As we’re often told, the patriarchy rules everything, and Jezebel took a sexism angle to country music with this tweet and article:
Country radio hasn’t historically been interested in promoting the music of women https://t.co/qrCwLyc4Hq pic.twitter.com/RS1Een7AnM
— Jezebel (@Jezebel) December 14, 2018
Is that so? It won’t surprise you to know that reality didn’t seem to quite match up with that particular hot take for many:
JFC. The stupid. It BURNS so HOT. ??? pic.twitter.com/uVbxuJgBKh
— Caffeine Queen (@Philly_Hoosier) December 14, 2018
Do you wake up in the morning and wonder "What is the most ignorant and stupid thing I can say today?" Because that would explain your tweet here.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) December 14, 2018
Just a few minutes before midnight, and you think, "Nah, there can't be anything more stupid today." Then, out of the blue, Jezebel delivers. https://t.co/jHKqwNR8nu
— Merry Smattsmas (@mdrache) December 14, 2018
This is one of the dumbest things I've read all year, and that's saying something… https://t.co/wAEci2zUU5
— Old Man Travis (@OldManTravis) December 14, 2018
The last seventy years of country music radio stands in stark opposition to the facts of this tweet https://t.co/bQlovL6IHA
— I'm Obviously Not Peter Taylor (@booksandbbq) December 14, 2018
To get things started, the article begins this way:
Billboard reports that for the first time since 1990, its Country Airplay chart dated December 8, which pulls from mainstream country radio stations, had no women in the top 20, and then there were no women in the top 20 again for this week’s chart. Billboard also reports that only four women made their year-end Country Airplay Artists tally, and this year Maren Morris is the only woman in the top 20 (at No. 14).
Why does this matter? Well, because country radio hasn’t historically been interested in promoting the music of women. Whether that’s a reality due to men in radio like Keith Hill—who made headlines in 2015 for suggesting that men are the salad of country radio and women are the tomatoes—or the fault of labels who prefer to support music made by men, is unclear. Or at least, that’s what country music label heads and radio programmers would like you to believe.
The reaction to Jezebel’s latest hot take was pretty massive:
1. Go learn about country music and all the historic great female artists.
2. Delete your account
— Carl Gustav (@CaptYonah) December 14, 2018
— ⛄️Wonderful Christmastime Liker? (@jtLOL) December 14, 2018
Pasty Cline
Loretta Lynn
Dolly Parton
Reba McEntire
Tammy Wynette
Dottie West
June Carter CashAll famous decades before the author was even born. The list goes on for many more decades. Even when they really really try to be offended, they fuck it up. https://t.co/WQisKSVXTz
— Calamity J. West (@StevieJWest) December 14, 2018
You are moronic. I grew up in Nashville. You have no CLUE what you're talking about. https://t.co/Q9Rwl9QMFv
— Pam D (@lifebythecreek) December 14, 2018
Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn were unavailable for comment.
— JWF (@JammieWF) December 14, 2018
> historically
Maybelle Carter
Patsy Cline
Loretta Lynn
Tammy Wynette
Dolly Parton
June Carter Cash
Brenda Lee
Jeannie C Riley
Reba McEntire
The Judds
Tanya Tucker
Shania Twain
Faith Hill
Carrie Underwood
Taylor FREAKING Swift— ???????? ???? ???? ن (@jpricestudios) December 14, 2018
This is so factually incorrect it’s actually hilarious
— Gritty Adam (@hartz2693) December 14, 2018
So you've never listened to country radio?
— Drew Paul (@DrewPaulE) December 14, 2018
Suffice to say Jezebel’s tweet got a good, old-fashioned country ratioing.
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