Why is pop so cruel to its female stars?

[Ferrara 122]

From Ariana Grande to Lady Gaga: Why is pop so cruel to its female stars?

As Grande's new album, ‘thank u, next’, is released, Brian O'Flynn wants to know why the world is so desperate to see women in music fall.

“That’s what everyone wants right… Everyone wants to see the decay of the superstar.”

When Lady Gaga spoke these words on television in 2011, she was at the height of her fame – she was, unquestionably, the most dominant woman in global pop music. In 2019, this title belongs to Ariana Grande. She’s the “pre-eminent female popstar of the moment”, according to The New York Times; on “pop music’s top rung” according to Vanity Fair. Her fifth studio album thank u, next comes out this week, and two of its singles, “7 rings” and “thank u, next” have already shot to number one across the world. Last year’s number one album, Sweetener, also spawned three top 20 singles.

Pop music has a pre-determined path for its most successful women, one from which it rarely deviates. Those who dare to rise to such tottering heights must fall an equal distance. Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse are the starkest examples, but there was still an inevitability in the way Gaga was discarded after her third album, ARTPOP (her words on 60 Minutes were prescient given the way the media later tore her apart), and the way Taylor Swift’s image was systematically dismantled.

What Grande reveals of herself in the release of thank u, next, the album, will hopefully prove that she’s maintained her impeccable balance. If she falls short, we would do well to work on our own perspectives – and remember that the standards we impose on young women are normally harsher than those we impose on anyone else.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ariana-grande-grammys-pop-music-women-lady-gaga-taylor-swift-a8768476.html

[Earthling 3,692]

mmm this is some good tea

nice to see the media recognising this

[Zombiecat 16,989]

Because women dominate pop/stan culture, male artists don't get that kind of attention these days and when they did it was cruel to them too (MJ etc)

[A Hybrid 11,049]

Because male artists don’t take risks (unless they’re gay or MJ)

[DiscoHeaven23 35,007]

I'll read it after cuz it looks good, 

 

But my first reaction to that question is...

 

 

That it mirrors society as a whole 

[hardcore1996 1,618]

Because society is cruel to women 

[River 117,842]

because gays, it's sufficient to stay on Grindr for one hour to understand why pop stans are cruel to the female stars..

[misunderstood 8,736]

Interesting read

[DiscoHeaven23 35,007]

16 minutes ago, DiscoHeaven23 said:

I'll read it after cuz it looks good, 

 

But my first reaction to that question is...

 

 

That it mirrors society as a whole 

 

Okay read it now,

 

Not as in-depth as I was hoping it would be. Kinda just press for Ariana. But the author does make points. Ariana will eventually fall, it's inevitable. Women are definitely held to a higher standard in the industry. I will say, I find female singers way more interesting because of this. They're brands are better. Their performances are better. They don't just stand up there strumming their guitars (looking at you Ed and Shawn).

I wish the writer had made a better argument because his title was good, but he didn't lay it out well. We aren't cruel to women popstars because their careers fall apart and they can't release music when they want to. This happens to the men too. The issue is much deeper. 

Is it that society doesn't want to give TOO much power to a female, so they take her down once she's reached that point? I think so, on top of many other things. 

The men who reach high heights get there and seem to stay there for a while. Women get there, spend a year to four years there and then get torn down.

 

[DiscoHeaven23 35,007]

2 minutes ago, DiscoHeaven23 said:

 

The men who reach high heights get there and seem to stay there for a while.

 

Think i.e. R. Kelly, Eminem, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Drake, Justin Bieber *his career never suffered even cuz of the bad press*, 

[Bonkers 29,666]

Because fans of female pop stars are damaged little queens like us and we live for drama.  

[Economy 50,315]

Male artists usually aren't as huge in pop music and pop is the genre where fans are most Obssessed with charts, success and popularity etc

 

Fans of rappers, R&B, HipHop etc which are more male dominated usually don't even know where their fav artists single peaked

 

It's true society tends to be harsher on women in many ways but I think part of it just has to do with the culture of the genre women tend to dominate

 

I can honestly see Justin Bieber (the one huge male pop star) getting hate too if he starts to majorly flop

[freebit 6,240]

1 hour ago, DiscoHeaven23 said:

 

Okay read it now,

 

Not as in-depth as I was hoping it would be. Kinda just press for Ariana. But the author does make points. Ariana will eventually fall, it's inevitable. Women are definitely held to a higher standard in the industry. I will say, I find female singers way more interesting because of this. They're brands are better. Their performances are better. They don't just stand up there strumming their guitars (looking at you Ed and Shawn).

I wish the writer had made a better argument because his title was good, but he didn't lay it out well. We aren't cruel to women popstars because their careers fall apart and they can't release music when they want to. This happens to the men too. The issue is much deeper. 

Is it that society doesn't want to give TOO much power to a female, so they take her down once she's reached that point? I think so, on top of many other things. 

The men who reach high heights get there and seem to stay there for a while. Women get there, spend a year to four years there and then get torn down.

 

Yeah this article went nowhere. It's basically a ~leave Ariana alone~ piece.  I had hoped they would have discussed the weird misogyny of stan culture that loves/hates women so much, combined with a bloodthirsty sports team mentality and of how that influences the already misogynistic press (and world). 

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

Enough with this Ariana onslaught. Is her management THAT desperate to keep her in the headlines they are now playing the sympathy card?

Give me a break.

Pop radio has been playing Ariana NONSTOP for the last seven years, unlike Gaga who only got radio support from 2009-2011 and then dropped her.

Ariana is literally on the radio every hour and every week there is a new drama. She is a pop music sellout industry plant and this is her final hoorah.

Gurl bye 

 

[RochestrMonstr 3,243]

Whenever I read that quote from Gaga about the "Decay of the Superstar", it makes me so grateful that she rose above it.  She may have had her "decay" during the ARTPOP era in 2013, but here she is in 2019 nominated for Grammys AND Oscars.  

Usually when pop stars fade like that, they don't come back.