Post one - hair metal.

Considering that today's class was an overview of what we will be looking at this semester, I am going to take free reign to discuss a subject that was not specifically examined in the lecture.

Following this awesome video we viewed in class, I am inspired to look at presentations of gender in music, more specifically, 80's hair metal and glam metal.

                                 Poison, clearly got the headwear memo...

Recently I sat down and watched a 2005 documentary called Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. Written and directed by self confessed metal head Sam Dunn, it's an anthropological look at the subcultural appeal of heavy metal music. Dunn clearly knows his subject matter, so much so that VH1 commissioned him to expand his ideas and produce the 2011 follow up Metal Evolution.

                                       Whitesnake, tassels and no tops...

This second doco explored in greater detail the evolution of metal music, with specific episodes referring to evolving genres, leading us to Episode 5: Glam. However, I am not so much interested in the music itself, but the surrounding accoutrement. The blokes with big hair/perms, make up, pink jackets and leopard print pants - all items considered by todays mainstream society to belong within female identity categories. Crossley (2005) discusses 'social identity' vs 'personal identity', stating both are negotiated through interaction with others. In the case of 80's hair and glam metal frontmen, I think both are being negotiated with the audience. The hair and clothing are not only associated with the excess of the 80's, they identify the band member as 'rock star' to the audience, and through the performative element of dressing in this specific way, they reaffirm to the band member themself that they are a 'rock star'.

So does the articulation 80's hair/glam metal rockstar mean masculinity through a lens of femininity? 

In his introduction to the book Constructing Masculinity, Berger describes masculinity as being not limited to straightforward descriptions of maleness. He describes the subject positions occupied by genders in society as the intersection and articulation of many elements, in this case subcultural expectations (hair! fringed jackets! tight pants! make up!), social norms (80's excess and hedonism) and historical circumstances (men front metal bands).

                                    Axl Rose would like some reggae...

In this way, the presentation of these blokey blokes in feminine categories of apparel is mediated by social factors. Interestingly, many of the video clips put together by these bands feature women as a side note. They focus on doing something 'manly', like giving these pants a work out, homework issues or wearing a series of jumpsuits.

However, anyone who has viewed the sexualisation of the women that do exist in these filmclips (and lyrics) cannot deny that whilst not physically adhering to the m/f binary in terms of dress, these bands certainly uphold stereotypical m/f behavioural expectations for both rock stars and chauvinists with extreme egos. See exhibit A, exhibit B.

This music was (and still is in some subcultures) very popular, even in the mainstream to some extent. Sam Dunn's documentaries feature first hand accounts of how both men and women loved the style these bands flaunted, with 'men wanting to be them and women wanting to be with them'. More recent bands are emulating and parodying these styles, either in tribute to, or as adept cynical caricatures of, them. Designed to appeal to the hip pocket of hair and glam metal fans who never quite grew out of it.

                                     LA's Steel Panther formed in 2009

   However, critical discourse cannot attempt to explain everything...

References

Crossley, N 2005, 'Identity', Key Concepts in Critical and Social Theory, London: Sage, pp. 144-147.

Berger, M, Wallis, B & Watson, S (eds.) 2012, Constructing Masculinity, Taylor and Francis,