Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves
There’s something in the air. Something a lot of men don’t seem to have noticed. 54,000 people cheered on the Matildas in Melbourne. Countless thousands sang their hearts out at the Taylor Swift concerts. The vast majority of the people in these crowds were women. Amongst other things, Taylor Swift sings about women being given the respect they deserve. Being treated equally to men. The Matildas following is as much about empowerment as it is about football. Young girls identify with the Matildas as women as much as they identify with Taylor Swifts lyrics. Anyone who hasn’t noticed this phenomenon has their head in the sand. Which is exactly where a lot of men in powerful positions have their heads. Stuck in the sand.
The gender pay gap between men and women remains ridiculously high in a number of professions. In the NSW public service a $6,205 a year pay gap exists between male and female public servants. In many trades the gap is just as wide, if not wider. Sexism is as rife as it ever was in many trades and professions. There are far more men in executive positions making decisions about pay and conditions than there are women.
Newington College Old Boys railed against the suggestion that their alma mater go co-ed. Not that long ago Melbourne Grammar’s Old Boys overturned a staff led movement for one of Melbourne’s most prestigious schools to go co-ed. Boys at another prominent Melbourne private school were filmed making sexist remarks and exhibiting sexist behaviour. Many male commentators in the AFL and Rugby League still make barely disguised sexist comments. In politics the bias towards men remains stubbornly high. Pre-selection battles in the conservative parties’ favour men with women still fighting for equal representation. Men far outnumber women in Federal Parliament. The fight for equal rights doesn’t extend to the halls of power. Men still rule. At the moment.
Women are voting with their feet. The teal movement is an example, amongst other things, of women rejecting male constructs and forging their own paths. The gender pay gap is being mirrored in another way. In a post feminist world, women are not only demanding to be treated equally and with respect they are leaving men behind. Embracing the Matildas is as much about celebrating women as it is about celebrating the way women play sport. Where there are very few openly gay men in the football codes, women have not only embraced their sexuality but have virtually made it a non issue in a way men appear afraid to. Machismo still has a hold on the male sporting codes and therefore much male behaviour. Turn on any footy show and listen to the thinly veiled, blokey, sexist language. Ho ho!
Taylor Swift’s appeal to young women is about more than her dance-along tunes. Her lyrics speak to them (and their mothers) in much the same way Bob Dylan spoke to young men back in the olden days. They are liberating women of all ages from the tired, old tropes of much popular culture that, more often than not, speaks about women as they are defined by men. Taylor Swift calls out these constructs. She writes about being able to love and not being broken by it, celebrating love in all its complexity. Her songs are about being honest and not trying to be something you’re not. She encourages people to be authentic. She embraces the “uncool”, rejecting image as it is defined by a lot of pop music and nearly all advertising.
Both Taylor Swift and the Matildas appeal to their huge fan base because of who they are and the sheer joy they get from expressing themselves. It’s a heady mix.