Sexism In Music

This Official Program for the Blues and Jazz Festival attempts to define the music to be presented at Griffin Hollow as an inspirational tool of consciousness, an energy force that can aid in the accomplishment of collective humanistic goals.

There is no doubt that the music, from the oldest blues to the most futuristic jazz, can have that effect, going beyond even the intrinsic good time--body rush provided by the jams in the first place.

But like everything else in the universe, there are contradictions within the music. While the context is essentially beneficial, some of the music represented at the Festival exhibits sexist attitudes towards women. Oppressive stances of male macho-power and domination run deep in the blues, and also in some of its more modern permutations.

Look at the lyrical evidence:

I'm a crawlin' kingsnake

And I rules my den

Don 't wantcha use my mate

Keep 'er for myself.

-John Lee Hooker

I Need Me A Woman

To Fix My Collard Greens

-The Persuasions

You might feel a little sick, baby,

And you know you're home all alone

I don 't want the Doctor at my house

So you just suffer, suffer, suffer

Till I Get Home.

-B.B. King

Some songs are downright degrading, not only to women, but ultimately to men, too. Possessiveness, jealousy, domination, control - even violence- directed at fellow humans degrades the entire society which practices it.

Other songs mix a warm and soulful outlook on love between men and women with the attitude that women are only an accessory to men, destined to play only restricted roles, running the gamut from fixing collard greens to sexual toy. These songs, while less degrading, continue to reinforce the stereotypes that need to be broken if true equality between the sexes is ever going to come about.

That the music exhibits these qualities shouldn't be surprising in the least. All music reflects the culture and the socio/economic conditions that spawn it. A sexist culture is bound to produce mostly sexist music.

Think of the origins of the blues, which is the origin of black people in North America. Slaves were purposely stripped of all cultural and family ties, continually split up from any meaningful relationships that might develop and threaten the white power structure with rebellion. In a situation like that, completely barred from any goods or property, treated like animals, black culture developed the blues as a survival technique, to sing out the pain in order to withstand it. To an oppressed people stripped of all possessions, losing "your woman" was really losing all you "had"-because poverty already ruled every other aspect of life. So jealousy, possessiveness, etc. towards male-female relationships was accentuated by economic reality.

Male blacks were also continually bombarded with an exacerbating contradiction; in America men are supposed to be the providers, the suppliers, the central image and building block of the nuclear family unit. But often women had an easier time (relatively speaking, only) than men in obtaining jobs, as domestics, counter-workers or what have you. This extends back to the days of slavery, when the the female slaves would be allowed into the master's house to do chores. This contradiction bombards the male ego and results in resentment, spite, vituperativeness, all directed at women.

The blues grew up in America, one of the most sexist and racist nations on earth, so it isn't surprising that some of that environment rubbed off on black people, whose communal/tribal roots in Africa were much more balanced and humanistic towards the entire species.

There are many other reasons behind the phenomenon of sexism in the music. This article does not pretend to lay out a complete rationale, only to bring up the point; while listening to the music this weekend, consider how it treats women and human relationships as a whole.

As for what to do about the sexism in blues and jazz (which, though devoid of lyrics, is made by musicians many of whom share the attitudes of the blues-makers) - that is a deep and continual process. Articles like these, discussions on the radio, TV- in short, education is the answer. Make people think about these roles and then they at least can start changing.

The best answer would be some nonsexist bands, in the blues, jazz and mass-based pop-music mainstream. Bands composed of men and women (or all-women's bands) that can sing and project new relationships based on mutual cooperation and respect between the sexes and all people.

Also, the women musicians who do exist deserve more attention. Take the great female blues singers, for example- Bessie Smith, Billie Holliday, Victoria Spivey, Sippie Wallace, Esther Phillips, Koko Taylor- more exposure of these and other women artists can go a long way towards changing people's attitudes so that they recognize women as completely self-determined people of talent and inspiration.

In closing, we'd like to emphasize that while pointing out the negative qualities of sexism in the music, we do not mean to come down on the sexual freedom or energy of the tunes. Sexual liberation is a dynamic part of every James Brown tune, for example. But when Brown crosses over to sing of sexual oppression, that's when we have to say something.

-- SUN Editorial Board