I normally never willingly venture into controversy in my line of work. I don't have the thickest skin, and I grew up learning to be a mediator, one who diffuses conflict. Drama, okay. There's a lot of that in the music industry. But there is a scale of some kind - a gradient - between a story, a cause, drama, and controversy. On the far edge of that gradient, it's a loud, scary shouting match, in which the internet hosts a party for tossing around personal insults like pennies. Almost valueless, but they sting on contact - especially in number - and everyone thinks they're getting their 2 cents in.
I put myself out there last spring, into the ring of cause mixed with controversy, writing an article about my experiences in the world of music as a woman, and how they differ from that of the average man in the modern day. I wrote the article to give a personal side and a diplomatic (and somewhat) humorous voice to what has become a frustrating discussion that swings between everyone being upset about it all the time and just wanting to ignore the problem by pretending it doesn't exist. I admit, it would be so much easier to just ignore the fact I'm a woman and continue to live my life.
There's just one small problem with that plan of attack: I am a woman, I'm still treated differently because of it, with results that I'm not happy about. To stay silent admits complacency. Yet to speak out about sexism or related issues seems to invite controversy. I was most worried not about sharing my thoughts on the internet, but the retaliation I might receive from hot-headed white male internet activists. You know who I'm talking about: the comments that show up out of nowhere, boiling with righteousness and the lead arguments of "what you said isn't true," or making a huge deal out of one sentence (from a total of 1500 words) to derail your argument, or telling you plainly that you suck - but in much more graphic or obscene terms.
Luckily, I had only a brief encounter with one man like this, after posting my article in March. This last week, however, he came back with a lot more to say. And a lot more hate with it.
I put myself out there last spring, into the ring of cause mixed with controversy, writing an article about my experiences in the world of music as a woman, and how they differ from that of the average man in the modern day. I wrote the article to give a personal side and a diplomatic (and somewhat) humorous voice to what has become a frustrating discussion that swings between everyone being upset about it all the time and just wanting to ignore the problem by pretending it doesn't exist. I admit, it would be so much easier to just ignore the fact I'm a woman and continue to live my life.
There's just one small problem with that plan of attack: I am a woman, I'm still treated differently because of it, with results that I'm not happy about. To stay silent admits complacency. Yet to speak out about sexism or related issues seems to invite controversy. I was most worried not about sharing my thoughts on the internet, but the retaliation I might receive from hot-headed white male internet activists. You know who I'm talking about: the comments that show up out of nowhere, boiling with righteousness and the lead arguments of "what you said isn't true," or making a huge deal out of one sentence (from a total of 1500 words) to derail your argument, or telling you plainly that you suck - but in much more graphic or obscene terms.
Luckily, I had only a brief encounter with one man like this, after posting my article in March. This last week, however, he came back with a lot more to say. And a lot more hate with it.
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