What, fuck Pitchfork anyway. I can't believe people still pay attention to that site. I find my new music through the grapevine.

That probably sounds really obnoxious.
I mean, it sucks and everything. Down with Pitchfork!

Thanks for plugging Venus Zine! They've replaced Bust in my heart. Venus doesn't claim to be feminist, even though it often is unintentionally.
I swear, I should just start my own zine...

David Cross (a dude, obviously, because women aren't funny) vs. Pitchfork:

While reading the review of Daft Punk's Human After All: "Ideally, the physics of record reviewing are as elegant as actual physics, with each piece speaking to the essence of its subject as deliberately and as appropriately as a real-world force reacting to an action," is a real, albeit brief, excerpt. May I suggest listening to Elegant Nuisance by ButterFat 100. With this, their second album since signing with Holive Records, ButterFat 100 return to their psychobilly/emo core roots. Let its volcanic rapture overwhelm you like a 19th century hand-woven blanket made of human hair might have done back in the days when they enjoyed such things.

That doesn't sound obnoxious to me, Messy Jessi. But I hate them too. ;)

That said, I actually edit a small online zine (perhaps this should go in the shameless self-promotion thread but here's my link: http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/index.php ) and, as you can see, often have up requests for new writers. In the 4 years I've been doing this, besides myself, I've had 5 female writers (out of more than 50 writers altogether). Two were women that I specifically asked to write for us and they agreed to but never did (I'm still not really sure why). One is consistent and trust-worthy. And the two others wrote for us for a little while but ended up disappearing after a little while, which is actually very common even with our male reviewers but still made me sad because we have had so few female reviewers.

I don't know exactly how Pitchfork gets their writers, but I can tell you that I have even pointed out specifically on my website that there aren't very many women writing for us and that we would like to have more, which has inspired absolutely zero responses. I wish I knew how to get more female writers (if anyone has any ideas, please share them!) but it is a little insulting to me reading on Pandagon that it's supposedly bullshit that there aren't enough women to write for publications like mine and Pitchfork when I can't figure out any way to get more women to want to write for us and agonize about it all the time, trying to think of what it might be and how I could get more women to offer to write for us....

In other news, Pitchfork gives music a rating of 6.8. :P

Hey, Waxghost, maybe you could start by talking to the women at Venus. And maybe you could do more to get female readers, perhaps by covering stories about female bands (yeah, I know those are also few and far between). Once you have female readers, it will be easier to get female writers. I have a journalism degree, but I probably wouldn't consider writing for a band mag just because I don't know as much about the scene as I used to, and the reason for that is because most of what's out there simply doesn't interest me. Simply put, I can't tell all the white guys with guitars apart anymore. Another reason I probably wouldn't write for a music mag is because I have the misfortune of vaguely knowing a guy who edits a highly-respected, award-winning music magazine out West, and he's a misogynist shithole who has openly said he thinks women can't do music. So, although it's not your fault, when you reach out to women, you're going to be dealing with women who've likely already been burned by the industry, or who've heard what it's like. (And trust me, most women won't talk about these experiences to a male editor's face, but when women are among themselves you hear it a lot.) It's the same thing with racial diversity -- it takes a really, really long time to cultivate it, and being angry when your efforts fail won't do anything to change it. You just have to keep trying and adjusting based on what works and what doesn't.

You could also take out ads in the local women's press, or the GLBT press for that matter. Anyhow, good luck!

Oh! Also, try colleges -- most journalism and English students are desperate to get published. See if you can put up postings at the journalism school, or in the women's studies department, at women's and GLBT student centers, etc. Also, talk to the local student paper -- most student papers allow their writers to freelance at outside publications. When I worked at a student paper, there was a HUGE interest in writing for the Arts & Entertainment section, so you might want to talk to that department if they have one, and specify that you're looking for female writers. Also, try putting up flyers at feminist/woman-centered bookstores, Wicca/pagan stores, female-friendly sex toy stores, etc.

Thanks for the ideas, ponies and rainbows. I have definitely been trying to cultivate connections with other women in and/or interested in the kind of music we cover as much as possible. And I do try to cover female bands, but I also am starting to feel like I am "ghetto-izing" myself by doing so; all my male writers seem to interview male bands while I'm the only one who actually realizes that a person can interview female bands. It's really frustrating.

But I have to laugh at the "female-friendly sex toy stores"... I live in OK, after all. Women don't get to enjoy sex here, you know. ;)

Great post! As a woman in a punk band I totally know all about this, and it's such a dude fest!!! It gets old.
And waxghost, I like your online zine! I may submit my band's cd!

Reminds me of one of my favorite Indie Tits comics. :)

Indie rock is indeed quite the dudefest.

If I had any kind of background in editorial writing (and if good music didn't take so long to filter down to me, and if I liked more female bands) I would definitely apply. Good luck! Vive la Revolution!

Waxghost, I'd be happy to be considered to write for you, though I am not sure how much I have to offer. email me at decayedorbit@yahoo.com if you'd like, and sorry if this little comment hijacks the thread in any way!

But I have to laugh at the "female-friendly sex toy stores"... I live in OK, after all. Women don't get to enjoy sex here, you know. ;)

That is definitely an LOL and cry at the same time moment! I have a good childhood friend who became a total conservative while living in OK, so I well believe it. Her new husband is a Christian apologetic -- I had to look up what the hell that was, and was appalled when I found out.

When Rolling Stone failed to recognize Bonnie Raitt as one the world's 100 best guitarists I lost what little faith I had in the music business.

I agree that Pitchfork is a huge sausage fest and will even go one further and say I believe their attitudes towards women in music is generally dismissive.

But, as much as I love Venus, they're the last place I'd go for music reviews. (Though the interviews are another story.) It's like their ultimate goal is one of "sistahood" rendering them incapable of saying a bad word about any of the ladies they review, no matter how crappy the music.

An enthusiastic young lady from a Bible-belt, conservative kind of suburb, I moved to a college town and quickly immersed myself in the local music scene. Naive as I was, I assumed that in a liberal town in a liberal scene, my gender wouldn't matter and instead my place in the milieu would be determined by attitude, contributions and devotion. WRONG.

I instead discovered a sexist environment whose homosocial exclusivity was maintained by a group of "hipster" men at the top of the totem pole.

The role of women in this scene was restricted to that of worshipful fans, worshipful girlfriends, or worshipful groupies. Quiet and unquestioning adoration was the only way a woman was allowed to address a man, if she wanted to be "allowed" to stay in the scene. Women who wanted to be active and equal participants were ridiculed, shunned and denied equal opportunities.

After initial disillusionment and bouts of self-pity, I banded together with a mixed-gender group of outsiders to upset the balance, and eventually managed the community radio station, Dj'ed regularly, and planned, promoted & hosted numerous concerts and dance events.

Of course, I met resistance every step of the way. I dealt with sexist insults, cold-shouldering, open discrimination, rules of competition slanted in favor of men, and even anonymous hate mail. Yes, hate mail!

This little hipster village is still mired in its sexism while proclaiming its "liberalism" despite everything I tried to do. I have a feeling my experience has not exactly been unique. As a matter of fact, it appears to be well reflected in the gender balance at ultra-hipster Pitchfork.

this is why we had ladyfest
xx