Music has been essential for human evolution. And not only in terms of how music shaped our cognitive abilities, but also in the way it has been intimately linked to prodigious cultural revolutions.
Joan Jett he was 15 years old when he founded his band, The Runawayswhich broke with all the stereotypes that persisted in the 1970s.
Nearly half a century away, it might seem like anything that a gang of rock composed only of women. But to get thereJoan Jett and her gang had to conquer fear against misogyny and insist relentlessly until they have a place in the androcentric music industry. An industry that behind the scenes had no toilets, only urinals: Joan Jett recalls in an interview for The New York Times that he used to use cups when he wanted to go to the bathroom. The vocalist only warned the others about the fact that the cup in which they drank coffee might not be very clean.
Of course, that and other problems didn’t stop Joan Jett and The Runaways from becoming counterculture symbols. Not even a guitar teacher telling Jett that «girls don’t play Rock And Roll” –anecdote that the vocalist recalls in the documentary Bad Reputation– prevented him from founding the first band of rock female who achieved international success.
Therefore, the rise of The Runaways to the world of rockand the entire life of Joan Jett, are a lucid example of how music has opened portals for social evolution. But none of this has been free, and even less for women. worth wondering how many of the changes brought about by Joan Jett and The Runaways They continue to be valid for the new female generations. Or for humanity as a whole.
Beyond stereotypes: people should be what they want to be
In a recent interview with Courtney Smith, Jett dwells on an idea that guided the formation of The Runaways: people should be what they want to be. But in the field of aspirations things seem to still be permeated by inequalities, especially for women. According to the vocalist:
I think everything is basically the same as it was many years ago. The appearance says that women have come a long way, and perhaps on some levels they have, but until women really step into positions of power […] I don’t think things will change much.
That is why we must go beyond all stereotypes. Even those that social activism has spawned. Because for Joan Jett it’s not a question of labels, since they also have limits. Basically it is something simpler: mutual support.
Find someone who supports you; Maybe your friends or your family. It’s important to have someone, even if they don’t see what you see, to lean on you and offer you a shoulder to cry on.
That is why the example of Joan Jett and The Runaways continues to be valid to inspire contemporary women, but also to any change agent who fights for equity in contemporary society.
After all, all they wanted was to touch Rock And Roll. Isn’t that, in a way, what we all want?
Take the opportunity to listen to his full album:
It might interest you