Thoughts On The Phrase “Girl Band”

Merriam Webster defines feminism as: “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”. This is a definition that I very much agree with. No one should be discriminated against based on sex or gender. However, this new idea that women should be given an extra hand is absurd to me. The idea that because you are female, you get an extra boost, that’s not feminism. That’s sexism, it’s just seen from a different angle.

I am a woman in the music industry, and I have been for many years. I have stood toe to toe with a man and done the same job he did. I won’t say I did it better, that’s not my place to say. But I will say that we were at an equal skill level. I was never a “girl” tech or a “girl” journalist, I was just a tech or a journalist. Perhaps that’s because they didn’t need to market me in a specific way, or maybe I was lucky that those around me didn’t want to put me into a box. At this point, you may be wondering what I’m getting at. Don’t worry, I’m about to tell you:

Girl bands.

That’s right, bands with a female member; usually a singer. I absolutely, positively, loathe this term. There are several reasons behind my hatred for it, and it’s been a developing opinion over many years. The fact is, we define bands with a female member as “girl bands” regardless of genre or style. And it’s getting old.

First, it’s used as a way to review and compare bands. “They are pretty heavy for a girl band” is one I’ve personally heard. Or worse, “They’re a lot heavier/more melodic/different than *female band of a different genre*”. As though we can only compare bands based on the genitalia of one of their members. Isn’t it entirely possible to have a band with a female lead sound like Twisted Sister? A female drummer who’s style sounds similar to Tommy Lee?

There’s also the special focus on them, as though a female band member is a piece of delicate porcelain. As though they need special attention to be able to do anything. Recently, I saw a contest for bands to play at Vans Warped Tour. The catch? This would be a stage dedicated to “girl bands”. I understand where they were coming from, I really do. Giving people opportunities is great. But this smells faintly of discrimination.

To me, it feels like you’re telling girls “well you can’t compete with that Battle of the Bands contest. Those men? You can’t beat them.” Whether or not that was intentional, it’s still patronizing to me. If you need to see that a female band can rock Warped Tour without a helping hand, look to Sumo Cyco. The Canadian rock outfit, fronted by Skye Sweetnam, has played the Toronto date of Warped Tour through the help of fan voting, as well as going on to win similar contests such as Indie Week. They were not singled out because they were a “girl band”, but rather because they could make an impact with their songwriting.

An online newscaster by the name of Lee Newton summed up my feelings on actions like this while reporting on women-only parking spots in South Korea: “There’s a line between chivalry and hand-holding and for me that line is whether or not the action is done out of respect or with an air of ‘oh well she can’t really do it for herself so I will’.” The fact is, Warped Tour is not the only one who does this. We as an industry, as a culture, do this every day. And there are plenty of bands that fly the “we have a girl” flag proudly. It doesn’t make it any better. Marketing yourself as different or special because a member of your band is of the opposite sex is still ridiculous and I’m still opposed to it.

I believe that we don’t need to be holding the hands of females in the industry. They are capable of surviving just like any man. Drop the girl, they’re just a “band”. They are not better, worse, more unique, or more marketable than any other band. By making a big deal out of genders, we’re only further cementing gender stereotypes in this industry. No one should ever have a “girl” prefix in front of their occupation. They should just feel free to be the best that they can be, without having to live up to an outdated and discriminatory moniker.