“You are finished”: The one thing Stevie Nicks hated about being a “rock ‘n’ roll sex symbol”
In the world of rock, some of the more complex issues women face include the prospect of reinvention, changing aesthetics, pressures with maintaining relevance, and the kicker: ageing. As women in the spotlight grow older, they face more scrutiny than their male peers, which gives rise to a whole world of difficulty while navigating the next phase of their careers. Stevie Nicks was no exception.
While it’s widely understood why women face more struggles in the music industry than men, addressing this in a way that doesn’t appear inherently irrational feels challenging. Perhaps that’s because the whole idea of a woman experiencing a downturn in interest because of her looks is inherently silly, despite the very real impact it has on their career, life, and mindset.
Over the decades, however, countless female figures have discussed the issues with waning interest as they grew out of their seemingly “perfect” ideals, from Debbie Harry to Kim Gordon, most of which call out the double standards they face compared to their male counterparts and all the reasons why ageism is a very real issue across all corners of the music industry.
However, some opt to spin this into a positive, rejecting all the reasons why toxic “fans” might turn against a female rocker because she’s no longer under 25. As Harry explained: “Thinking about [aging] all the time could be your downfall,” adding that she doesn’t “really want the same kind of life” she did when she was younger because she’s already done that. “That’s the beauty of aging — you know what it’s about,” she said.
Stevie Nicks’ journey followed a similar pattern. In her world, going from someone who suited the perceived beauty standard to someone who suddenly defied it felt like a slump into a deep dejection from which she had no idea how to free herself. “After being a rock and roll sex symbol for all that time, and then all of a sudden to be this fat girl was so unacceptable to me,” she explained. “I could see the disappointment in people’s faces when they’d see me walk in, and I would go, ‘I’m so sorry I’m not the Stevie you used to love.'”
Elsewhere, Nicks also discussed how much her insecurities came from wanting to “please everybody” and how hard she tried to “make everybody happy”, even if deep down she knew it was entirely impossible. “It’s very difficult, I mean, it’s ageing,” she added, admitting that “doing the best that I can” also became her way of saying “get off my back”. This frustration, however, pushed her to the depths of contemplation, likely about whether she wanted to continue in the industry at all, especially when, in her words, she remembered looking at a picture of herself and thinking, “You will never take another beautiful picture. You are done. You are finished.”
Nicks had to overcome what some would find an insurmountable challenge, especially when it came to how this impacted everything from her self-image to the clothes she wore on stage. However, such experiences were never, ultimately, about Nicks’ unwavering impact on a music industry that desperately needs such figures.
While it’s safe to say that Nicks’ legacy remains intact despite these challenges, it doesn’t take away from the transition many women go through as they progress and develop in an industry very much in the throes of persistent expectations. And while some might be treated more generously by what Harry described as “the fickle finger of fate,” Nicks had to navigate the ugliness of an industry intent on bringing her down.
