Why DO women like prog?

darksinger wrote: very simple really-i do not like music that has emotional men crying about their woman leaving them or cheating on them (grow some damn balls!) or women shreiking like they got their tit caught in an iron door.

Most women dislike prog. rock has been my experience.

Right, I had so much to say I couldn't stand to read the third through sixth pages, so bear with me if I repeat anything

I am one of those new females Ghostie was talking about, and I have a few theories about why most women don't like prog.

First, women tend to be much more social than men - and IMHO, prog is not by any means social music. Prog is intellectual music, it's music you think about, reflect upon, and absorb over many listenings. Also... it's distracting. I find that when I have prog on and a friend in the room, it's very hard to keep myself focused on the conversation... my mind keeps drifting back to the music. So if you have more social situations, you're less likely to get into prog rock.

As a further extension of the "social" characteristic, I'd claim that since prog appeals to individuals rather than groups, women are less likely to get into it because of social pressures. When was the last time you heard a girl described as a "lone wolf," and if you have, when have you heard another, unacquainted female speak even neutrally of her? I'm in college right now, and if I'm walking around campus after all classes are over, I never, never see another unaccompanied female. It's not just about safety: a girl out alone attracts strange looks from anyone, guy or girl, that they pass. I could just be being paranoid, and it could very well be that it's just because the occurrence is unusual, but in any case it demonstrates a point: in general, females don't like being alone. They will often go along with things they don't like just in order to remain part of the group, and eschew things they might like because they might make them stand out. I don't know if this is true once you get out of school, but by then the damage is likely already done.

Here's one that may draw some flak: I contend that the people most interested in prog tend to be heavily math- or logic-oriented people, people who are into abstract thinking and all that. Statistically, these people tend to be male. I am the only female prog lover I know personally, and I'm a linguistics/compsci double major; and the only males I've known to like prog are/were math, engineering, music, and creative writing majors. The last one seems like an aberration, but the two men I'm thinking of are both highly logical, just very creative as well. They could be engineers if they wanted to.

I have known plenty of mathematical/logical women who weren't into prog, too; in fact, I went to a math and science magnet school, so that describes a healthy percentage of my former peer group. My mom also falls into this category. My attempts to introduce them to prog were an abysmal failure; but I asked my mom why she didn't like it, and I think her answer is illuminating.

My mom is an extremely practical person, like most of the logic-oriented women I have known. She uses music as a kind of self-medication - a way to relax, calm herself down, and escape. She could comprehend the intellectual side of music if she wanted to, but she doesn't - "I don't like to think about my music," she told me. And from a practical point of view, she's right: why 'waste' your brain power on music when you could be solving real-world problems? I can easily apply this to my more logical friends, too - they are all highly practical, and likely consider the investment of time which is necessary for an appreciation of prog impractical. Since they don't have any sense of how much better prog is once you've gotten used to it , their judgment is a sound one.

In conclusion: Prog appeals most to independent-minded, logical yet impractical people. There are just a lot fewer of this kind of woman than man.

Thanks

I'd also like to note that, though my boyfriend and I have similar music tastes, I'm the one who can't stand his Van Halen and AC/DC... and he's the one who can't stand my The Mars Volta

Not that Van Halen and AC/DC are particularly melodic or girly, quite the contrary - but they're certainly poppier.

Edited by PaperDuck - October 01 2006 at 17:41

Funny indeed, and quite true for me too. I prefer to hear some kind of soothing music, if any, while I hold a conversation.

As for logical and math-oriented people, PaperDuck, maybe those who like prog do so because they just like to think deeply about many things, including their music. This kind of thinking is fun for them.
    
    

