A couple of weeks ago I received my new issue of BUST in the mail. If you aren’t familiar, BUST it is a neo feminist periodical “for women with something to get off their chests.” I scan the cover of the issue which features an in your face picture of Gwen Stefani- I think to myself I hate her new music but I support her right to make….LILY ALLEN!! My new musical obsession is featured in an interview. I liked her before but after reading her interview I absolutely love her and this is why.
BUSTDo you consider yourself a feminist?
Lily Allen I never thought I was before I got into this industry, but now that I’m here, I feel like its important to stand up for women, their rights, and the way they’re perceived in the media. I feel kind of a responsibility to young girls, because I feel like it’s hideous, the way they’re treated. I guess I have become a feminist. In fact, I’m kind of angry, because I was meant to be on the cover of NME, with Beth Ditto of the Gossip and four other women, for this thing called the Cool List. And it was this big wow, because they’d put five women in it this year, so they’d asked us to all do a cover photo together. And at the last minute they ditched the photo and put Muse (an all-male band) on the cover with four tiny pictures of us. Because they didn’t think fat lesbian from America (Ditto) on the cover would sell any copies. And they made her number one on the Cool List, so it really annoys me. The whole obsession with the fact that she’s overweight and a lesbian –that’s all anyone seems to write about. Never mind the fact that she’s got an absolutely fucking incredible voice and really good songs. I just find it very patronizing when the British music press talks about women in this way, like they’re really proud they’re writing about us because we’re women when actually they should be writing about our music.
So basically, New Music Express feared sales would drop if they featured a “fat lesbian from America” on the cover. I guess NME had to eat their proverbial words since the Gossip is gracing the cover of their newest issue and continues proving to be very popular among British rock fans.
Lily Allen blasts ‘sexist’ cool list
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Nice first hand info!
I love Lily Allen too!!! She’s my new favorite artist. But I have one up on everybody….I heard her before she came to the States while studying in London, when her hit “Smile” was climbing the charts on the other side of the Atlantic.
Miss ya!