SCIENCE: Why Chicks Can't Rock Out Like Guys

This is for your own works!!!
Love's Bastard
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SCIENCE: Why Chicks Can't Rock Out Like Guys

Post by Love's Bastard »

Jet? Stones? Doors? Jimi? Zeppelin? These bands may not be to your taste, but there's no denying the depth and breadth of their influence on our popular culture. If only women could be played on classic rock stations, would anyone be happy?

Why can't women rock out as hard as guys?

Let me show you an example of why men and women just aren't coming from the same place on this. Imagine a new bride at her wedding dinner saying about her husband, "This man is the handsomest, wonderfulest, greatest, most giving guy there ever was. I don't know what I'd be or who I'd be without him." Does that sound like a #1 hit waiting to be recorded?

Picture the opposite. A new husband says, "This is the most beauitful, the sweetest, loveliest lady I could ever hope to meet. She is the sun and the stars and moon to me. I'm head over heels. She's the most incredible woman in the world." Is there a cynic in the house who wouldn't think he was a brilliant fellow?

I don't know why, but it just doesn't sound good when women say they're crazy about a guy in public. We're not worthy. But if women are worthy, then men can say these things -- the things that make for great rock lyrics.

It all ends up as one little idea -- one profound, little, idea: Guys can rock out harder than chicks.

If you're going to be all music and art and poetry and all that; and give yourself over to the power of the Muse and be into creativity and passion and living; and whatever else you define the Bachhean/Erotic split that is the Artist and the Saturnian Craft of Authorship ... Then you gotta give-in eventually and admit that bleeding-your-stinking-heart-out over a kick drum and a Fender is always going to be a guy thing ("four, five, six, girl c'mon and get your kicks ... you don't need money with a face like that now do ya, honey?").

We know that men make better comedians, writers, directors, and producers than most women. We know we look cooler on a pair of ice skates or flying through the air and landing a slam dunk. We know that golf will always be funner if women aren't around; that cleavage is God's gift to Man; and that while Women proabably do secretly run the world, it is a blessing to be a fourty if you are a man when you can pick from 20 year olds up to 49 year olds, whereas most women can't; and finally, dear reader, we know that guys on the whole can rock way harder than chicks.

We know that men are always going to be sexier and more successful when they wear their hearts on their sleeves than if the fairer sex attempts it. Women may be more sophisticated -- but we, gosh darn it, just do a better art-and-spectactle thing.

We know that guys rock harder. (Who could out-karoke Johnny Rotten and Frank Sinatra on the same bill -- I dare you.) Men rock harder because our balls are where our hearts are, and when we lay it on the line, we have to lay it all on the line. Like boxers. Exactly like boxers.

With Divas like Aretha and splendours like Byonce, I couldn't give a g** damn f*** if all the male artists up-and-died, frankly, and I only had these two amazing ladies' spiritual essences to sustain me -- , I'm sure.

But if only girls could play guitary, drums, and bass we'd have a heap of poop on our hands to deal with every day. Don't kid yourself.

So, it's amazing. If it weren't true, don't you think after fifty years there'd be at least one all-female band that could out-Stones the Stones?

But I do have a confession. As much as I love Mick and Keith and their crew, I think Enya's a real musical genius. (See, I'm not shallow.)

Which leads to a different question: Why can't guys do new-age music?
Last edited by Love's Bastard on Sun Sep 04, 2005 5:08 am, edited 7 times in total.
"All vagabundis, fulis, bardis, scudlaris, and siclike idill pepill, sall be brint on the cheek." [local Scottish ordinance, c.1500]
Pedant
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Post by Pedant »

Courtney Love's new band are called Bastard, and features members of Hole and Veruca Salt.
Love's Bastard
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Post by Love's Bastard »

that's exactly what I was going to say next
SMC
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Post by SMC »

"That's what Poetry really always was: a look (for outsiders) at how someone else deals with being-in-love-with someone else."

But only for a certain slice of poetry. The great epics don't deal with such narrow emotions or ideas.
Love's Bastard
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Maybe ...

Post by Love's Bastard »

Maybe ... however no other subject propells the poet into the social consciousness more often or more intensely. We wouldn't be interested in this site if the artist it honours weren't a serial, confessional hetrosexual who found his voice while pursuing, or recalling, the Women he's found inspirational.
Diane

Post by Diane »

Love's Bastard,

Some women can 'rock out': Hynde, Lennox, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner (showing my age with these examples) spring to mind, but women tend not to get involved in the heavier stuff it's true. I think it's to do with the aggressive nature of heavier stuff not being particularly attractive for women performers.

To me, the supreme rock god is Robert Plant (former Led-Zep singer) (have you heard his latest album 'Mighty Rearranger' ? - excellent). But if he were a woman I don't think I would be so impressed. I just can't imagine it, really.

