Kurt Cobain had a moral compass that would have earned him the moniker “woke snowflake” if he were still alive today. Throughout his life, the iconic Nirvana frontman, who triumphed over a belief system of equality, publicly expressed his desire to make the world a more progressive place.
Misogyny and sexism have always been a problem in rock music, and it hasn’t gone away. While the problem may be less prevalent now than it was when Nirvana first rose to prominence, Cobain’s refreshing shift in attitude was much appreciated.
Similarly, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are following in Cobain’s footsteps, currently shattering stereotypes by demonstrating how a genuine punk band should act in 2021 by doing everything possible to make women feel comfortable at concerts. For example, no males are permitted to enter the moshpit during their song ‘Wild Flowers.’ “Rock and roll was never meant to be exclusive. Carter told Far Out earlier this year, “It’s for the people.”
“It is our responsibility to go out of our way to make our shows inclusive, and it is literally the least we can do. There will be no one to do it for us. We can’t expect others to make that space while there’s so much testosterone and energy in the air. This isn’t going to work.“I haven’t shot in a long time, but why does a band like Steel Panther still exist?” Carter screams angrily. “I don’t understand it; I watch it, and it’s misogynistic.
There was a time and place for that in a society that we can look back on now and not justify, but they didn’t know better, and it’s 2021.”It’s mind-boggling in 2021 to think that these artists from a bygone era with dubious opinions not only exist, but continue to fill arenas.
Despite their shared caveman attitude, bands like Steel Panther, Kiss, and Guns ‘N’ Roses were popular in the 1980s – and have continued to be so ever since. While their exploits were well documented, Kurt Cobain couldn’t bring himself to enjoy another legendary band for the same reason.
“Although I listened to Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin and really enjoyed some of their melodies, it took me so many years to realise that a lot of it had to do with sexism,” Cobain told Rolling Stone in 1992. “How they just wrote about their dicks and having sex. I was just starting to realise what was really irritating me so much those last few years of high school.” Led Zeppelin broke up over 40 years ago, and context is critical when discussing the misogynistic messages buried within their music. They were written at a different cultural juncture, but not for Cobain, who couldn’t get past Robert Plant’s sexist lyricism.
“Then punk rock was exposed, and everything came together,” Cobain continued. “It was like putting a puzzle together.
It reflected how I felt socially and politically. Simply everything. You are aware. It was rage that I felt. “Alienation.”In 2019, the author of the Kurt Cobain-inspired book Serving The Servant and former Nirvana co-manager Danny Goldberg backed up his remarks.
“First and foremost, I concurred with him on that point. Second, I believe he was conflicted: I believe he enjoyed the music. He liked the music of Led Zeppelin—and AC/DC,” Goldberg told Forbes.“However, the lyrics did not sit well with him, for precisely the reasons you stated.
And I believe I quote him saying something similar in the book, which I wanted to do because it was central to who he was as an artist,” he added.In today’s popular culture, many famous musicians pretend to have principles while, behind closed doors, they represent a contrasting reality.
However, when it came to Kurt Cobain, he was the real deal. Nothing he did was for show, and he was decades ahead of his time in terms of social consciousness.
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