Sexual Harassment In The Music Industry – Does It Get Reported?
In the UK right now, there is a revolution happening.
Sparked by the disappearance and murder of Marketing Executive Sarah Everard, women are coming together on social media to share their stories of harassment.
This social media wave has now traveled worldwide, encouraging women from all over the globe to share their stories.
In the midst of this shockwave, The Guardian released an article alleging that 97% of all young women have been sexually harassed.
Some people responded with, "well, it's not all men that do it."
Correct.
However, nearly all women receive it, so the conversation about harassment needs to be had.
What about in the music industry, though? We hear all the time of music conglomerates being accused of inappropriate and sexually predatory behavior.
How often does it actually get reported? I spoke to two female stars about their experience of sexual harassment in the music industry.
Maggie Szabo
"There are certain things people feel they can just get away with."
Maggie is a famous Canadian singer who represents female empowerment and promotes it in everything she does. She felt comfortable coming forward and share her experiences.
What is your experience of sexual harassment in the music industry?
"I've dealt with it a lot in this business, but here is my first real experience with it. Within the first couple of months of moving to Los Angeles, I was introduced to an A&R in the music industry. He expressed he loved my music and felt like he could help. After a few meetings that seemed professional, he ended up forcing himself on me.
"As politely as I could, I lied and told him I was in a relationship. He got angry, and luckily, I was able to get away from the situation. A couple of days after that, he called and asked if I would see him. When I declined, he yelled at me and told me that I would never make it and that all of the connections he planned on introducing me to would never take a meeting with me.
"I felt embarrassed, stupid, naive, and I just felt really horrible about myself. But eventually, I realized this was the best learning experience because it could've ended up so much worse. It was a real wake-up call for me, and it really toughened me up to the realities of being a female in this industry."
Did you report it to anyone?
"I didn't tell anybody about it. I almost didn't want to share this story for this article. Why? Because I felt embarrassed and still feel embarrassed about it. Most importantly, I feel like it could've ended up so much worse, and there are SO many worse situations that other females have experienced. Mine doesn't even compare to a lot of things women have had to go through. But I do feel that no matter the situation, the more we talk about it, the more awareness we will bring to the issue."
Do you believe experiencing sexual harassment in the music industry has been normalized?
"I do think it has been normalized to a certain extent and that there are certain things people feel they can just get away with."
Have you been sexually harassed by your fans?
"There are so many instances where I have been harassed by fans, sent inappropriate pictures, etc. With social media, it makes it a lot easier for people to do that while hiding behind a screen. When fans are super inappropriate, I block them. The negative energy isn't worth it having an extra follower or a fan."
What needs to change in the music industry to stop sexual harassment against female artists?
"I think the change is happening right now; people are talking about it and stepping up."
Cristina Cano (aka Siren and the Sea)
"I've experienced 50 shades of a grey area matter that I have compartmentalized into the, "I'd rather not think about it" pile."
Cristina was born in Hawaii and brought up in Miami. She's an electro-pop artist, and her newest single, "Fountain of Youth," a nostalgia-infused track, has been a huge hit with the fans.
What is your experience of sexual harassment in the music industry?
"In my time as an artist and as someone that has worked in several capacities in the music industry, I've experienced 50 shades of a grey area matter that, for the most part, I have compartmentalized into the, "I'd rather not think about it" pile. There was the guy at the one show that physically pushed me into a corner when I was signing his CD and wanted me to be intimate with him, the lurker who followed me to my car, the one that asked I play a private show for only them at their home and then repeatedly sent me unsolicited pictures and requests, and then some.
"These are things I wrote off as "part of the job" and took me a while to see more clearly as completely not ok."
2) Did you report it to anyone?
"No, I don't think that the language for this really existed until more recently. In regards to the experiences I've had, I would first have a conversation with them and let them know this is unacceptable behavior, and hope that we could come to an adult agreement on that."
3) Do you believe experiencing sexual harassment in the music industry has been normalized?
"It is still something we are learning more and more not to accept as a normal. I do think we are evolving into a more aware culture about what is and isn't an invasion of personal space, though I think from a social evolutionary standpoint: this sh*t takes time."
4) What needs to change in the music industry to stop sexual harassment against female artists?
"Identifying our boundaries, and then having more direct real conversations with one another will always be a step in the right direction towards change."