Heavy metal emerged in the 60s/70s and popularly became known simply as a “heavier” type of rock. At this time its audience was a relatively small, dedicated and homogenous subculture. However, the theatricality, noise and subversive themes that defined metal soon gained worldwide attention due to the genre’s divergence from the type of music popular at the time. Heavy metal was provocative in its very nature, and thus incited strong reactions from its listeners, whether positive or negative (Walser xi). These strong reactions prompted both criticism and praise; a massive increase in heavy metal’s fanbase, termed “metalheads” coinciding with a backlash against metal’s subversion to popular culture. Rock critics thought heavy metal was “brutishly
…show more content…
Contrary to popular belief, the heavy metal scene has included women since its rise to popularity in the 80s, as shown by female members of bands such as Girlschool, Warlock and PMS. Women listeners reported that they had experienced very little sexism in the heavy metal subculture, which, they affirmed, was in direct contrast to the hypersexualization and commodification of the female body in pop music (Dawes) (Rasmussen). Mina Caputo, a transgender woman, and previously the lead singer for the heavy metal band Life of Agony, took a hiatus from the band, and transitioned to a female. She was very outspoken about her transition, yet when she reunited with her band the reaction of her fans towards her transition was apathetic, they were mainly overjoyed about Life of Agony’s reunion (Kovac). Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone, a queer metal fan, has spoken of the tolerance she experienced from other metalheads, and while homophobia can be found in heavy metal, "Metal does not create homophobia - it is just another form of culture where there are homophobes." (Clifford-Napoleone). In terms of acceptance, metalheads are therefore either extremely tolerant of diversity, or apathetic, as long as those individuals do not get in their music’s way. Thus, in comparison to the rest of society, metalheads are more diverse, and more accepting of diversity within their ranks, invalidating the accusations of homogeneity and making them seem slightly
Contrary to popular belief, the heavy metal scene has included women since its rise to popularity in the 80s, as shown by female members of bands such as Girlschool, Warlock and PMS. Women listeners reported that they had experienced very little sexism in the heavy metal subculture, which, they affirmed, was in direct contrast to the hypersexualization and commodification of the female body in pop music (Dawes) (Rasmussen). Mina Caputo, a transgender woman, and previously the lead singer for the heavy metal band Life of Agony, took a hiatus from the band, and transitioned to a female. She was very outspoken about her transition, yet when she reunited with her band the reaction of her fans towards her transition was apathetic, they were mainly overjoyed about Life of Agony’s reunion (Kovac). Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone, a queer metal fan, has spoken of the tolerance she experienced from other metalheads, and while homophobia can be found in heavy metal, "Metal does not create homophobia - it is just another form of culture where there are homophobes." (Clifford-Napoleone). In terms of acceptance, metalheads are therefore either extremely tolerant of diversity, or apathetic, as long as those individuals do not get in their music’s way. Thus, in comparison to the rest of society, metalheads are more diverse, and more accepting of diversity within their ranks, invalidating the accusations of homogeneity and making them seem slightly