She's a Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism

by Katherine Yeske Taylor

Feminism has always been a complex and controversial topic, as female rock musicians know especially well. When they’ve stayed true to their own vision, these artists have alternately been adored as role models or denounced as bad influences. Either way, they’re asked to cope with certain pressures that their male counterparts haven’t faced. With each successive feminism movement since the 1960s, women in rock have been prominent proponents of progress as they’ve increasingly taken control of their own music, message, and image. This, in its way, is just as revolutionary as any protest demonstration. In She’s a Badass, music journalist Katherine Yeske Taylor interviews twenty significant women in rock, devoting an entire chapter to each one, taking an in-depth look at the incredible talent, determination—and, often, humor—they needed to succeed in their careers (and life). Interviewees range from legendary artists through notable up-and-comers, including Ann Wilson (Heart), Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s), Suzanne Vega, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Orianthi, Amanda Palmer, and more. Their experiences reveal the varied and unique challenges these women have faced, how they overcame them, and what they think still needs to be done to continue making progress on the equality front. Their stories prove that promoting feminism—either through activism or by living example—is undeniably badass. The women interviewed for the 20 chapters Suzi Quatro, Ann Wilson (Heart), Exene Cervenka (X), Gina Schock (the Go-Go's), Lydia Lunch, Suzanne Vega, Cherie Currie (the Runaways), Joan Osborne, Donita Sparks (L7), Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, the Breeders, Belly), Paula Cole, Tobi Vail (Bikini Kill), Laura Veirs, Catherine Popper, Amanda Palmer, Bonnie Bloomgarden (Death Valley Girls), Orianthi, Fefe Dobson, and Sade Sanchez (L.A. Witch).

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Womens, Feminism

280 pages, Hardcover

Published January 16, 2024

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because of the title and because I love music (although I have zero musical or singing ability personally). I loved her introduction about how she got into music journalism and how much women in music inspired Taylor as she faced sexism as a journalist and witnessed it in the music scene as well. I wasn't familiar with all the women she profiled but she definitely found a variety of women that showed feminism's progression (or lack thereof) through the 1960s and 70s through to today. I think this is a great concept for a book but I felt like some of the stories sounded the same after awhile. I think there were several women all from the same time frame and type/style of music and it felt like their stories were very similar or too much of the same things. While I felt like this was a good book overall, there were definitely other women I would like to have seen profiled. It would have been nice if the author included why she selected these specific women. The subtitle for the book is Women in Rock Shaping Feminism, yet many of the women specifically said they do NOT consider themselves feminists. I always find that interesting when women who ARE changing things for other women don't like that term or choose to use it to describe themselves. Overall, I did like the book but it got a little repetitive for me.

Some quotes I liked:

[Lydia Lunch] "She is unimpressed with the contrived provocativeness that so many commercially successful artists seem to portray these days. 'I think a real conundrum of our times is that we have what I call 'the new Puritanism.' And then we have this really extreme hypersexuality,' she says. ' I don't think it's liberating to wear a leotard onstage in a surgically enhanced body that other women will never live up to, claiming you're doing this for women's empowerment, when you're a corporate prostitute to a mainstream media-conglomerate.'" (p. 56-57)

[Donita Sparks of L7) "'I think that there was such vitriol toward the word feminist from the male community, and even from other females...'It has especially disturbed her to see women rejecting the 'feminist' label...[and on the Spice Girls making 'girl power' more mainstream palatable] 'It was funny and infuriating at the same time. You can't just dance in front of a neon sign that says 'feminist.' You've got to do more than that.'" (p. 96)

[Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses, the Breeders, and Belly] "But another incident in the 1990s made it even more evident that women were not always being treated fairly in the music business. She recalls 'sitting in a program director's office and having him say to me, as if this were completely understandable, 'Well, we can't pitch your single to radio because there are too many women on the radio right now.' And I remember being like, 'What?' 'Just to give you an idea of how bone-level this kind of systemic thinking was at the time, he wasn't even being a dick about it. It was just like we were comrades in the same battle, and I should understand that this was part of the war, basically: 'Well, you should understand. There are too many women right now, so we just have to wait a few months.'...Considering that radio playlists have always consisted of consecutive male artists' songs, the double standard was glaring." (p. 122)

[Ella Kicior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from a 3.5

I loved hearing from the perspectives of these women. Many of whom I was unfamiliar with. But I’m not sure it’s fair to say they “shaped feminism” when so many of them actively reject the label.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this work, Katherine Yeske Taylor highlights the experiences of twenty women in the music business beginning with Suzi Quatro in the 1960s and ending with Sade Sanchez, of L.A. Witch, this past decade’s most buzzed-about all-female band. It’s also very loose overview of feminism’s second, third, and fourth waves as expressed in the movements and accomplishments of these pioneering women in a very male-centric music industry. Ms. Taylor focuses on how these women artists have stood up to that male-dominant culture, even those who refused to label themselves feminists (largely because of the broader negative connotations attached to feminism as a movement).

My favorite chapter was the one on Cat Popper, who I know mostly from her work with Ryan Adams and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in the earlier 2000s. Some of these women faced their gender-based challenges with humor and dogged determination, and they talk about how they overcame the many obstacles they faced. The other women featured aside from the three previously mentioned were Ann Wilson (Heart), Exene Cervenka (X), Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s), Lydia Lunch, Suzanne Vega, Cherie Currie (The Runaways), Joan Osborne, Donita Sparks (L7), Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Tanya Donnelly (Throwing Muses, The Breeders & Belly), Paula Cole, Tobi Vail (Bikini Kill) , Laura Veirs, Amanda Palmer, Ronnie Bloomgarden (Death Valley Girls), Orianthi, and Fefe Dobson. There were a couple of stumbling points – the most egregious was a reference to Betty Friedan’s seminal feminist tract, The Feminine Mystique, as The Feminist Mystique, which distracted me for many pages afterwards because I felt I could not trust the integrity of the research when something so iconic was misstated, but, overall, a very good job.

[Shaun M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look into the careers of women who have shaped rock and roll and impacted feminism over the decades. Not all of those interviewed fully embrace the term "feminist," but each of their stories details how their careers have paved the way for the next generation of women in rock and roll. It's also interesting to see the subtle changes that have taken place over the years as Yeske explores the experiences of the different artists, as well as what has stubbornly stayed the same. A great read for music lovers and a great read for anyone interested in the struggle for gender equality.

[Rachel Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of interviews with some of the most influential women in rock music. Greatly appreciate that she featured some newer voices, rather than treating the issue of women in rock, or feminism in general, as a problem that’s been solved. Interviews span a range of genres as well.

No matter your faves, there will be something for everyone.

[Erin Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved hearing the stories from these incredible women and the trials and tribulations they went through fighting for gender equality and navigating through sexism and for some ageism is the music industry. Very inspiring.

[Steve Wolcott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not in-depth interviews. Found some new-to-me music, so that was good.

[siena chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

forgot I finished this lol. very interesting and inspiring collection of interviews. I would like to revisit this and listen to the music of each artist in between chapters!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Podcast chat with Katherine Yeske Taylor