NCFM NOTE: Read the article in the Medical Bag then read Mr. McAuliffe’s article below for another revealing look at misandry in action re musicians. Medical Bag: http://www.themedicalbag.com/story/amy-winehouse

gender bias against female musicians substance abusers, not.

by NCFM Member Patrick McAuliffe, Esq.

I would like to address your allegation of gender bias in the music industry.

Firstly, you do not cite to one single source to support of your rather suspect claim, yet assert that gender bias exists towards musicians who are female and substance abusers. This type of unsupported statement, which is nothing more than misandry, is all part of the current PC mantra.

I believe you would agree that when a woman such as Whitney Houston, who repeatedly and vociferously stated that she did not have a drug problem, could never be helped due to denial. What you fail to realize is the old adage that you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. If the individual fails to acknowledge that they have a problem, then they will never be able to take that first step towards recovery.

However, I wonder if you are suggesting in your article that Ms. Winehouse’s parents failed to assist their daughter prior to her demise for lack of care? In her article about the death of Ms. Winehouse, Marla Garfield writes, “when a child — even an adult one — is falling down the rabbit hole, a parent will do anything to try to prevent that from happening. What’s extraordinary in the Winehouse family’s case is that they were still so enmeshed with each other: It’s all too common that by the time a son or daughter embraces their demons as far as Amy had and is so surrounded by enablers, the relationship becomes estranged, either from the child shutting out the parents or the parents exercising tough love or self-preservation in an attempt not to be sucked farther into the darkness.” http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/family-matters/death-amy-winehouse-when-parents-cant-help-their-children.htm

Secondly, Michael Jackson, a male performing artist, was notoriously addicted to a number of pharmaceutical drugs. It certainly neither enhanced his image nor endeared him further to his fans. Yet, aided by his enablers, he too failed to take responsibility for his addiction. So too did Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. People did not buy their music and attend their performances because they were train wrecks but because they were incredibly talented. Both Winehouse and Morrison along with Grace Slick were booed off stage when their state of inebriation was so apparent that they could not perform. Certainly, there is no gender bias when it comes to a paying audience and their expectations of entertainment.

Thirdly, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders has far greater insight into this problem of addiction and the responsibility of the individual than what you offer. Ms. Hynde states, “ I paid a whole lot of attention to the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll though. What can you say, that’s part of it. My manager always asks why I can’t just have a couple of drinks. I’ve never met anybody in my position who isn’t the same. But you end up at someone’s funeral and people are trying to score – and that’s shitty. But that happens, that’s the world. Basically I’m always trying not to do stuff… trying. You can’t really advise someone on that subject, it’s a bit (of the) pot calling the kettle black. There’s not really much you can do. People have to learn from their own mistakes”. http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/rocknrules-chrissie-hynde.

So too, Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane was a notorious alcoholic. She states, “In 1970, when I became pregnant with China, I wasn’t conscious of addiction. My life was all just sex, drugs and rock and roll. But I’m not a moron, so I knew that what you put into your face goes into your body, and part of your body is what’s living in there–the child” “Life is now fine. My daughter is sober. China came in a couple of weeks after me. Into the same rehab. My sponsor was amused. She had never seen a mother-daughter combination in the same rehab”. http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2008/05/annals-of-addiction-grace-slick.html.

You lay blame for the demise of a female rock star on everyone and anyone else other than the star herself simply because she is female and the music industry is uncaring towards females. That kind of so called “victimization” is clearly a prescription for future disaster, as it grants license to female performers to abuse themselves because of the alleged lack of support for their gender in the music business. Now, that appears pretty darn pathetic considering that Ms. Slick, a contemporary of Janis Joplin’s understood her responsibility to herself, whereas Ms. Joplin did not. Also, Ms, Hynde acknowledged that it is the responsibility of the individual to care for themselves. I would cite these two insiders to be of a far greater authority and validated usefulness on this issue than your “blame game” position.

How about male musicians?