Why wearing white roses to the Brits wasn’t enough.

Why wearing white roses to the Brits wasn’t enough.

The 'Times Up' and #Metoo campaigns, formed due to the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations in Hollywood, have gained an enormous amount of support in previous months. Following suit from The Golden Globes and The Grammy’s, #Metoo had its own representation at the BRIT Awards, shedding light on the fact sexual assault can occur in any workplace, including the highly regarded music industry.

As a "symbol of solidarity” the award's body invited attendees of the 2018 BRITS to wear a white rose pin and many artists followed suit: The likes of Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith and Rita Ora. Some artists, such as Dua Lipa, decided a rose pin simply wasn’t enough, therefore choosing to carry a white rose with them instead. But in an industry where sexual abuse is ‘endemic’ with multiple allegations of abuse of power- more than a dozen women accused music mogul Russell Simmons of Rape and Harassment- Wearing white roses simply isn’t enough.

Encouraging Women- and Men- to stand up is not a message being shouted enough within the music industry and this falls down to a number of factors. Among them is the argument that this behaviour is just categorised under the music industries long- outdated slogan “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll,” a statement that needs to be overhauled as part of the campaign. It can also be argued down to the lack of leadership position for females within the industry- somewhere where equality isn’t balanced at this stage. Speaking at the Brighton Music Conference, DJ Carly Wilford asks the question “What if your career means you need to be at the forefront all the time and what if your abusers are the gatekeepers?” When speaking about sexual assault within the dance music scene, although a statement which relates to the music industry in general. But this is no justification that standing in solidarity as part of a show is enough.

The Chief Executive of the British Academy of Songwriters admits to The Guardian that she feels wearing a rose isn’t enough. “I personally will not be wearing a flower, not because I don’t have sympathy with the cause- I myself have experienced sexual harassment- but I feel we should all be focused on making a meaningful change.” She is not alone in this opinion, with celebrities sporting the pins on the night feeling guilt for not going more. Rapper, Dave, admitted “Me putting this on is a symbol of my awareness of the situation but I still feel like I haven’t done enough – I still feel like there’s more to be spoken and there’s more light to be shone on it.”

While celebrities sported the roses on the night, the attention on the subject fizzled away as it continued. Dua Lipa and Lorde were the only two women to win on the night and neither spoke up for the campaign during their acceptance speeches. The only focus put on the topic was by British Singer Ellie Golding, when presenting Best International Female Artist “It’s so amazing to see so many people wearing a white rose tonight.” She exclaimed, “We're very proud to be women, actually.” Although even this seemed tame.

The issue is, that while support is shown, key industry figures have not laid out a plan to tackle the issues. Global Chief Creative Officer at record label PIAS, Jane Third, explains to The Guardian “There have been enough warnings from women in the industry, organization’s need to decide whether they want to keep step or be left out in the cold.”

I understand the other side of the argument, that showing widespread solidarity is the first way to make change, with the campaign of white roses being set up by Music Executives Meg Markins, of Roc Nation, and Karen Rait, of Interscope, Geffen and A&M Records. “We choose the white rose because historically it stands for hope, peace, sympathy and resistance," they wrote. "The world is listening. Wear a white rose." But not all of the world was listening and people found themselves picking out the people not wearing white roses rather than focusing on the topic, showing flaws in the campaign. Paloma Faith admitted “The only thing I’m disappointed in tonight is that there’s not more men carrying white roses. I think they should have.” This leaves the question as to whether you can expect the public to fight on an issue, when the industry is not ready to fight it itself.

"What I think is really important is that we’re speaking across the board for women because I have never met a woman who hasn’t experienced it in any profession." Faith adds and this reigns true to many individuals fighting sexual assault. Sometimes the strength has to come from public figures for ‘normal’ people to speak out and wearing roses does not seem to be enough, but the industry as a whole does not seem to be ready to take the next step.

I’m not saying the music industry will not follow suit as the film industry campaign expands and that strength is found, but to be giving a platform to make a difference, it seems as though it was dealt with as just one flower in amongst a whole field. It feels insignificant. While Kesha publically spoke up about her abuse in 2015/16, something which put the issue into the limelight, Speakers admit at the Brighton Music Conference that the industry has not had its “Weinstein moment” and it may take this before we see any significant change. This is not to dismiss, however, that women in the industry are not doing more. American singer Halsey took to the soap box at a New York women’s march to show support in which to deliver a emotive speech in poem form. “Its 2018 and I’ve realised, no body is safe as long as she is alive and every friend that I know has a story like mine.” And maybe this is what women need. Not a bunch of celebrities at a high profile event to wear white roses, but artists to take to the streets, or take a pen, or do anything as individuals to relate their story to the normal people. Because support will rise from the ashes when people in power speak.

With Stormzy’s politically charged ending performance concluded the Brits, Theresa May and Grenfell was the story on everyone’s lips the next morning and #Metoo was swept aside. The industry has such strong rising female artists, like Dua Lipa or Mabel or Jorgia smith and it needs to come together to achieve a outcome, whether its in the form of contracts, or naming and shaming, or a code of conduct ( all ideas discussed by industry professionals) before their careers are engulfed by the fire of the industry misconduct surrounding them.

Photo credit: Mike Marsland

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