Men apparently far outnumber women in all forms of cultural and artistic output, as you suggest, (but not in its appreciation). One theory about why is the evolutionary one, which says that the behaviour we are motivated towards has been modified by evolution for survival benefits. Goeffrey Miller has written most on this. He says:

"When a young male rock star stands up in front of a crowd and produces some pieces of human ‘culture’ known as songs, he is...doing something that fulfils exactly the same function as a male nightingale singing or a male peacock showing off his tail. He is attracting sexual partners."

The theory, grossly oversimplified, goes that women are the 'choosers' in the mating game, whereas men are tarts who will sleep with anyone :wink: (remember that contraception is a very late arrival on an evolutionary timescale so women are kind of hardwired to be more careful than men about who they sleep with). Men have therefore been primed by evolution to 'show off' their intelligence, passion and talent in order to win more mates.

Women, on the other hand, to use your words, have a more 'spiritual essence' :wink:

Anyway, I'm no expert, just bringing this idea to your attention, it's controversial of course. It's an interesting topic.

Good Wishes,

Diane
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Teratogen
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Post by Teratogen »

DON'T FORGET PATTI SMITH!!!!!

and heart, but they only had a few good songs anyway.
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Teratogen
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Post by Teratogen »

AND JANIS JOPLIN!!!
"Rock and roll is dead, but I am its revival. I'm prophesied by sages died, from Buddha to the Bible." --TERATOGEN
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Love's Bastard
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Good Wishes, Diane

Post by Love's Bastard »

I can't remember the original reason I was going to write, but I thought I'd first let you know why the three comments at the beginning don't make sense. The orginal piece in this slot, which I copied, saved in my inbox, and then deleted and replaced with what you read, well, that used to be there -- so that's why.

Now, I was going to say that your note is so elevating that I didn't think it would actually happen. What do you think about this:

Poetry, in the arms of the aesthetes, acedemics, and the literati, has become the threads which the ancient spinners purported to weave in the hilarious story now called The Emperor With No Clothes. The Emperor, which is their definition of Poetry, whatever that is, is Naked. Not that that's a bad thing. But when these elements contend that the E. is clothed, it takes on a purposterous element ripe for some plucky young kid to yell out, "He's fat, and he's nude."

When the question arises, What is the use of Poetry? then neither I, nor you, are the first to acknowledge its status-elevating purposes. However, its greater use has to be to communicate, which is an almost flat word, run over and over by the media est. and friends; instead of merely Express -- the most screwed up concept in Poetry, I think. That is a hateful, bastard concept that drives my guts into a raging fire. Anyway, for a second it did.

There is a really nice story that Graves tells about the origin of poetry. His theory was that when men hunted, they hunted in small groups in far off places. Women stayed around the village with the very young and very old. The women learned to Communicate in a large group. Men learned to communicate with, and "mind read" only a few others -- a practice which large groups of women are able still to do.

So, when a small group of guys returned to the village with a kill, and though there'd be a temporary "elation", after a few hours that would die. And Communicating with women, getting into their group (remembering that they were practically strangers -- spending so much time in the woods -- and not knowing what the Women were thinking) they learned to compact a lot of feeling into a "poem" or a "song" to get the point across: You Rock Me All Night Long.

The Naturally-Sourced Ivory Crowd is stringing sunlight, air, and words into a parade of intellectual achievement. "Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing" is the Enemy. Long Live The Wild Thing.

In the meantime let me say that the poet is traditionally (excpet Robbie) hated in Scotland, but revered in Wales. And they say the Welsh are more foolish. They would be overstating the case.
"All vagabundis, fulis, bardis, scudlaris, and siclike idill pepill, sall be brint on the cheek." [local Scottish ordinance, c.1500]
Diane

Post by Diane »

Well, yes, of course Teratogen, but there's no need to SHOUT :wink:

LB, yes I know the first function of language is communication. I was thinking about the difference in output of men and women you were referring to in your first post. What did someone say about sarcasm and wit?

See you,

Diane
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lizzytysh
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Post by lizzytysh »

Janis Joplin was the very first who came to my mind [addressed by Teratogen]. Chi Coltrane follows, in addition to Patti Smith and the others.
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Ah, Lizzy, perhaps you know. Is the Patti Smith you refer to, the same Patti that recorded the album Fresh Horses? There seems to be more than one Patti Smith (or Smyth) and I'm not sure which one I'm thinking of. The one I have in mind, just moved out of the Chelsea Hotel (after many, many years) just quite recently.

Linda.
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Post by lizzytysh »

I'm CERTAIN it's the Chelsea Hotel one. That would fit. I first came in contact with her in the late 60s/early 70s. Very raw. Jet black hair. Teratogen or Lightning could do any final confirmations.
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Post by linda_lakeside »

I've talked to Teratogen about this before, and he doesn't think it is the Chelsea one. I can't think of another one, but then, I'm not really in tune with the newer stuff.

Linda.
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Post by lizzytysh »

She's of the right era and mindset to have been living for a long time at the Chelsea.
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