Yesterday I told you about The Gossip’s Beth Ditto being named the “coolest” artist by British rock rag NME. I also included the meaningless statement by NME’s editor about how cool NME was for including so many (i.e. 5) women in their list.
Today, Rolling Stone reports that one of those women, Lily Allen, posted a blistering response to the NME statement on her MySpace page, and called the magazine out for its double-standard when reporting on the language/behavior of female rockers versus the boys.
Here’s what she had to say:
“I probably shouldn’t be writing this, but I have to get it off my chest. I am not a big fan of the NME, as they sold me down the river when I last talked to them, I did and interview and made a sarcastic joke using the word “gak” which is slang for cocaine. They glorified my joke and used it out of context, then their public relations dept, contacted the tabloids in a shameful attempt to sell more copies. And, I have ever since been known as “Lily Allen. Pint sized potty mouth pop star who once admitted she would celebrate her no 1 single by taking cocaine!”
Thanks NME. Now, I have read many articles in the NME, where male band members freely admit to, or associate themselves with the taking of drugs, and I haven’t seen many of them ending up in the tabloids. Take Klaxons for example, and the ongoing MDMA references. “MDMAZING” I believe was the title of a recent article (how responsible!).
The only reason I can think of, for receiving such a different form of treatment, is because I am a woman. I did receive a written apology from Conor McNicholas (the editor). But I vowed never to work with the NME again. As I thought, if there was one publication I could trust and be frank with, it would be theirs.
Anyway, I was approached by them again, with regards to the “Cool List Issue 2006”, five women had made it into the top 10 and subsequently we (the women) were asked to pose for photos to be the main feature for the cover.As I said before, I vowed not to work with them again, but as the context was so important (ie: a strong female presence in music). I thought I might as well put aside my differences and do it. Now i don’t care for “the cool list,” and I said this to them in the interview, which is probably why they didn’t print it. I don’t really think the NME are in any position to tell us who is cool and who isn’t, personally I don’t think a bunch of people sitting in an office drinking tea, inventing musical genres, and watching Nathan Barley DVD’s are leading any kind of cool brigade, do you?
But I did find it interesting that they wanted to put five women on the cover, and wanted to name 2006 our year.
I went to get a copy yesterday, and this is what we (the women) got: another f*ckin MUSE cover. I like Muse, in fact Black Holes and Revelations is one of my favorite albums of this year. But the NME have covered them so much this year already.Now usually you might expect a call, just out of courtesy telling us we had been pulled off the cover, but we received nothing.
This is Conor’s (the editors) comments on this issue he has obviously put out some press release, stating how supportive the NME is to women in music
Conor McNicholas, the editor of NME, said he was pleased that the Cool List was full of women who had brought “new energy” to the music world.
“This year’s Cool List is a testament to the raft of hugely talented women who have taken hold of the music scene in 2006,” he said. “From Beth to Lily to Karen, they’ve brought new energy to a scene dominated by men. They’re also living proof that you can still rock a crowd when you’re wearing stilettos.”
I mean how f**king patronizing “you can still rock a crowd wearing stilettos.”
Is that all we are, stiletto wearing people? Is that all he could say, that we brought a “new energy” to the music scene? Don’t make me sick, we’ve always been here you arrogant pr*ck, this was your chance to actually show you meant it. And instead you put Muse on the cover. Cause you thought that your readers might not buy a magazine with an overweight lesbian and a not particularly attractive looking me, on the front. Wankers.
You should take your heads out of you New Rave arses, and actually think about your responsibilities to youth culture, and to women in general.Oh and by the way, there’s not enough RAVE in New Rave.”
Now that‘s a statement.
