Misogyny is heavily woven into our society to the point where it has become a normal part of life, and many don’t even register it. In fact, many industries that bring people the entertainment our whole lives seem to center around are built upon exploitation, extortion, and exclusion. The music industry is no exception, with numerous female artists coming out with stories of disturbing interactions with their male counterparts and also facing backlash about topics in their music that male artists have been profiting off of for decades.
One well-known song that exemplifies how female artists are held to a different standard than their male counterparts is the song “Let’s Talk About Sex” by Salt-N-Pepa, a female rap group. Throughout the song, rappers Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper), talk about how sex is seen as a taboo topic that many shy away from discussing even though it is a natural part of life. They go on to say that if someone doesn’t want to hear about sex in music, they simply don’t have to listen. Towards the end of the song, they bring up the question of if the song will even be played on the radio, since they are female rappers, with the lyrics, “Yo, Pep, I don’t think they’re gonna play this on the radio. / And why not? Everybody havin’ sex / I mean, everybody should be makin’ love. / Come on, how many guys you know make love?” Through these lyrics, the rappers are speaking on how female artists aren’t supposed to talk about things like sex, and if they do, it is supposed to be talked about as a gentle or loving act.
On the other hand, around this same time, Snoop Dogg released his song “Ain’t No Fun,” which is filled with degrading lyrics towards women, one of which is “And then I’m through with it, there’s nothing else to do with it / Pass it to the homie, now you hit it / Cause she ain’t nuthin’ but a b**ch to me / And y’all know, that b**ches ain’t shit to me.” Not only are these lyrics degrading and objectifying, but they also helped Snoop Dogg sell over seven million copies of the album that the song is listed on.
A more current example of a double standard in the music industry is when in 2020, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released their song “WAP.” Though the song does have a very sexual meaning, the negative reaction it garnered from the media was astronomical when compared to songs written by men with similar meanings. People were livid that the song had been released, with many claiming that it was “corrupting” children because they could hear it on the radio. Many also chimed in saying that the women were “anti-role models” and only using sex appeal to sell records. Even Cee-Lo Green felt the need to state his opinions on the song, saying that it was “shameless” and “sheer savagery”, even though one of his most famous songs, “F**k You” involves the line “I pity the fool that falls in love with you/(oh sh*t shes a gold digger)”, blaming the woman who broke up with him for breaking up with him for material reasons. Not to mention his many songs objectifying women who he has been with.
Women make the music industry billions of dollars, but the industry continues to hold them to an unachievable standard of perfection and expects that they stay smiling, even as society and male artists degrade them. Female artists are trapped in a box that dampers their creativity until they reach the age of thirty-five, when they are no longer seen as desirable by the public, and are pushed out of the spotlight and forced into retirement.