just no. Sleater Kinney have not transcended their gender. What you mean is you, a male journalist, have deigned to overlook the fact that they are women and decided to pay attention to them. You have decided to grace them with your esteemed musical criticism. Sleater Kinney have just written, played and recorded music. You are the dick that has trouble seeing past their gender.
*You* have transcended their gender, not them. When was the last time the music press described a male band as transcending their gender? I'll bet never, that's when. Because male bands are seen as the default starting block and women bands are seen as a bloody aberration that have to prove they are good despite there femaleness.
Female bands don't hide, or move beyond their gender, It's the male music industry that has to do that. Except that they don't because it seems that 99.9% of articles about female bands talk about their gender and want to talk about what it's like being a female musician . The music industry is bloody obsessed with gender, there's no transcending it.
Sleater Kinney have never tried to move beyond their gender, or ignore it. They are feminists, They are female. This is an important part of their work.
Gods save me from male journalists who think they are granting us a favour by saying that female bands have transcended their gender.
Visit Sleater Kinney's website here.
The presenter described Sleater Kinney as a band who have transcended gender.
Edit - it's bloody Gideon Coe who is presenting!
*Rage flail* No. Just no. Sleater Kinney have not transcended their gender. What you mean is you, a male journalist, have deigned to overlook the fact that they are women and decided to pay attention to them. You have decided to grace them with your esteemed musical criticism. Sleater Kinney have just written, played and recorded music. You are the dick that has trouble seeing past their gender.
*You* have transcended their gender, not them. When was the last time the music press described a male band as transcending their gender? I'll bet never, that's when. Because male bands are seen as the default starting block and women bands are seen as a bloody aberration that have to prove they are good despite there femaleness.
Female bands don't hide, or move beyond their gender, It's the male music industry that has to do that. Except that they don't because it seems that 99.9% of articles about female bands talk about their gender and want to talk about what it's like being a female musician . The music industry is bloody obsessed with gender, there's no transcending it.
Sleater Kinney have never tried to move beyond their gender, or ignore it. They are feminists, They are female. This is an important part of their work.
Gods save me from male journalists who think they are granting us a favour by saying that female bands have transcended their gender.
Visit Sleater Kinney's website here.
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