The 1975 Use BRIT Awards Speech To Highlight Misogyny Lurking In Indie Rock

British rock band The 1975 used an acceptance speech at the 2019 BRIT Awards to draw attention to misogyny in the music industry, quoting Laura Snapes‘ recent piece about indie musician Ryan Adams and the numerous allegations of emotional abuse levelled against him.

Taking to the stage after collecting the award for Best British Group, frontman Matt Healy asked the audience “listen to me for one sec… just a couple of sentences.”

He then read a passage from Snape’s work which was originally used to describe the behaviour of Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek, but was referenced in her Guardian article on Adams and the permissive industry culture which enabled his alleged behaviour.

“A friend of ours, Laura Snapes, said this and I just thought that we should think about it,” Healy said.

She said, ‘In music, male misogynist acts are examined for nuance and defended as traits of difficult artists, whilst women and those who call them out are treated as hysterics who don’t understand art’.”

Snapes, The Guardian’s deputy music editor, also used her piece to question an industry which seems to inherently trust male voices over statements from women.

She states “misogyny is… praise being lavished upon male musicians who make obvious statements about masculinity and sexism, and the women who have been saying those things for years being asked why they’re so angry.”

However, the author expressed her gratitude to The 1975 for using their platform to echo the perspective laid out in her piece.

Adams stands accused of emotionally abusing ex-wife Mandy Moore and Phoebe Bridgers, along with soliciting explicit images from a minor. The New York Times reports the FBI is investigating whether charges can be laid against the musician over the latter allegation. 

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV