Sophie Ellis-Bextor concert. Ugh

[IOnlyWantSexMoneyPowerAndRevenge]

Saw her last week. Good fun. I missed the opportunity to wear my glittery Christmas dress though.

We all know she has legs that go on for days and likes to show them off (so would I if I had them!). At various points during the show she had to bend over (dropped something and so on). Every single time, at least one man wolf whistled. One man started and then others thought it was OK to join in.

I mean, really? They weren't sat near me or I would have said something. It pissed me right off. We were there to sing and dance to a bit of disco and grotty men insist on making their thoughts knoen about how attractive she is. As if anyone cares.

Most of the audience were 50+ which somehow made it even more grim.

Yuk just yuk.

Pretty much any concert except stadium pop, the audience is half made up of bald men over 50. I expect it at Pixies, but I've learned that pretty much every act has those guys.

Yes exactly. The greatest victory of patriarchy is how effective its been at having women police other women while ignoring, accepting or excusing men's behaviour.

It’s fine if you don’t understand the post. You don’t have to understand everything.

Thank you for giving me the names - now I can look them up! I'm not a massive SEB fan (though I thoroughly enjoyed the show) but I was blown away by these songs. Gorgeous.

No, it's not that I don't understand it. I do. I just don't get why people post on threads telling the OP off for posting. I shouldn't have said anything really, it's a pointless derail.

Could someone please explain to me how a conventionally attractive woman showing off a pair of legs that meet the stereotypical requirements for female beauty is an act of empowerment? Either for the woman herself or any other woman? Also, why being fortunate enough to meet societal standards for beauty is something that should be 'celebrated'? And if so, by whom? And in what way? Because I'll staunchly defend the rights of any woman to wear what she likes, and just as robustly condemn unwanted male attention. But am genuinely curious as to how and why a woman with great legs in a short skirt has been elevated into a celebration of female empowerment.

Is my Mumsnet misogynist-infiltrators’ bingo card full yet?

'She knew what she was doing'. ✅
'I couldn't get worked up about that'. ✅
‘OP, how dare you post a thread about this!’✅
‘Women are not allowed to challenge sexism. If you’re harassed, it’s your own fault’. ✅
'Women do it too'. ✅
‘It must have been a joke! (see also, ‘where’s your sense of humour?’). ✅
‘Empowerment means covering up your skin’. ✅
‘It’s all about the woman’s ego’. ✅
‘She was asking for it and got the reaction she was looking for’. ✅
‘Men don’t have to be undressed to be empowered’. ✅
‘Wolf whistling is a form of harassment now?’ (in a tone of faux-innocent surprise). ✅
‘You’re not being as feminist as you think you are!’ ✅

House!

Where did you see that she'd been elevated into a celebration of female empowerment?

Oh the irony. People can post whatever they like, within reason. Posters have differing views. Some of these points are out of context.

there has been some effort gone into making this list, but at the same time it’s a lazy post.

So all men over 50 attending a concert by female artists are grim?
Is that just for pop concerts or other genres?
What about book readings?

Sorry if I’m coming across as anti feminist and I am absolutely not. I just can’t stand it when people get offended on behalf of someone else.

Do we know 100% for sure that Sophie Ellis Bextor is offended? Is any woman who is not outraged at a wolf whistling in any context automatically not feminist?

@KimberleyClark, yeah, you tell them girl 🙄

Janice Joplin in concert in the Newport Folk festival in 1968:
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2020/09/11/Providence/ghows_gallery-PJ-731009999-29c4ccac.jpg?width=1184&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=50

I don't want to speak for the OP but to my mind it doesn't matter if SEB was offended. The men were in a room with a lot of other people, behaving in a rude way that was not in keeping with the vibe of the show. Much like a person rudely heckling a comedian, I would be annoyed about it.

Having sex appeal is a huge part of being a star. I wouldn't be offended on her behalf when she most likely didn't care herself.

It would be the same at a concert fronted by a man. No different. If it was Morton Harket I would be doing more than a wolf whistle if he bent over. It’s a SHOW

Second post on the thread OP uses the word 'celebrate'. Discussion of empowerment on p3 of the thread. It's also a fairly common sentiment expressed about women who wear revealing clothes. Just wondered if anyone could explain their thinking is all.

audience is half made up of bald men over 50
...ageist and hairist!

Exactly.

I have visions of several women on here adorning themselves in dishwater-brown clothing and telling women they’ll be rewarded for acquiescing

😂

Perfectly said.

I think MN feminists like to forget about women throwing bras and knickers on stage at rockstars.

Do we know how S E-B feels about it?

Female performer incorporates moves to titillate audience and op is offended when audience members show their appreciation of being titillated by wolf whistling, a traditional manner of expressing delight.

If the performer was offended she could have stopped or asked for people to sit their glum faced and pursed lips whilst she deliberately bent over to cause titilation.

That’s true actually about MN. It’s weird.

I don't think it's about that. More like, how does the audience feel about being stuck with these men who are just caricatures of gross blokes?