Shirley Manson praises women who ‘challenge the status quo’
Shirley Manson is happy to see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame giving flowers to her fellow female music icons.
“As I said to the team here at the Hall, it is – unfortunately still – so unusual to see women represented in any national museum,” said Manson, 57, We weekly exclusively about the opening of “Revolutionary women in music: left of center.” The Garbage singer was on hand when the exhibit opened on March 8 at the Rock Hall in Cleveland, Ohio, and was one of the first to see this collection of groundbreaking and rebellious musicians from the 1970s to the present.
“It’s really moving to see this exhibition of all these different types of talent, these myriad facets of female artistry,” says Manson. “I didn’t expect it to affect me this much, but when I walked in I was really struck by what an unusual event this is, not only for me, but for the other visiting artists. To be honest, we were all a bit impressed by it.”
Manson said one of the artists she would like to see validated by the exhibition Alice bag, the pioneering punk rocker who led The Bags in the 1970s. ‘Earlier today they showed a video of Alice. Me and Jane [Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s]’, we both shouted because Alice has been overlooked for a long time. Her impact on American punk music is great. And it’s really exciting to see her recognized here.”
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“I feel like many of the women I saw at the exhibition yesterday, I expected to see them there,” Manson added. “These are all women who have made a significant mark on the music industry for one reason or another, and again, in countless different ways. But yeah, I was excited to see everyone. To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing. I went from one artist to another and screamed with excitement.”
Manson admits that she is “a huge fan of female artists” and that she has made it a priority throughout her career to elevate the voices of her fellow women, as she is aware of the challenges they face in the music industry confronted.
“For women who are not the easiest to categorize, or who are not the most willing to smile and pretend that everything is fine – traditionally they like to challenge the status quo, and the status quo holds doesn’t like to be challenged often, Manson says Us. “So that’s all part of this exhibition. And it’s something I feel strongly about. A healthy society depends on discussion, argumentation and the sharing of ideas. So I feel like this exhibition is proof of that.”
Manson once said that performing was “an act of defiance” for her, as she overcame her natural shyness and became a global icon of power and brutality. When asked if she recognized a similar thread among all the artists featured in the “Revolutionary Women in Music” exhibit, she said, “I definitely [do].”
“I can’t really speak for everyone because I don’t know all the individual drivers,” she says. “But for me, [performing is] a way to prove that I exist. As a woman you can sometimes feel invisible in society. And when women’s rights are hindered, it’s so frustrating. I think women suffer from the feeling that they are not listened to, not heard and not seen.”
“So as an artist you can defy that censorship and silence,” she adds. “There is freedom in performance. That is something I cherish immensely.”
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While some might appreciate the success of artists like Beyonce And Taylor Swift As evidence of progress, Manson said that it is generally difficult to convince someone fully involved in patriarchy of the struggles women continue to face to this day. “They think: ‘Women dominate the charts. What are you talking about?’ Unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than that,” she says.
“In some ways, things are better for the younger generations of women, who have learned from the generations that came before them,” she continues. “The young artists I meet are so much more focused on the system in which they have to be creative. They are not as naive as we all were. We were very, very naive because there just wasn’t that much evidence for us.
“The ability to actually educate yourself about music and the music industry is so much easier than it was for my generation,” she says, adding that the new crop of rising female stars she has met are “much fiercer than I ever was.”
Manson also cites “the eradication of women’s rights in America” — pointing to the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade and several states subsequently banning abortion — as evidence that not as much progress has been made as she would like.
“It’s a very scary time when old men in politics seem to believe that they can make more qualified decisions about women’s health than women themselves,” she says. Us. “That in itself is just a complete sublimation of women, and it must stop. And I think the great thing about an exhibition like this is that it reminds people of the value of women in our culture, which is that we should be treated with the same respect as our male counterparts. It is absolutely essential and necessary for a healthy functioning society.”
The ‘Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center’ highlights pioneers across all genres of music. Fans of the White Stripes can see it Meg White‘s iconic ‘Seven Nation Army ‘ look with her kick drum and Christina Aguilera‘s wardrobe of the Stripped tour. Visitors see Alabama Shakes’ electric guitars Brittany Howard and that of Halestorm Lzzy Hale like Natalie Koopman‘s outfits from the ‘Ophelia’ video.
The exhibition also includes pieces celebrating artists including SZA, Lisa Loeb, Malina Moye, Bjork, Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Billie Eilish, Kim Gordon, Tracy Chapman, Sinead O’Connor, Queen Latifah, Chrissie HyndeThe runaways, Liz Phair, Ciara And Pink.
Manson, Weidlin, Loeb and Moye helped christen the exhibition and open it to the public in early March.
This validation from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame may be bittersweet for some, as similar institutions have often overlooked or outright rejected female artists. Manson offered a vision as he reflected on the importance of being recognized by these mainstream entities.
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“I think all artists, for the most part, feel ignored,” she said. “It’s part of being an artist. You almost always feel like you are not being heard. But there’s something monumental about being inducted into a national museum, [validating] a story about something that has been so important to your entire life.”
“I had to tell my dad that this was happening, and he was so proud,” she continued. “It’s very rare that so many of us, so many different women, are recognized in this way. And I hope we see more of that in all aspects.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s “Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center” is now open. Tickets are available on site or at the box office location website.