September 17th 2023.
In an interview with The New York Times, Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone founder and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, caused significant backlash when he used the word “articulate” in reference to Black and female artists. He used the term to justify why his new memoir, “The Masters,” only featured white men.
When asked why he didn’t interview any women or Black musicians, Wenner commented, “It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. You know, Joni was not a philosopher of rock ’n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test.” He then listed Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Pete Townshend, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and Jerry Garcia as the only artists he’s interviewed.
In an attempt to defend his decision, Wenner added, “Of Black artists — you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level. I mean, look at what Pete Townshend was writing about, or Jagger, or any of them, they were deep things about a particular generation, a particular spirit and a particular attitude about rock ’n’ roll. Not that the others weren’t, but these were the ones that could really articulate it.”
Wenner's comments caused significant backlash, and he was voted out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He released an apology on Sept. 17 through his publisher Little, Brown and Company, saying “In my interview with The New York Times I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks.”
TMZ reported that the only person who voted in favor of keeping Wenner on the board was music critic Jon Landeau. Evelyn McDonnell, a Loyola Marymount journalism professor and expert on music, gender, and politics, commented, “This is why I wrote ‘The Feminine Critique’ in 1991. This is why Ann K. Powers and I edited ‘Rock She Wrote’ in 1995. This is why I started reporting on the Rock Hall’s gender inequity in 2011. This is why I edited ‘Women Who Rock’ in 2017.” She further criticized Wenner's larger body of work.
It is clear that Wenner's comments were unacceptable and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took the appropriate steps to ensure that Wenner was held accountable for his words. His comments have prompted many to raise awareness and ensure the contributions of Black and female artists are properly recognized.
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