Re: Kate vs. Tori

[chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (chris williams)]

In article <9308262233.AA17069@relay1.UU.NET> you write:
>Chris Williams writes: "...I feel the need to compare female artists in an
>exclusionary manner is unconscious sexism.  To insist that artist "A" is
>brilliant while slagging artist "B" seems to be based on some notion that
>female brilliance is somehow "limited" and that there simply isn't enough to go
>around."
>
>Please explain.  If a male says artist "A" (male) is brilliant while artist "B"
>(male) is terrible, does this mean (according to your statement) that he is
>unconsciously homophobic?.....or if a male says that artist "A" (female) is
>brilliant while artist "B" male is terrible, does this mean he is somehow
>lacking in male hormones?...or if a male says that artist "A" (male) is
>brilliant while artist "B" (female) is terrible, does this mean he is
>unconsciously a transvestite?.....or maybe that human brilliance is somehow
>"limited"?  I find your link between comparisons (even exclusionary ones) and
>sexism to be poorly worded.


  Ok, I'll try to state it more clearly. It seems impossible for
critics and most listeners to describe female singers without
comparing one to another. Now this would seem reasonable enough,
that comparisons are necessary for the listener to be able to have
a point of reference. But look through any magazine with a large
number of reviews, and you will notice that the male singers are
not often compared with one another (other than obvious idolatry,
Harry Connik and Frank Sinatra for example.) But try to find a
review of a female singer without pigion-hole comparisons to to
at least one other female singer. Why is this? 

   The answer may be different than the one I proposed, but the
evidence is fairly clear. "Kate vs. Tori" is inevitable if the
culture doesn't recognize individual women as individual *people*.
Tori Amos is no more like Kate Bush than Peter Gabrael is like 
Todd Rundgren. The differences between both sets are greater than
the similarities, but no one seems to need to make the same sort
of comparisons. 

   I am a big fan of Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Jane Siberry, Sarah
McLachlan and a number of other female artists. I have sometimes
been guilty of comparing one to another, usually to point out
differences, but I try to avoid it, as not to belittle each
woman's individual talent.

 
                          Chris Williams of
                             Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago
                               chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (his)
                                 vickie@njin.rutgers.edu      (hers)
                                   katefans@chinet.chinet.com (ours)