While there is hints towards truth in what is written here, the whole message is tragically misfounded on an incorrect myth of western society being substantially misogynistic.
The tracks you reference, whilst sung by women, are also partially or fully written by men. The depression, the feeling that “no one gives a shit”, escaping ones thoughts, and by extension escaping reality, is not unique to women, nor is it a new phenomenon.
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, Fleetwood Mac, Oasis, and practically every popular band of it’s time since the earliest days of rock and popular music have casually and often talked about drug use, both in a positive ‘enlightening’ sense, and as a sadder but perhaps necessary escape from the misery of life, society, or whatever else.
The fact remains, though: drug use is rampant, and whilst some may use drugs to happily escape to some ‘higher plane of consciousness’ (psychedelics etc), others merely to relax casually with a beer and a spliff after a hard days work, or others to just have a bit more fun with a couple of pills at a festival, there are many, many, people for whom it is a sad addiction that they self medicate their crippling depression, anxiety, and self loathing with.
What is the root cause of this pandemic of depression, isolation, addiction? While the war on drugs, and lack of direction found in a relatively problem-free peace time era, may be responsible for some of it, I suggest there is a deeper problem. And one that is at the root of infinitely many problems — for women, for men, for teens, for adults.
A fear of intimacy, a drought of love and care: embedded into our social fabric. The societal commoditisation of lives. Middle class children turned into eager worker bees as they are assembly line produced in low performing schools.
Lower income family children, especially those raised in single parent households — a proven cause of depression, antisocial behaviour, and countless other issues —end up thrown out of the education assembly line and unceremoniously, usually end up victims of the war on drugs.
The luckier of them, then drifting aimlessly towards an under fulfilled adult life. Which may start innocently enough in college
Binging on drugs, over-the-top promiscuous sex, drinking till blackout any number of days a week, before climbing their way into a workforce in which, except for a small number, consists of being a row in a large companies accounting spreadsheet.
Spending their life working in that dead end job, downing pints at the local pub every weekend to forget their mediocre life and eventually go home to with a wife who doesn’t love them.
Nobody wants to do these things. Life does not force people to do these things.
But society is structured in a way that encourages all of these things.
The solution is not to blame ‘the patriarchy.’ Nor is it to blame ‘the man’ (the Corporate/Political Elite).
The journey starts with self reflection, and choosing personal responsibility and excellence in ones own life, eschewing negativity in favour of acceptance, love and an overwhelming drive to excel. Continues by cultivating those values in others. Once that is widespread socially, whether only among millennials, or even better, society at large —then just maybe pop music, whether written by — or to — men or women, will stop reflecting that underlying cause of the self-medication: self-hate, confusion, loss, misdirection, lack of acceptance, directionless.
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix
