Never afraid to speak her truth especially on unequal treatment of women, Björk took to Facebook today to point out disparity in the ways in which women as artists and entertainers in the media are criticized versus their male counterparts.
In a piece (in full below) that began “dear little miss media,” she began by responding to criticism around her decision to begin DJ-ing “less than a year ago,” a move that was viewed by “media,” according to Björk as “not ‘performing’ and ‘hiding’ behind desks.”
Björk went on to discuss the differences in what is viewed as acceptable content, writing that women are pressured to write about emotional topics. “Women in music are allowed to be singer songwriters singing about their boyfriends. If they change the subject matter to atoms, galaxies, activism, nerdy math beat editing or anything else than being performers singing about their loved ones they get criticized,” the singer observed.
Using the response to her eighth studio Biophilia as evidence, she wrote, “On the pedagogic Biophilia I sang about galaxies and atoms but it wasn’t until [her ninth album] Vulnicura, where I shared a heartbreak I got full acceptance from the media.”
She added, “Men are allowed to go from subject to subject, do sci-fi, period pieces, be slapstick and humorous, be music nerds getting lost in sculpting soundscapes, but not women. If we don’t cut our chest open and bleed about the men and children in our lives we are cheating our audience.”
Despite the double standard hemming in women’s content, Björk said she isn’t without hope, and said, “But I know the change is in the air. We are walking inside it.”
She added that while she did address her own heartbreak in her music, she would be moving on from the subject matter going forward, unlike, she said, French singer Edith Piaf and opera singer Maria Callas, who she says were frozen in roles, noting “Not one documentary I have seen about her doesn’t mention [her affair with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle] Onasis, but no mention with male musicians the women they loved or broke their hearts.”
The Björk image above is from her immersive digital and video exhibit (which included DJ-ing) at the Day for Night festival, held on December 16th in Houston, Texas. The photo was shot by Santiago Felipe. The headpiece is by James Merry and he dress is by Marlou Breuls. Find more images here.
