The following is based on my thoughts
stemming from this article:
“It’s Time To Stop Making Excuses For
Extreme Metal’s Violent Misogynist Fantasies”
By Jill Mikkelson
Having
already voiced my opinion on another article dealing with the same subject
matter, I can at least say that this one expresses a lot less blatant ignorance
on the part of the author. It’s clear that this one is from the author’s
perspective, instead of trying to pass as objective, fact-filled piece of
writing.
I
don’t disagree with having a dialogue about perceived issues in metal. The
problem becomes having any kind of productive discussion with “SJW” radical
feminist types about misogyny in metal. It’s like arguing with a religious
fanatic; utterly pointless unless you want some good entertainment. I don’t
agree with the author’s standpoint that addressing misogyny in metal isn’t an
attack. From the vast majority of the material I have read, it has been an
outright attack. Just like the majority of trendy social issues perpetrated by
social media, internet forums and university campuses are attacks parading in
the guise of ‘creating dialogue’.
I could probably write something from the
perspective of any side of an issue if I was asked to. I might refuse to do so,
but I am certainly capable of doing it. Would it necessarily mean that I am
somehow intimately connected to whatever I’m writing? No. Does it mean that if
I were to write a crime novel, from the perspective of a criminal, with
descriptions of dismembering bodies, that I actually believe in performing
those actions, or that they’re somehow ‘right’? No. Should every piece of writing, lyrics included,
be politically correct and socially sensitive? Definitely not.
One of the
things that I appreciate about metal is that it can express attitudes that
might be provocative, that might be misogynist, that might not be socially or
politically correct. I appreciated that, until fairly recently, it has mostly
been left alone. Lyrical content aside, I’ve found the vast majority of men in
metal, both fans and musicians, to be quite respectful of women.
I’ve never felt
objectified as a sex object participating in the metal scene. No matter whether
I’ve worn a short skirt and corset to a show, or whether I’ve worn men’s shorts
and a t-shirt to a show. Perhaps I find it easier to tell the few moron
meatheads who’ve attempted to make crude comments, or have tried to make me
‘prove’ I’m a metal fan, to fuck off than other females do. I’ve had plenty of
insightful, intelligent conversations with males regarding music without being
dismissed because of my gender. Honestly, I’m sick of this idea of trendy
feminism that effectively villainizes men by assuming that all of them are
disrespectful, misogynist idiots. I’m becoming jaded by ridiculously overblown
‘social justice’ issues. This newest attack on metal seems strangely
reminiscent of the PMRC controversy of the late eighties. There will always be
outspoken crusaders willing to create larger issues out of things that shouldn’t
really be an issue in the first place. I was hoping these trends wouldn’t invade
metal but it appears they have, and probably will continue to do so.
Ooops, is this offensive? |