Angela Gossow Watch
Last week I had the awesome privilege of seeing Arch Enemy live, and of course they slayed! Very lively and energetic performance, great sound quality… everything you could ask for. Read a bubbly review if you don’t believe me.
Anyway, we all know Angela Gossow embodies our fantasies: talented metal frontwoman who tears it up onstage, rips our ears off with her banshee like vocals, and captivates us with her amazing presence. She is a true performer.
Her Shirt Says It All
However, one fellow concert-goer decided to focus not on her talent, but on her looks and sexuality. This was very irritating and detracted from my enjoyment. It got worse as he started to describe what he’d want to do to her if he had some alone time with her. It was hard to ignore, since he was a lot bigger than me and he was standing right behind me.
My reaction was to glance at him and think, “Yeah right, as if you’d EVER have a chance with her.”
The Male Gaze deludes men into thinking they’re entitled to any woman they want. Entitled to sexualize any woman in front of them and assess each one on her supposed fuckability (or lack of fuckability). To be a woman in a public space, even if you’re wearing a mu mu, is to be taking up too much room. Thus you must be cut down to size, reminded that you exist solely to be pleasing to men, and no matter what other talents you posess, your existence becomes limited to an identity as a sex object.
Angela is an incredibly powerful and talented woman, but remember – she’s a WOMAN. Therefore she can never separate her accomplishments from her sexuality, which will be used to diminish and trivialize her work.
There’s nothing wrong with being sexually attracted to a performer. However, there is a big difference between feeling a sexual appreciation for someone and using that attraction to detract from their humanity.
I feel for Angela, she must take a lot of shit for something she can’t help. If it was anything but her gender, there would be a little more outrage.
-Ms. Anthropia
Feminist Headbanger 
I have to disagree here, but only with your assessment of Gossow. In my view, she markets herself as a woman in metal.
More interesting, in my view, are the women in metal who don’t make a big deal about being women. They have achieved true parity with the men in their bands. I’m thinking about Bolt Thrower, Nuclear Death, Acrostichon and Mythic here.
Regardless, well-written article.
I see your point. I think it all depends on which interviews you read/listen to. She’s certainly found a way to capitalize on how she appears to others.
Agreed about the women who have achieved parity. It’s nice not to always have to point out the vag (or have it pointed out to you).
I must agree with you. I personally have a perpetual dislike for such man-animal creatures who think just because they are superior in physical strength(and in no other aspect), they can treat women like their personal item(s). I feel pity for them as they never get the opportunity of raising their standards to full ”human beings”. Anyways I feel really good to see females occupy such positions in societies and hearts of people. And hats off to Angela Gossow