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Joanne Shaw Taylor: “Dudes, please stop saying favourite ‘female player’… all that means is we’re not your favourite guitar player”
“It’s not the compliment you think it is,” Taylor states.
Image: Daniel Knighton / Getty Images
Blues rock star Joanne Shaw Taylor is tired of people calling her their “favourite ‘female player’”, for it’s “not the compliment you think it is”.
Taylor shared her thoughts in a recent Instagram post, where she screenshotted a comment praising her as “my favourite guitarist” in a previous post. In response, the singer replied: “Thank you for not putting ‘Female’ in front of that”.
Citing the exchange as an example, Taylor makes it clear that she does not care for compliments on her guitar chops that involve the qualifier ‘female’, writing, “Hats off to this dude!” I think that’s only the 2nd time I’ve heard that… I don’t expect to be anyone’s favourite guitar player, I’m not my favourite guitar player!”
“But dudes, please stop saying favourite ‘female player,’” she continues. “It’s a gender-neutral instrument. All that means is we’re not your favourite guitar player. Just say that. We’re big girls, we can take it. Say, I like your music or tone etc, but “Favourite female” just means you’re not my favourite guitar player and my favourite guitar player is a dude.”
In short, “it’s not the compliment you think it is,” Taylor says.
Taylor’s post has garnered the support of fellow musicians and fans, who concurred that “great talents that stand on their own” and that “characteristics and talents do not require adjectives”.
Representing the other side of the camp, though, is user Liam Ross, who replied to a post by Taylor declaring that she was the only musician he’s ever seen that’s “making someone being complimentary into a negative thing”.
“That’s more madness than someone stating your gender in a compliment,” he said, adding that “2014 Joanne would be happy with any compliment”.
While that’s up for debate, what’s certain is that 2023 Taylor is “officially done with the internet” and the unsolicited opinions of those who roam it, if her latest post is anything to go by.
“Gonna take a break for a week or so, again, thank you to all the men (and women) that commented, listened and learned,” she stated.
Check out the post below.