She’s had a lot to say recently.
A couple of weeks ago, Chrissie Hynde, 63, most famous for being the lead singer of the Pretenders, made some fairly disturbing comments to the Sunday Times about being responsible for her own rape when she was 21 years old.
“If I’m walking around in my underwear and I’m drunk? Who else’s fault can it be?” was one of the fairly inflammatory things she said at the time.
Now she’s attacking contemporary pop stars for their hyper-sexualised images, branding them “sex workers” during an interview on BBC Women’s Hour yesterday.
“I don’t think sexual assault is a gender issue as such, I think it’s very much… it’s all around us now. It’s provoked by this pornography culture, it’s provoked by pop stars who call themselves feminists.
“Maybe they’re feminists on behalf of prostitutes — but they are not feminists on behalf of music, if they are selling their music by bumping and grinding and wearing their underwear in videos,” Hynde said.
“That’s a kind of feminism but, you know, you’re a sex worker, is what you are.”
Contemporary pop stars aren’t taking control of their own bodies in the name of feminism, she suggested, but rather reducing themselves to sexual objects for the male gaze.
“I would say those women are responsible for a great deal of damage,” she said.
The remarks she’s been making recently mostly pertain to stories she’s related in her memoir Reckless, published in Australia at the beginning of the month.
The rape she spoke about happened in Ohio, when an Ohio motorbike gang member told her he’d take her to a party but instead took her to an abandoned house. He threatened her with violence unless she complied with his sexual demands.
Of that incident wrote in her book:
“Technically speaking, however you want to look at it, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility. You can’t fuck about with people, especially people who wear ‘I Heart Rape’ and ‘On Your Knees’ badges… those motorcycle gangs, that’s what they do.
“You can’t paint yourself into a corner and then say whose brush is this? You have to take responsibility. I mean, I was naive.”
In the Sunday Times last week, she reiterated her belief that the assault, in which the bikers forced her to strip and threw lit matches at her naked torso then sexually assaulted her, was her own fault.
“If I’m walking around in my underwear and I’m drunk? Who else’s fault can it be?
“If I’m walking around and I’m very modestly dressed and I’m keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I’d say that’s his fault. But if I’m being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who’s already unhinged – don’t do that. Come on! That’s just common sense.
“You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him.
“If you’re wearing something that says ‘Come and fuck me’, you’d better be good on your feet… I don’t think I’m saying anything controversial am I?”
Actually, she really was.
Hynde has always been outspoken in her views, particularly about subjects she’s passionate about.
In 2003, she proclaimed on-stage, “We deserve to get bombed. I hope the Muslims win!”
She was also known as a passionate vegan and animal activist, but she’s reined it in over recent years.
“If you talk about something that’s really important to you and someone doesn’t want to know, they won’t respond very well to that. So just shut up. Being quiet is important. We could all use more of that. More quiet,” she told the Guardian last year.
Good advice, Chrissie.
What do you think of hypersexualised contemporary pop stars? Do they contribute to rape culture?
Top Comments
No, they are not but they are using their sexuality to sell records which has happened for years and is not confined to music. If a female looks sexy even without discarding clothes, this is an integral part of their act. Elvis Presley is much the same, he wasn't only his voice but his stage performance (for which he was condemned). The real problem is that we sometimes condemn women for looking sexy because they are wearing lingerie on stage but don't think twice if a man wears tight pants or no top. Male strippers take off everything but female strippers who do the same thing attract attention for pandering to men (some of whom might be "potential rapists").
I don't think that Chrissie has got this one right, after all both she and Debbie looked "sexy" when they were on stage as they still do. Men like their female pop/rock stars to look sexy and women I'm sure think the same way about men, so what. The interesting thing is that Nicki and Miley appear to be more popular to women. The Blondie concerts are attended by at least 60% women of all ages. Perhaps it's about time a man went on stage in his underpants if this hasn't happened before. Let's be more tolerant and not look to make judgements whether or not it involves a feminist outlook.
By the way, don't be so quick to criticise Chrissy when talking about her own rape experience. I have read the book and its excellent and very funny. However, Chrissie is very self-critical throughout especially about her youth so it's not surprising that she views this experience the same way. You feel like shouting at her to stop being so hard on herself but she says it like she saw it and thankfully, she doesn't compromise her opinions. This is good and makes the book so readable even if she might not always get everything right. This a personable book about her experiences so bear that in mind instead of simply criticising over a couple of paragraphs.
I wish we'd stop giving a hoot what some celebrity has to say. If it isn't about their area of expertise, and it's not an area that they've at all tried to educate themselves in, why give them the time of day? Her comments on rape are reprehensible.