Just got the reissues of the first 3 Led Zeppelin albums - never really been a big fan, but wanted to hear how they sounded. While listening to them, I was struck by how sexist the lyrics were (any time a singer addresses the subject of a song as merely “woman”, I wince). Which led to this thread. I’m mostly talking about lyrical content in regards to sexism, though if there are enough real-life instances of sexism/misogyny in an artist’s bio (for instance, I’ve heard several stories that paint John Bonham as basically a rapist), that can count in the factoring, too.
Obviously, a huge amount of hard rock and hip hop lyrics contain some degree of sexism, but how many acts who are considered “great” regularly had borderline (or explicit) misogynistic lyrics? Sure, acts like Motley Crue, 2 Live Crew and R. Kelly are known for being scumbags, but they also don’t seem to be in danger of getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame any time soon. Kiss, another good example, is in the hall, but I’m not sure they’ve ever been taken seriously by music fans/critics over the age of 9. I realize “great” is subjective, so use whatever criteria you think fits.
I think Zep’s got to be the clear winner, though maybe Guns ‘n’ Roses are up there. I also know The Beatles had some sexist lyrics (“Run For Your Life”), but they were rarer and the guys seemed to grow out of them as they got older. Let’s hear some others.
*I like to slip into something good
I see a young girl in the neighborhood
The way she move, I must confess
I like to run my hands up and down her legs
The way she dress, she look so fine
I’ll make her wet, I’ll make her mine
She like it hard, She like it slow
All right honey, Come on let’s go
Baby what you want, Its the way she move
Feel what you need, Come on let’s go
Cover you in oil
I wanna cover you in oil
Let me cover you in oil
Cover you in oil*
Does era matter? Was anyone in rock in the early days not sexist? Anyone? Even the female singers mostly sang lyrics written by men. I can name any number of songs from that era sung by women whose lyrics will make you squirm today but nobody commented on then.
Sexism was all-pervasive in that culture and time. You can argue that it still is, but some people protest it or counter it or avoid it. That wasn’t even thought of an option in the 50s and 60s.
You might have a good question asking who the first great rock act who *wasn’t *sexist was. Were the Beatles more sexist than the Stones? Were the Beach Boys more sexist than Elvis? No, they were all tied.
Bollocks. The Stones were way more sexist than any of the others you mention, or indeed, anyone else I can think of from that era. Sure, none of those acts would have passed muster with a 21st century feminist, but it does not follow that they were all the same.
I am a bit surprised no-one has mentioned any rappers yet.
No, not too concerned with era (though I did mean rock/pop from the '50s onward - sorry for the showtunes confusion), more “great”. I agree, sexism has been pervasive throughout the rock era; but there are a number of more “recent” bands that would fit the “great” tag that don’t seem to incorporate sexism at all in their lyrics - Springsteen, U2, Talking Heads, R.E.M. - so I find it interesting to contrast to the ones who have a lot of it.
Also, while there was certainly a lot of sexism in '60s rock/pop, the Beach Boys don’t spring to mind as being overly sexist, especially compared to the blues-based groups. Not saying they weren’t, but I can’t think of any examples that make me think, “Damn, that’s ugly.”
What makes that song even dumber is that it was originally titled “Given (sic) the Dog a Bone”, though it looks like they’ve fixed that on more current pressings.
I must be missing something. How is this sexist? Tasteless, sure, but sexist?
Young woman, well dressed, moves sensually, sexually attractive. Narrator wants to stroke her legs in order to make her sexually aroused, then have sexual relations with her. Covering her in body lotion (or possibly semen) is involved.
This seems like a description of a really bog-standard, vanilla, heterosexual male fantasy. One that I’m sure that 95% of straight men (and lesbians) have had.
So in what way is it sexist? The only vaguely sexist thing that I can see is the use of the term “girl” for woman, but that was (and still is) so prevalent amongst under 25s of both sexes that it isn’t even worth commenting on.
Or are you perhaps claiming that it’s sexist because it is entirely a sexual fantasy and the narrator doesn’t fantasise about talking to the woman about her problems first?