Why we must stop dancing to the sound of our own oppression | Madame Gandhi

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

So often,

通常，我會去上健身課程，

I'll take a fitness class,

or I'll go to a music venue,

或者去參加音樂活動，

or, really, anywhere that plays music in the background,

或到任何播放著背景音樂的地方，

and I'll find myself loving the rhythms

接著我會發現我很喜歡那些節奏、

and the melodies and the beats ...

旋律，以及節拍……

And then I take a second to listen to the lyrics,

然後，我會花點時間去聽歌詞，

lyrics that, for example, place us in a position of subservience

有的歌詞講的是女性屈從的立場，

that we would never tolerate in any other context.

這是在任何其他情況下 我們都不會容許的。

And I'm aghast at the degree to which we normalize sexism in our culture.

我無法置信，在我們的文化中， 性別偏見被正常化到了這種程度。

I listen to this music and I'm like,

我聽著這些音樂，心想，

I don't want to have to turn up to the sound of my own oppression.

我不想被迫助長這種壓迫我的聲音。

You know, music is one of the most powerful forms of communication,

要知道，音樂

是最強大的溝通形式之一，

because it has the potential to either uplift or oppress.

因為它有鼓舞的潛力， 也有壓迫的潛力。

Music caters to the emotions. Music caters to the soul.

音樂會迎合情緒。 音樂會迎合靈魂。

Music opens up our soul.

音樂會打開我們的靈魂。

It opens up our channels to receive information

它會打開我們的管道， 讓我們接收其他各行各業的資訊，

about somebody else's walk of life,

to inform our own roles.

給我們的角色更多資訊。

And while I have no problem with male fantasy,

雖然我對男性幻想沒什麼意見，

what I do have a problem with

我很介意的卻是，

is that, according to a recent study, only 2.6 percent of all music producers

一項近期研究指出，

只有 2.6% 的音樂製作人是女性。

identify as women.

That means an even smaller percentage identify as trans or gender nonconforming.

那就表示，非常規性別者 或變性人的比例就更低了。

And why does this matter?

這一點為什麼很重要？

Because, if we don't own and control our own narrative,

因為，如果我們不能擁有、 掌控我們自己說故事的方式，

somebody else will tell our stories for us,

別人會代替我們說我們的故事，

and they will get it wrong,

而他們會搞錯，

perpetuating the very myths that hold us back.

會延續那些讓我們 退縮不前的迷思。

And I'm not here to tell other people how to make their music.

我並不是要來告訴其他人 該怎麼做音樂。

But I am here to provide and design the alternative.

我來的目的是要提供、 設計一個替代方案。

One strategy I take in my music

我在我的音樂中會採用一種策略，

is making uplifting, energetic, percussive global beats

那就是製作熱力十足、能量滿滿、 不分國界的敲擊樂器節奏，

and placing lyrics on top of them

並加上歌詞，

that genuinely describe my life's experiences

這些歌詞真實描述我的人生經歷，

without contributing to the oppression of anybody else.

且不帶有對任何其他人的壓迫。

It's funny, because it's the same reason

很有趣 ，我們之所以會原諒 許多其他有問題的歌詞，

as to why we excuse so many problematic lyrics;

也是基於同樣的理由：

it's because we love how the beats make us feel.

因為我們喜歡節奏帶給我們的感覺。

An example of this is my song "Top Knot Turn Up."

我的歌曲《髮髻出現》就是一例。

(Music: "Top Knot Turn Up")

（音樂：《髮髻出現》）

(Sings) I turned off my phone's notifications so I have more time /

（唱歌）我關掉手機的通知， 這樣我才有更多時間／

No bubbles to trouble my clear state of mind /

沒有泡泡會來擾亂我清楚的思緒／

One thing to know, I'm not here to please /

要知道一件事， 我來這裡不是要取悅／

Hair tied up, I do it properly /

把頭髮綁起來，我做得很妥當／

My time is not your property /

我的時間不是你的資產／

When I'm productive like my ovaries, eyy! /

當我和我的卵巢 一樣有生產力，欸／

Give a grown girl room to breathe, basic rights and her liberty /

給成熟的女孩一點呼吸的空間、 基本權利，以及她的自由／

Free from insecurity that the world's projecting onto me /

不受世界投射在 我身上的不安全感影響／

Please do not trouble me when I am focused /

我專心時，請不要打擾我／ 未來是女性的天下，你已經知道了／

The future is female you already know this /

I'm fighting against the corruption on SCOTUS /

我在對抗美國最高法庭的腐敗／

Turned up in my top knot since when I first wrote this /

從我最初寫下這些之後， 就帶著我的髮髻出現／

It's a top knot turn up It's a top knot turn up, turn up, turn up.

