How has the World Succumbed to Such A Double Standard?

Music used to be primarily a man's area of work, but over the years, that has drastically changed with the breakthrough of females in pop music, rap, rock, country, etc. It seems that women get judged more by how they look rather than how musically gifted they truly are. Examples of this can come from rappers such as Cardi B, Nikki Minaj, Beyonce, and many more. We all know these three artists are extremely talented in their genre, but it is almost as though they are judged more by their looks, not their talent. For a woman to get on stage, it's almost as she has to sell the "sex appeal" before she can sell her voice. For a man, that does not stay the same. For a man, he can go up on stage and rap for two hours wearing Balenciaga jeans and a Gucci T-shirt and he'll appeal to the crowd, finishing off his act with a round of applause. However, for women, they have to play the part of a musician, showing off their astonishing voice, as well as wear a skin-tight skirt, a top showing off more than they may want to and high heels. As a guy, I know damn well I could not get up on stage strutting around in 4-inch heels and wearing a crop top, so it makes it much more difficult for women to pass as a "good artist." So how exactly do women separate themselves from men in the culture of music?

Before I dive into what I believe, let me clarify something first. I do not hate male artists who put in a half-assed effort into their stage costume. The fact that you made it in your career is an achievement on its own. For that, congratulations. Also, I do not hate the women who sell their body to try to make a bigger killing in the music industry. If you make more money for it, then why change the way you think? My point in this post is that I wish we could change the way the world thinks and not require women to have to be a dual threat in the industry, while men only have to sell their music. I praise both men and women who put all their effort into solely their music and do not change to make more money. I praise the ones who stay true to themselves.

Now, back to my original point. It seems the only way for a woman to exploit herself in the world of music, and make a successful career out of it, is for her to sell her body as well as she can sell her music. You may have a great voice, but if you cannot dance like all the other pop stars, or grind like the next big woman rap artist, you are going to have a tough time living the so-called "American dream." It seems as though very few women musicians can live a rich and wealthy life without trading their soul first. I'm not saying all women fall to the pressure of being a "sexy" star. Adele has achieved a net worth of $135 million dollars, and she has done it all while staying true to herself. She does not go on to the stage wearing an outfit that barely covers anything. For all the time, energy, love, and effort she puts into her music, I applaud her. However, this seems to occur in very few instances. Look at what happened to Miley Cyrus. She was a country and pop star who was doing very well for herself. She even had her own tv show when I was a kid. It's like everything changed at the snap of a finger for her. One day, she was a sweet girl whose popularity and payroll was gaining by the second. The next day? She came in like a wrecking ball, changing her entire appearance, including her hair. One day, Miley was singing about how she made it to L.A. The next, she was twerking on Robin Thicke. See what I mean? Miley had to change everything about her to attempt to make a bigger killing in the industry. It's almost as her label changed her. Maybe it's because of her manager, who was also the manager of Britney Spears. Coincidence? I think not.

Men, on the other hand, do not have to go through what women do, from costume changes to costume changes. Sure, some men are sellouts, changing their style of music to make more money (I'm looking at you Post Malone). However, most men do not have to deal with all the criticism that women do. If you are a man and perform badly live, (21 Savage on MTV) then you deal with the repercussions of your act. For a female, though. If you go on stage and sing great, but a body part falls out mid-performance or your costume was "ugly," then guess what's going to be all over the news tomorrow? No, it's not going to be how well you sang. Oh and guess what? Reporters will flood where you are staying to ask you about the incident. So who really has a tougher time in the industry?

So, I am asking everyone out there. Everyone who reads this. Stop giving women shit for how they dress on stage. Stop giving them advice on what their music should sound like or how they should look the next time they have a concert or are going to perform on stage. Stop having a double standard towards women when they release music. Stop expecting them to dress slutty on stage or live television for more views. Let the women perform the same way men do: in clothes they are comfortable in. Let men be men and women be women and love musicians not for how they dress or what they look like, but who they are, how their music sounds and their overall message.