Gentlemen, have you ever been told that something you like is too girly, and that it’s “gay” for you to like it? Ladies, do any of you have any interests that are more “masculine”, and are considered not feminine enough? If any of you ask yourself these questions, you might think that gender stereotypes can be really annoying. Just because you have an interest that’s slightly different than the norm of your gender, why should you be criticized for liking it? Sometimes, this is how I feel about my passion for pop music.
Throughout the pop music industry, most of the
singers assigned to this genre are female singers. For example, Taylor Swift,
Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga are some of the biggest names in the pop industry.
Each of these girls has songs that “touch listeners by making them want to
dance, have an honest message deliver, and doing it in a way that keeps the
listeners involved and interested.” For instance, with Lady Gaga, most of her
songs make you want to dance around and convey a message. These songs are quite
fun to dance and sing around to.
However, a guy who only listens to pop music is not
considered masculine. I noticed a pattern that my guy friends tend to listen to
a lot of rap and rock songs while my girl friends favor pop songs. After
spending time sampling other music genres such as rap, this genre has different
sounds and meanings compared to pop songs. Sometimes with rap songs, I have no
idea what they are saying. Without knowing what they’re saying, you can’t
possibly come up with a meaning. Perhaps men like this music type because the
beats are more masculine as opposed to some of the “bubble gum” pop songs that
we hear today. This is unfortunate there’s an assumption that only girls should
listen to pop songs.
So do I ever let this stereotype get to me? Of
course not! I may listen to rap music sometimes because my friends like it, but
I’m not going to abandon pop music. I think my love for pop music makes me
different than most guys. Also, I’m not going to stop liking it just because it
may not be something normal for a guy to like. I want to stress that it’s okay
to be different and you have the power to step out of your gender stereotype.
Gender stereotypes are present everywhere. Even in bands and orchestra, particular sections are either primarily male or female. I play trombone and euphonium. For some reason these instruments are heavily male dominated. Whenever I meet people in my section they're always so surprised when they notice I'm female. I'm glad to see you helping get rid of gender stereotypes!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! I have been known for listening to sounds that are more "masculine" and my guy friends always tease me about it. These stereotypes are so wrong and It can sometimes be extremely annoying when people make comments like "hey you shouldn't be listening to that you're a girl." I think that if the music speaks to you then any gender should be able to say that its their favorite.
ReplyDeleteYea gender stereotypes are everywhere. I know girls who are die hard rap fans. They would be spitting out every verse of the song and be jamming. I like artists like Jhene Aiko and Tinashe. They are R&B music and I don't think its girly or anything but someone might judge because I chill with a female artist. I like this blog post though.
ReplyDeleteI will proudly admit that I love Taylor Swift, as well as Marina and the Diamonds. It is incredibly stupid that as a guy, listening to these artists is considered a guilty pleasure. I'm right there with you as far as listening to whoever you want without shame.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of Katy Perry. I think her music is up beat and a lot of fun. If that makes me girly, so be it.
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