髮髻出現，髮髻出現，髮髻出現。

It's a top knot turn up It's a top knot turn up, turn up, turn up.

髮髻出現，髮髻出現，髮髻出現。

It's a top knot turn up It's a top knot turn up, eyyy.

髮髻出現，髮髻出現，髮髻出現。

It's a top knot turn up.

髮髻出現。

(Music ends)

（音樂結束）

I want us to keep making sex-positive, beautiful music

我希望我們能持續製作 在性方面保持正面的美妙音樂，

about joy and freedom.

談喜悅，談自由。

I want us to embrace our own pleasure

我希望我們能擁抱自己的樂趣，

just as much as we embrace our own pain.

如同擁抱我們自己的痛苦。

I want us to celebrate the authentic,

我希望我們能讚頌真實的、

nuanced,

微妙的、

multidimensional aspects of our human existence,

多維度的人類存在面向，

rather than perform false narratives of degrading sexuality

而不是用虛假的故事來貶低性向，

in order to feel accepted or loved.

用這種方式來感受被接納或被愛。

And another strategy that I take in my music

我在我的音樂中還會用另一項策略，

to combat the misogyny that exists on the airwaves

來對抗電波中的厭女議論，

is to visually depict the very world I wished we lived in.

就是以視覺方式描述 我希望我們生活在什麼樣的世界中。

In the music video for my song "See Me Thru,"

我的歌曲《看透我》 是一首很有氣氛的

which is like a vibe-y, queer electronic R and B song,

酷兒電子節奏藍調歌曲， 在它的 MV 中，

I cast two of my dear friends, Ania and Dejha,

我安排了兩位摯友， 艾尼亞和黛加，

to play the role of the lovers, because they're married in real life.

演出一對愛人的角色， 因為她們在現實中已經結婚。

But what you don't know is that they also are behind the camera

但你不知道的是，她們也在幕後，

concepting and directing the entire video.

構想整支影片並擔任導演。

(Video) Heyyyyy ohhhh My emotions were tired

（影片）嘿喔，我的情緒累了。

Music should be safe and accessible for all to experience.

音樂應該是安全的， 讓所有人都可以去體驗的。

As you can see, it's not about losing the sex appeal or swag

各位可以看到，並不是要放棄 音樂本身的性吸引力或自信態度，

that music has,

it's about writing messages that infuse tenderness and positivity

重點是寫出來的訊息 要能將溫柔和正能量

into music that motivates us and challenges us.

注入到音樂中， 來鼓舞我們、挑戰我們。

And while we as musicians absolutely have the responsibility

雖然我們音樂家絕對有責任

to make music that isn't disempowering,

要製作出不會貶低 別人自信心的音樂，

the consumers can be part of the change, too.

但消費者也能參與改變。

Firstly, we get to choose which songs we want to mute

首先，我們能夠選擇 想把哪些歌曲靜音掉，

and which songs we want to turn louder.

把哪些歌曲開大聲一點。

We get to say, "I respect myself enough to say I don't want to listen to this,

我們能說：「我夠尊重我自己， 所以我不想聽這種音樂，

and I don't want this to be in anybody else's space, either."

且我也不希望這種音樂 出現在任何人的空間中。」

Secondly, we can simply ask ourselves:

第二，我們可以問問自己：

"Does this music or this message

「這種音樂或這種訊息 是否會助長對其他人的壓迫？

contribute to the oppression of somebody else?

我為什麼要容忍它？」

Why am I tolerating it?"

And finally, we can all be choosing to make playlists or DJ-ing music

最後，我們在製作音樂播放清單 或當 DJ 播放音樂時，

that provides the right vibe or mood that we're looking for in that moment

都可以選擇能帶來適當氣氛或心情，

without the problematic messaging.

同時又不帶有麻煩訊息的音樂。

Why does this matter?

這為什麼很重要？

Because it's teaching algorithms in our streaming systems and our world

因為要教導我們的串流 播放系統和我們的世界，

exactly what it is that we do want to listen to,

這就是我們想要聽的音樂，

creating long-term change and a feedbacking mechanism

這樣才能對反饋機制 造成長期的改變，

that impacts the entire industry.

才會影響整個產業。

This is not a message

這不只是

for just a small group of people.

給小眾的訊息。

This is a message that affects everybody,

這是會影響到所有人的訊息，

because when we protect and liberate our most vulnerable genders,

因為當我們能投射和解放 我們最弱勢的性別時，

we liberate everybody.

我們就是解放了所有人。