FEMALE METALHEADS: TAKING A STAND

At this point, It is safe to say that women have come a long way since the beginning of metal; however, there are still individuals who believe that males, and males alone, dominate this culture. Men have always been considered superior due to their physically stronger physique, and their masculinity allowed them to look more powerful and intimidating -- a quality every heavy metal musician usually has.

 

From a more religious standpoint, some say that women are submissive to men, which in turn provides men the idea of their “right to power” to believe and show that they are on top. For an extremely long time, it has been seen that men have a sort of “possession” over females because of the ideology of monogamy. Some people believe this is okay because women sometimes give in to the idea that they are the “other.” Throughout the ages, women have been seen as the less superior, “other” sex, by both social and political constructs, which unfortunately leads some women to accept it as normal. Essentially, it is inviting men to believe that they have the ability to treat women as no more than an object of use for personal gain (Rogers).

 

For these reasons, there are people who still believe that women do not have a prominent voice in metal. Some still say that women still do not play a big role in the heavy metal subculture. Jeffrey Arnett says that, “Heavy metal is largely a male domain. The performers as well as the fans are predominantly male, and there are elements of the subculture that are distinctively related to maleness and manhood. In particular, the concert scene exalts traditionally male virtues of toughness and aggressiveness (through the music as well as slamdancing). More generally, the high-sensation intensity of the music appeals more to males, with their generally higher appetites for sensation” (Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation 139).