Rocking Gender: Stereotype and Subversion Among Female Pop Musicians

In the world of rock and roll, where masculine characteristics of loud music, bad attitudes and sexual promiscuity are prominent, women have struggled to find their voice and make a place for themselves in the music history books. This lecture at Vanderbilt University takes a look at women such as Janis Joplin and Joan Jett, throughout rock and roll, their style and how they set out in the scene to tackle stereotypes of femininity. Whether they embraced femininity, poked fun at it or dawned masculine traits, women in pop music have affected and reflected society at its various points in history.

Jennifer Guderman has a Master’s in Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington and is a lecturer at the Blair School of Music. She has worked for Columbia Records, and played as a musician with names like Travis Tritt, Joan Osborne and Michael McDonald.

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