How Has The #MeToo Movement Impacted The Music Industry?

Though the phrase “me too” was first used by sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke in 2006, it wasn’t until 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted and encouraged others to use the hashtag #MeToo if they were victims of sexual assault. That was the hashtag that officially made the phrase “me too” into a movement.” As of 2018, #MeToo had been used on Twitter over 19 million times. 

Since Milano’s initial tweet, it seems the entertainment industry has seen a firestorm of powerful individuals brought down due to sexual allegations and findings. In the world of news media, people like Matt Lauer and Bill O’Reilly were accused of sexual assault and lost their jobs. In Hollywood, giants like Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Kevin Spacey have been ostracized from the industry and face legal repercussions. 

But for a long time, it seemed as though the #MeToo movement wasn’t impacting the music industry the way it was influencing other areas of entertainment. 

Let’s learn a bit more about the #MeToo movement in the U.S., why it might have been delayed in the music industry, and if musicians have finally caught up within the movement to bring sexual predators to justice. 

How Has #MeToo Had an Impact on the U.S.? 

Chances are, you’ve at least heard the basics of the #MeToo movement and the impact it’s had all over the country over the last few years. But the full impact is actually quite impressive. In the entertainment industry, out of 201 men who lost their jobs due to allegations of assault, almost half were replaced by women. Some states have banned nondisclosure agreements that have often been used to cover up sexual assault in the workplace. It has also brought attention to population health, encouraging specific groups (sexual assault victims) to step forward and advocate for their safety, wellbeing, and overall health. 

Other notable changes the #MeToo movement has triggered throughout the U.S. include: 

• The Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which has helped over 3,600 sexual assault survivors seek justice

• Increased focus on the gender pay gap

• Financial restitution for some survivors

It’s impossible to ignore the lasting impact the movement has created, and the changes that have been implemented as a result. So what does that have to do with the music industry? 

Why Has the Music Industry Been Silent? 

While it’s easy to come up with major Hollywood figures, news hosts, and even prominent political influencers who have been called out by the #MeToo movement, it hasn’t been as easy to think of many musicians that have stepped forward. 

Some experts believe there are several factors that have made this movement less prominent in music. For starters, it’s the stereotypical culture of the industry. You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.” While you could argue that’s just a silly, outdated slogan, there is still a lot of evidence behind its meaning, especially in the pop and rock industries. The music industry has a history of exploiting musicians, not just women. It’s an industry that has been filled with sexism, exploitation, and impossible standards for decades. 

In the early 2000s, when Britney Spears was at the height of her career, she had to work out for 90 minutes a day to get her “signature abs.” In 2009, Lady Gaga was asked by an interviewer if she was worried about how her provocative lyrics might overshadow her talent. These are just small examples of sexism in the industry that seemed somewhat commonplace at the time. 

Musician Lily Allen has suggested that behind every “great woman” in the music industry, there always seems to be a man. In an interview, Allen said: 

“You will also notice of the big successful female artists, there is always a ‘man behind the woman’ piece. If it’s Beyoncé, it’s Jay Z. If it’s Adele, it’s Paul Epworth. Me? It was Mark Ronson and the same with Amy Winehouse. You never get that with men. You can’t think of the man behind the man. Because it is a conversation that never happens. If you are Ed Sheeran or someone, no one ever talks about who has produced or who is the man behind Ed Sheeran.”

So whether the music industry has just accepted misconduct for years due to a ‘rock n’ roll’ mantra, or not enough artists have stepped forward, it’s clear that it still hasn’t reached the movement level of other entertainment industries. 

Is #MeToo Finally Facing the Music? 

Thankfully, a few things are changing within the music industry that are bringing sexual abusers and harassers to justice. In 2017, music mogul Russell Simmons was accused of rape by three different women. Singer Ke$ha faced a longstanding legal battle against her former producer, Dr. Luke, for gender-based hate crimes. 

Taylor Swift won a court case in 2018 against a radio DJ who groped her in 2013. So we can start to see patterns and changes within the industry. In Swift’s case, it’s interesting that this case was brought to light five years after it happened. While there are legal reasons to consider for that, it does give some indication that women within the music industry are starting to feel more comfortable coming forward because they know it’s safer and they’re less likely to face discrimination. 

Though it might be taking longer to catch up with the rest of the entertainment world, it seems that the music industry is finally seeing women step forward to call out their abusers and inequalities within the industry itself. 

Women have changed the music industry from the start. But they only make up 21.7% of artists. That’s another sign that something needs to change, and the industry needs to focus less on the “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” mantra of the past, to an evolution of female artists in the future. Thankfully, with movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, it’s more likely that change will come.

How Has The #MeToo Movement Impacted The Music Industry?