The classic case of a Good Girl gone rogue...is it really female empowerment or is it just straight up objectification?
In the midst of establishing a space in the rock scene, to be heard meant to stand out; to stand out meant to shock. With the concurrent pushback, yet unusual embrace of women in the rock community, there was a strange juxtaposition of not respecting female musicians while also pushing them to the forefront of the scene. It was essentially a tightrope walk for anyone femme-presenting to find a way to make their voice and work heard.
What once was believed to be the gone-days of the groupie fantasy that seemed to be the only "official" position of women was a tool that was used to get femme performers into the spotlight. This tactic of "embracing sexuality" as a means of feminism was not one that was thought of and promoted by women per-say, but rather an unlikely promoter; men. While it could be argued that the men of Glam Rock in the 80s were embracing a similar nature of their own, the rate at which they were using shock value to garner an audience was nothing in the same realm as women and definitely not to its fullest extent. Rather than parading themselves as hyper-sexual beings, their expression relied primarily on outrageous costume designs, makeup, and what the performers were doing on stage and in their videos.
The narrative that was viewed as an essential to garner an audience as a woman was to be sexy because especially in the 90s, sex sells and it sells a LOT. While self-expression is something that should be encouraged and uplifted, there is a fine line between that and self-objectification. The route of the heavily marketed bands with a female lead chose was one that is innately harmful and dangerous. Take for example former lead singer of No Doubt, Gwen Stefani. While her music was impactful, like in "Just a Girl" where she draws on the double standards of gender representation in rock, her actions seemed to have neutralized the positives. Controversies slew beyond a few falters and mistakes, from her blatant cultural appropriation to asian-fetishization during her time in the band. Her act that she was notoriously known for was the act of a "good girl gone bad".
Instead of drawing on things that were non harmful, such as trying a color scheme that is associated with masculinity or dressing in a way that wasn't traditional for a woman, Stefani's wardrobe choices consisted of infantilized, hyper-feminine clothing that was extremely sexualized while making gestures on stage that were reminiscent to that of a toddler's. Self-referential labels such as "girl" compared to using "woman" was pivotal in the rhetoric that was being pushed forward by newly-emerging female-fronted bands. Being sexy and dirty while also having "girl" attached to one's act was eroticizing something that should've been left untouched. To add to the harm, most of these hyper-sexual acts were being projected by white performers. In the process of drawing on rebellious behavior, the role of an "innocent" and "pure" girl was emphasized through appearance while actions gravely juxtaposed her looks, behaving erotically and mischief taking a sexual route, bending to the whims of the male gaze to get a message across. This, however, would send the exact opposite message of what these femme-led groups originally intended, connoting "purity" with "white" and "girl" with "sexy".
Let it be prefaced that this is not meant to shame the women who choose to embrace their sexuality in their performance. There is power in drawing on and criticizing the sexist ideology that was perpetuated in rock music. By playing into the outrageous visual appeal of "sex sells" in a way that is tastefully done, a message can get sent across and it can be done so without harming or sparking another harmful idea. The line that is drawn between sex and youth, as well as race, is one that should be highlighted boldly and carefully played on. The moment a push-up bra and pigtails enter the same scene, that is where you fuck up majorly.
So, what happened? How did this ideology go away? To put it simply: time, accountability, and gate-keeping. Over time, the hype of rock music as a popular spectacle dwindled with new trends and fads coming out, the counterculture going back to its original roots without the saturation of heavily-marketed "sellouts". Many of the female-fronted performers have also either renounced their representation of sexualized youth or have taken to a means of feminism that isn't harmful, such as advocating for women's rights or emphasizing the importance of sexuality for oneself instead of a spectacle for male gaze. As with gate-keeping, while mostly based in toxicity and misogyny, it was manipulated in a way that ensured those who wanted to re-pollute womanhood and rock were kept out of it, oftentimes their acts being scrutinized for lacking substance or primarily focusing on the shock element for the enjoyment of cis-males.
Now, this isn't to say that the idea of hyper-sexualization has gone away. Hell, open a magazine or look at what's being promoted on social media! There are influences of the sex-riddled pseudo-feminism in everything we consume. However, the feminist wave in rock and especially RIOT GRRRL has ensured that there is and will forever be a safe space for female expression without the bounds of erotica.
Be mindful of what you consume, folks!
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