When I was a kid and eventually a teenager I had the likes of Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Donita Sparks, Courtney Love, Joan Jett, Kim Deal, Sarah McLachlan, PJ Harvey, D'arcy Wretzky and of course Sinead O'Connor. Despite some social mischief and deviant behaviour, each was talented in her own right. These women weren't airbrushed and auto-tuned and truly deserved the praise and respect their music garnered.
When we fast-forward to today we have so many popular female artists that are, in my opinion, music industry whores. Rihanna, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, to name a few, have all taken the "sex sells" approach to a whole new level and girls from three to twenty-three are eating it up! Auto-tuned voices, prossie clothing, overly suggestive lyrics and provocative choreography are all part of the package now and our daughters are paying attention. If I see my kid dry-hump the air in one of her dance routines again, I am going to scream!
Anybody that knows me will say I am far, far from being a prude. I am very open about all things sexual in my household and will do my best to answer any questions set forth, however, I am in the minority here. If my daughter sees something on TV or the Internet and is unsure of what she is seeing, she will ask. She knows what a ho looks like and will not hesitate to point it out. What happens in the homes of parents that are not as open to these discussions? Is the TV turned off and the imagery never talked about? Does the tween then think her body is shameful? As parents, we really need to teach our girls the difference between whoring it up in a music video and whoring it up in real life.
Alright, back on topic, female role models in the music industry. I have compiled a list of ladies I regard as tasteful, talented and worth looking up to. While some or most of these artists may not appeal to my tastes, they definitely appeal to to tweens and teens alike. Without further delay....
- Taylor Swift - Not just a pretty face, she is a songwriter and generally in charge of her own career. When she was fifteen years old, she left RCA records as she did not want to record other people's songs. She took a chance and obviously it paid off.
- Lady Gaga - This ugly duckling manages to make weird work to her advantage. Originally employed as a songwriter, she jumped to fame with her contralto singing voice and flare for the dramatic. Her ability to continually reinvent herself is often compared to Madonna and her "I don't give a fuck" attitude is perfect for girls trying to muddle their way through tricky social situations.
- Carly Rae Jepsen - Props to our homegrown heroine... "Discovered" on Canadian Idol and essentially beaten down by the judges, this girl really rose from the ashes and became the sweet, fun pop star we know today. Great personal style, true talent and an innocence unmatched by others in the industry. (On a personal note.. I am so fucking addicted to the Corgi version of Call Me Maybe.)
- Adele - Even I love her... how many bloody awards is this woman going to win? Her voice, real woman figure and songwriting skills are all instrumental in saying to young women "Look! You can have talent and be successful without being a whore."
- Pink - Raw, rebellious and fearless; three words that best describe one of the most underrated female artists of the past ten years. While her lyrics often speak of partying and having a good time, when she takes a serious tone, she does it well. Fuckin' Perfect and Stupid Girls are prime examples of this. She is also an animal rights activist and probably one hell of a mother to her daughter.
Other great examples: Marina Diamandis, Lily Allen, Hayley Williams, Lzzy Hale, Jenny Lewis, Alexis Krauss and Gwen Stefani. All have made their mark on the industry in one way or another but none have been attention hoarding sluts. The above-mentioned ladies are proof that hard work, talent and perseverance can pay off.
"There was a time when we showed a little something to get people in the room, or to get people to listen," she says wryly. "So it was like, oh look, here's a little something something and then you were like — here's what's really going on. It's the music. And now, what's really going on is the selling of sex." Tamar-kali
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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