The musician Joni Mitchell called a “terrible role model” for feminism
As a highly acclaimed figure in music, Joni Mitchell surpasses boundaries of gender, genre, and era. Her capacity to encapsulate intricate emotions through lyrics and melody knows no bounds. However, one topic that tends to generate divided opinions about her is feminism.
“I’m not a feminist,” Mitchell told Jian Ghomeshi in 2013. “I don’t want to get a posse against men. I’d rather go toe to toe myself.”
What’s striking about Mitchell’s dismissal of feminism is her hinting at feminist consciousness within her work. Regarding her album Blue, she remarks: “It was a man’s world…the game was to make yourself larger than life”. Mitchell encountered criticism for baring her soul on that album, displaying what some deemed excessive vulnerability — a trait frowned upon in a male-dominated world.
She astutely dismantles the facade of the free love movement of the 1960s, labelling it for what it was: a ploy for men — a means to fulfil their desires. Mitchell doesn’t feign modesty as societal norms often dictate women to do. She openly embraces her talent, acknowledging her exceptional abilities and surpassing many other artists. Even better, Mitchell fearlessly confronts her sense of self-worth.
“The feminism in this continent isn’t feminine, it’s masculine,” Mitchell previously said. “Our feminism isn’t feminism, it’s masculinism.” Mitchell’s ill-conceived idea about what feminism is has clashed with the opinions that a lot of her fans hold, emerging as an insincere perception about what the word means and her judgement about women adopting one specific ideal, as opposed to accepting all of them.
Further, Mitchell seemingly points to one musical star in particular, Madonna, as one who embodies her brash idea of feminism. “Music has become burlesque over the last few years — video’s done that. Every generation has to be more shocking than the last,” she explained. “But at a certain point, you’ve got to reel it in because decadence ultimately isn’t that hip. Our country is going down the tubes from it. It’s rotten to the core. And I think women can be more than decorative”.
“Yet someone like Madonna can be seen as a feminist hero because she’s exploiting her own sexuality rather than being exploited by some man,” she added. “That’s an interesting idea, but what’s the difference between her and a hard hooker, you know? Who’s being exploited there? She’s revelling in herself, too,” she said, before adding: “She’s got that whore-Madonna thing built-in [laughs]. She’s like a living Barbie doll but a little bit on the blue side. There’s always been that type of female. There’s always been a market for it, but the danger is that she thinks she’s a role model. And it’s a terrible role model. It’s death to all things real.”
Mitchell’s rejection of feminism shouldn’t necessarily be taken to heart, particularly as it seems like a take soaked in her own manifestation of internalised misogyny — there’s something valid in explaining the beauty of women holding onto their own modesty, but a woman is still a woman if she decides to celebrate her sexuality. Madonna’s musical contributions can still be seen as eliciting depth and reflection, even if she presents differently to Mitchell.
