Why DO women like prog?

rogerthat wrote: ProgWytch wrote: I should probably add also that while Prog has intellectual depth, much of it lacks emotional depth found in other genres, but that would just serve to stereotype women, and there's enough of that in the music community as it is. :p It does not have to be.  I am a guy and I agree to a large extent with that.  I don't think men should feel too proud about the stereotype that they like only technical music or dumb and decadent rock and roll and are unresponsive to sensitivity or fragility in music.  None of which is true, of course, but it would have to be if the tired old stereotype of women being 'emo' is.

I don't necessarily agree with the stereotype that prog music has no emotion. It's just that perhaps prog songs don't necessarily rely in emotion to impact it's public, or, as the music is more complex than pop, it is more difficult to understand it, and so it is more difficult to "find" the emotions it trys to portray. Or, simply, it is capable of portraying a wider range of emotions than pop, and if it doesn't make you feel melancholy or pain over a lost or uncorresponded love, then people will say it isn't emotional... while perhaps the song is actually transmiting happiness.

I too thought progwytch's post was a good one, but don't really agree with the content.  However, I'm male and had no sisters so I don't really know how true this is or not (it certainly wasn't for my mother, who was born in 1941).

Anyway, my experience with women is that some have enjoyed listening to prog, but for the most part want stuff they can dance to and sing along with.  My current partner has a pretty good appreciation of most of what I listen to, yet still I'll come home to "Greatest Power Ballads of the 80's" or something similar.  Of course, she grew up in the 80's, and unlike me, has fond memories of that music.  She did take my copy of Zappa's Roxy and Elsewhere to work though, which made me so very happy, even though she did it mostly to irritate her coworkers (who are all female).

Anyway, most of the women I have known have been able to enjoy at least some prog, though they never seem to become as obsessed with it as the males (with one notable exception......who still loved to listen to 80's power ballads as well).

Snow Dog wrote: ProgWytch wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Good post yes. Can't say I really agree though. Agree or not, that's your perogative Of course it is. Does everyone who disagrees with you get this reply?

Jim Garten wrote: ...and the winner of the 'best first post on a music forum' award 2012 goes to... Welcome to the forum ProgWytch

All the women I knew when I was younger who liked prog either dated or hung out with guys that liked prog.  None of the women I've been married to liked it at all, although my current wife did recognize a couple of Fragile era Yes tunes when we watched the Live at Montreux DVD.  When I took her to concerts by  Rush and Peter Gabriel I think she barely tolerated being there.  To make it up to her, I had to go with her to see Celtic Women.

...and the winner of the 'best first post on a music forum' award 2012 goes to...

Welcome to the forum ProgWytch

My mom always tolerated prog far more than anything else I listened to.

Snow Dog wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: Snow Dog wrote: So we not only offend women but now we offend homosexuals too. We got it all covered. Do black people like prog? Look, I'm trying really hard to cover all the bases.

   

progbaby wrote: With prog music, there's not much to be found in the lyrics that talk about "woman loves man, man falls for woman.  Man and woman kiss and get married and have a family"...

It is not only about relationships.  A lot of prog IS technical, left brained stuff.  And therefore it appeals only to a very specific demographic, not even all men. 

A female friend of mine who is in the business of pyschology (she has a degree) mentioned that women are more "relationship" oriented and men are more "task" oriented.     ON the whole from studies, men tend to base their self esteem on their jobs/work and women tend to base their self esteem on their relationships rather than on their jobs.

With prog music, there's not much to be found in the lyrics that talk about "woman loves man, man falls for woman.  Man and woman kiss and get married and have a family"...

With your AOR American pop music on the radio, the lyrics tend to be of a relationship nature (even if it's twisted in terms of sexual immorality or with sexual conquest overtones, etc...) and women tend to prefer more that type of stuff based on the studies.

I hope I did not offend anyone.  No offense meant.   Thinking about relationships and being married and having a family are at the top and forefront of most women.   Those same women would much rather hear a Whitney Houston song (singing about dancing and dating men) rather than "The Battle of Epping Forest"...

Also, women tend to multitask much better than men (they've done studies on that) so as such, the attention of span of many women is divided and they switch task their minds much more than men (I don't like to multitask)...   As a result, I feel many women (who multitask a lot) don't have the patience or desire to sit down and concentrate and feel a 20-minute "Close to the Edge" flowing thru your brains.  They'd much rather have a 3-minute 2 chord progression  Bon Jovi song on in the background or some song that produces a constant repititous drum/dance beat (ie, maybe it gets them thinking about dancing which somehow involves a relationship again???)

But it is known that well known and studied that women switch-task much better than men and that they are more relationship-oriented than men.     I know there are exceptions but the brain chemistry/makeup between men and women are different.   Much in the way that  you hear the stereotype that most men love sports and women don't and most women love to shop and most men don't.

Not meaning to say this in a demeaning way but if a 20-minute song is delving into complex instrumental solos and sung in a foreign language or if the lyrics are not about relationship-sort of things, many of the women will not be interested.

I feel much of prog relates to a "task oriented" nature..  I mean when I hear a really cool keyboard solo or guitar solo or melody, my mind turns to "task mode" and I'm like, "how'd they do that?" or "what's going on there with that chord progression, etc...".


I do think the element of "lack of relationship-oriented nature in the topics of many prog songs" to be turn offs for many of the female persuation who look for those elements in their music (and they will find it on American idol)..

Plus with their extensive multitasking nature, I feel many don't want to go thru the effort of listening to a song that lasts more than 3-4 minutes long as they have a bunch of other things on their mind that they need to attend to and do.   The american-idol music fits that bill for them.  Maybe???


I really hope this did not offend anyone...   I meant no offense to any man or woman reading the thread.





Edited by progbaby - April 04 2012 at 16:51