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WOMEN IN MUSIC

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Women in the music industry have been represented differently over time in history, certainly reflecting what was happening in society during that time. I find myself drawn to the reasoning and misinterpretation of women in this particular field. 


The roles which women have been allowed by society to embody have changed drastically, even within the last 50 or 60 years. Women may question their roles because of what they see portrayed by the mass media or popular culture. Change in the female identity can be seen in how women are viewed or how they portray themselves in popular culture, specifically through music, film, and literature.



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COMPARISON OF ALBUM COVERS:

In Scorpion's album "Lovedrive" (1979) they're initial album cover (left) was replaced (right) after the cover - which consisted of a man's hand attached to a woman's exposed breast by gum - sparked controversy. In the image, it is seen that the woman has no power against the male figure, and his eyesight is looking at her breasts. This represents woman as inferior, as the facial expression showed does not look like she is bothered by this action.


In Rihanna's 2012 album "Unapologetic", Rihanna is shot nude, with her chest covered by her arm and writing. She is covered in words like "LOVE", "FAITH" and "VICTORY", but this album in terms represented being fearless and carefree against what others thought. This was the beginning of Rihanna's stand for feminism, after her public relationship with Chris Brown ended.

In comparison to "Lovedrive", Rihanna stands confidently, especially with her body on show, contrasting the woman on Scorpion's cover who had a neutral facial expression to the situation taking place with the man.

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While earlier music can be evidence of a day when females were viewed as weaker characters, it should still be listened to and thought of when considering how far women have come in pop culture.

 I look forward to learning more about the representations of women throughout time and how its changed from then to now.

Comments

  1. Unknown6 February 2018 at 02:49

    Your analysis of the representation of women in the music industry is really interesting and well-thought out, I was wondering would you say that women are now currently equal to, still inferior, or superior to men in terms of positive representation in the music industry?

    ReplyDelete

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