A few months after Claire Boucher of Grimes spoke publicly on her blog about sexism within the music industry, CVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry has taken to The Guardian to add to the conversation, this time in retaliation to the commenters. In an editorial she penned and posted this morning, Mayberry has admitted to having crying fits after reading through the comments and messages the band receives, most abhorrently directed at her. As she puts it,
What I do not accept, however, is that it is all right for people to make comments ranging from “a bit sexist but generally harmless” to openly sexually aggressive. That it is something that “just happens”. Is the casual objectification of women so commonplace that we should all just suck it up, roll over and accept defeat? I hope not. Objectification, whatever its form, is not something anyone should have to “just deal with”.
The horrific nature of the comments is wide open in the post, though it's a wonder if calling out the trolls will change much. If anything, as Mayberry remarks, “My hopes are that if anything good comes out of this, it will start a conversation, or continue the conversation which is already happening, encouraging others to reject an acceptance of the status quo, and that our band can continue to do what we are doing in our own way and on our own terms.” The full piece by Mayberry can be read here.
