Topic > The Problem of Gender Inequality in the Entertainment Industry

Through years of memorable musical works by male and female artists, female artists have never earned the credit they truly deserve. “Best Songs lists” have prevented the growth of female musicians from reclaiming their place in history. Ann Powers, music critic for NPR, is trying to change the norm by creating a new list called "The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women." Additionally, the term canonical is used to develop the most accurate list of a topic such as top song lists or top albums. Powers argues that the canon has been corrupted by focusing on male artists in history and not giving credit to female artists who actually shaped music history, and how this is a problem extends not just to the music industry, but to the entire music industry. 'entertainment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Powers argues from "A New Canon: In Pop Music, Women Belong at the Center of History," that the exclusion of female artists from The Lists allows people to believe in the possibility that they will never impact the history of music. The lists shape people's minds into believing that the people who made them understand the topic the most, but everyone has certain prejudices about the musical style, generational and regional sounds they prefer. For example, when most people think of those who shaped the Rock 'n' Roll genre, they think of Jimi Hendrix or Nirvana, although the Go-Go's and Joan Jett were equally influential. The big difference is that the lists drawn up in that period do not include female artists as important as male ones. The new canon Powers assembled included female voters who varied generationally and with backgrounds such as music critics and DJs. Musical taste is acquired through aesthetic, economic, social and historical values, so these women were able to compile a list that pushed the boundaries and created a story about the true influence of women in the history of music. This canon should give recognition to these female artists for the way they shaped history not just as a matter of gender, but to demonstrate that women deserved to see their moment in history immortalized. Additionally, this issue of women being banned from rosters can also be found in other areas of the entertainment industry. While searching for other types of “top lists,” another list was found on Quartz, a global business news digital publication, “The 100 Best Directors of the Past 25 Years, Ranked by Thousands of Critic Reviews.” Not surprisingly, only 6 of the 100 directors listed are women. After a Google search for “top 100 female directors,” the results were appalling. First of all there is no official list, just fans made by IMDB. Second, the first link that appears is a Vulture article titled “100 Female Directors Hollywood Should Hire.” These lists are all dominated by men, which shows that our society as a whole continues to value men over women, no matter how much progress the feminist movement has made. This ties into Powers' essay because these women "need to be recognized for their vision." Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The film, American Psycho, was directed by a woman, Mary Harron. American Psycho was influential in the world of cinema, but it is not considered one.