A piece published on Slate.com by Lauren O’Neal defends Jack White from allegations made by Jessica Misener in the Atlantic that White’s lyrics on Blunderbuss suggest that he doesn’t like women that he can’t control.
O’Neal even goes as far as to suggest that White is a feminist, saying that “ultimately, who cares if his songs detail the dark, suffocating moments of (presumably often fictional) romantic relationships? That’s what pop music is. It makes more sense to examine his treatment of women, and in that arena, he stands head and shoulders above his male peers.”
She points out that White has shared equal billing with women in two of his three bands (Meg White in the Stripes and Allison Mosshart in the Dead Weather), and that he’s been happy to take a backseat when collaborating with Loretta Lynn and the Black Bellies.
"As a solo artist, White employs two backing bands, one all men and one all women. It’s unclear whether he recorded takes with both groups and preferred the female versions or simply called in his all-girl band more often, but the women play on 11 out of 13 songs. If you thought he chose the male band for his SNL performance of “Sixteen Saltines” because it’s an inherently manlier song, think again—the ladies cut the album track."
It’s refreshing to see such level-headed writing on the web.
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