Ready to Riot: 'Grrls' author to discuss sexism in the music industry
Mar. 23—Although some people said they would use that downtime during the shutdown for creative pursuits, not everyone lived up to the challenge.
For Lily Hirsch, who made no such public declaration, the time indulging in what she called "questionable leisure decisions" paid off and led to her new book, "Can't Stop the Grrrls: Confronting Sexist Labels in Music from Ariana Grande to Yoko Ono."
Of course, it wasn't just the shows and books that referenced Yoko Ono as the reason for the Beatles' breakup, over and over again, that were the sole inspiration for the musicologist and visiting scholar at Cal State Bakersfield.
Hirsch had explored a similar theme to "Grrrls" in 2019 with "Anneliese's Life in Music: Nazi Germany to Emigre California," looking at the life of Jewish musician Anneliese Landau, who earned a Ph.D. in musicology before her career then her life were threatened by the Nazi regime. Immigrating to California, she faced new challenges as she rose to the position of music director of the Jewish Centers Association in 1944.
"This book was a long time coming," Hirsch wrote in an email. "I had written before about the challenges women have faced in music historically — in a biography about early musicologist Anneliese Landau.
"I have also myself experienced certain double standards in music — challenges women face in particular. With wider conversation around gender politics exploding into view, I was mad enough to take on sexist labels and the music industry as a whole at last."
In her book, Hirsch uses examples such as Yoko Ono, whom Los Angeles Times journalists wrote used her "hypnotic power apparently acquired in the Orient" to break up the Fab Four; Janet Jackson, who faced misogynistic coverage after her wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show; and Britney Spears, who had to fight the "crazy" label she was given that led to a 13-year conservatorship, to make the case for the music industry's long history of sexism, racism and toxic double standards.
And the work continues: Even after publishing the book, Hirsch continues to write articles on the topic, including addressing criticism of Rihanna's Super Bowl performance.
"Honestly, there is more awareness now of sexism in the music industry," she wrote. "But the issue continues in alarming ways. The controversy this year around Madonna's behavior as an older woman is a case in point, as is the continued toxic attention directed at Britney Spears, among many other examples.
She will lead a talk on Wednesday in the Dezember Reading Room at Cal State Bakersfield's Walter W. Stiern Library.
Hirsch plans to discuss some of the goals she had in mind when she wrote the book as well as the history of sexism in music, "including ideas of 'genius' as male and double standards around the term 'crazy' and 'diva.'"
"I will also identify certain patterns: how men are credited as a singular force in music, unless they are struggling. Then women, like Yoko Ono, Courtney Love, and Ariana Grande, for example, have all the power — blamed and shamed for actions that are not their own."
The author hopes attendees and readers walk away knowing the power of words and that they can hurt.
"With knowledge of the history behind words, we can be more aware of how we use them and how we in turn think about women in music and women more generally."
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.
