"Groupie"

[aule...@hotmail.co.uk]

[NB: I hope this does not sound long-winded!!]

This is my first post here and I feel like this rant will hopefully
create some discussion. On my blog, I posted a a piece about groupies.
Jay-Z being at Glasto has been very controversial but I think he
mashed it up brilliantly. Beyonce is one of my favourite artists and
lol, I am one of those fans who always ends up defending to many but
you know how it is like when you like someone's music, you keep
supporting them!

Anyway, on this page of YouTube on one of the videos of Jay-Z one
person says that Beyonce is acting like a groupie because of how she
was acting. She was clearly having a good time supporting him.

For some reason, it really pissed me off. Obviously when you read
things online, you can misconstrue them and people can mean it as a
joke or whatever but I just find calling her or any woman a "groupie"
is extremely offensive.

I suppose it seems so obvious that words like "groupie" carry the
stench of the patriarchy but really, why can't a woman support her
husband/boyfriend/partner without being called a groupie??

I'd love to know some views about this :)

[Saranga]

Have you read the autobiography I'm with the band: Confessions of a
Groupie, by Pamela Des Barres? She dated loads of the musicians from
the 70s, Jimmy Page being a long term relationship if I remember
right. Anyway, in it she questioned why there was this stigma against
women who crush on musicians, after all, women who crush on laywers,
on teachers, or writers aren't treated like scum. She ddin't have an
answer, it was more of a plaintive moan against the injustices of the
world.

It's a bit too late for me to add any coherent thoughts of my own,
apart from when I first read your post I didn't know Jay Z and Beyonce
were together. I assumed people were calling Beyonce a groupie merely
cos she was on stage with him. his means I'm either a massive cynic,
or I'm realistic and the world's actually quite fucked.