Edited by Swanhild - October 01 2006 at 20:37

PaperDuck wrote: Right, I had so much to say I couldn't stand to read the third through sixth pages, so bear with me if I repeat anything I am one of those new females Ghostie was talking about, and I have a few theories about why most women don't like prog. First, women tend to be much more social than men - and IMHO, prog is not by any means social music. Prog is intellectual music, it's music you think about, reflect upon, and absorb over many listenings. Also... it's distracting. I find that when I have prog on and a friend in the room, it's very hard to keep myself focused on the conversation... my mind keeps drifting back to the music. So if you have more social situations, you're less likely to get into prog rock. As a further extension of the "social" characteristic, I'd claim that since prog appeals to individuals rather than groups, women are less likely to get into it because of social pressures. When was the last time you heard a girl described as a "lone wolf," and if you have, when have you heard another, unacquainted female speak even neutrally of her? I'm in college right now, and if I'm walking around campus after all classes are over, I never, never see another unaccompanied female. It's not just about safety: a girl out alone attracts strange looks from anyone, guy or girl, that they pass. I could just be being paranoid, and it could very well be that it's just because the occurrence is unusual, but in any case it demonstrates a point: in general, females don't like being alone. They will often go along with things they don't like just in order to remain part of the group, and eschew things they might like because they might make them stand out. I don't know if this is true once you get out of school, but by then the damage is likely already done. Here's one that may draw some flak: I contend that the people most interested in prog tend to be heavily math- or logic-oriented people, people who are into abstract thinking and all that. Statistically, these people tend to be male. I am the only female prog lover I know personally, and I'm a linguistics/compsci double major; and the only males I've known to like prog are/were math, engineering, music, and creative writing majors. The last one seems like an aberration, but the two men I'm thinking of are both highly logical, just very creative as well. They could be engineers if they wanted to. I have known plenty of mathematical/logical women who weren't into prog, too; in fact, I went to a math and science magnet school, so that describes a healthy percentage of my former peer group. My mom also falls into this category. My attempts to introduce them to prog were an abysmal failure; but I asked my mom why she didn't like it, and I think her answer is illuminating. My mom is an extremely practical person, like most of the logic-oriented women I have known. She uses music as a kind of self-medication - a way to relax, calm herself down, and escape. She could comprehend the intellectual side of music if she wanted to, but she doesn't - "I don't like to think about my music," she told me. And from a practical point of view, she's right: why 'waste' your brain power on music when you could be solving real-world problems? I can easily apply this to my more logical friends, too - they are all highly practical, and likely consider the investment of time which is necessary for an appreciation of prog impractical. Since they don't have any sense of how much better prog is once you've gotten used to it , their judgment is a sound one. In conclusion: Prog appeals most to independent-minded, logical yet impractical people. There are just a lot fewer of this kind of woman than man.

ViolinCyndee wrote: valravennz wrote: [QUOTE=PaperDuck]   First - a great post there, Paper Duck and I personally think you or your mother have "hit the proverbial nail on the head". Lots of women I know just don't want to intellectualize over the music they are listening to. Those who do, are, generally speaking, intellectually inclined. It does not seem to matter if you are well educated in the art of Math - I am certainly not in that league however, I would admit being logic-oriented. I do agree that women in general, like to socialise or network and are very adept at such activities. This leaves them very little time to ponder the phillosophy of prog music. Men on the whole are not great socialisers but I think like to spend more time doing things on their own (The Lone Wolf syndrome). This of course gives rise to being able to spend time intellectualising over progressive music and forming very knowledgeable opinions on the subject. Basically - women are the multi-taskers while men do better concentrating on one particular favourite past-time!!!      That is true!  I guess I am more logically-inclined than most women.  I am also a classically-trained musician, so do appreciate virtuosity in all forms of music.  (not just classical).      HAHAH one 'particular favorite pastime'?? What do you mean?????

valravennz wrote: ViolinCyndee wrote: valravennz wrote: [QUOTE=PaperDuck]   First - a great post there, Paper Duck and I personally think you or your mother have "hit the proverbial nail on the head". Lots of women I know just don't want to intellectualize over the music they are listening to. Those who do, are, generally speaking, intellectually inclined. It does not seem to matter if you are well educated in the art of Math - I am certainly not in that league however, I would admit being logic-oriented. I do agree that women in general, like to socialise or network and are very adept at such activities. This leaves them very little time to ponder the phillosophy of prog music. Men on the whole are not great socialisers but I think like to spend more time doing things on their own (The Lone Wolf syndrome). This of course gives rise to being able to spend time intellectualising over progressive music and forming very knowledgeable opinions on the subject. Basically - women are the multi-taskers while men do better concentrating on one particular favourite past-time!!!      That is true!  I guess I am more logically-inclined than most women.  I am also a classically-trained musician, so do appreciate virtuosity in all forms of music.  (not just classical).      HAHAH one 'particular favorite pastime'?? What do you mean?????     LOL - now that would be telling!!!!

ViolinCyndee wrote: valravennz wrote: ViolinCyndee wrote: valravennz wrote: [QUOTE=PaperDuck]   First - a great post there, Paper Duck and I personally think you or your mother have "hit the proverbial nail on the head". Lots of women I know just don't want to intellectualize over the music they are listening to. Those who do, are, generally speaking, intellectually inclined. It does not seem to matter if you are well educated in the art of Math - I am certainly not in that league however, I would admit being logic-oriented. I do agree that women in general, like to socialise or network and are very adept at such activities. This leaves them very little time to ponder the phillosophy of prog music. Men on the whole are not great socialisers but I think like to spend more time doing things on their own (The Lone Wolf syndrome). This of course gives rise to being able to spend time intellectualising over progressive music and forming very knowledgeable opinions on the subject. Basically - women are the multi-taskers while men do better concentrating on one particular favourite past-time!!!      That is true!  I guess I am more logically-inclined than most women.  I am also a classically-trained musician, so do appreciate virtuosity in all forms of music.  (not just classical).      HAHAH one 'particular favorite pastime'?? What do you mean?????     LOL - now that would be telling!!!!     OOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!!!

I have to answer Paperduck. It seems very logical when reading it (Lone wolf, math-oriented, not practical : that's me !) but that does not explain why much more women than men listens to classic music. If that's was the case the same should be in this kind of music or in any kind of inteligent music, is'nt it ?