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people & arts Friday 26 January 2018
Survey: Being a female artist in pop is a ‘lonely’ field

By MARK KENNEDY erating with producers —
AP Entertainment Writer that mental template pulls
NEW YORK (AP) — A new male. And that bias is pre-
survey of top pop charts venting women from being
over the past six years finds considered and brought
that men overwhelmingly onboard these really impor-
dominate the ranks of art- tant projects,” Smith said.
ists and songwriters and Some of the biggest gender
that only 2 percent of pro- disparity data was shown in
ducers in music are female. 2017, a year in which the
The University of South- researchers note women
ern California study shows “forcibly took hold of the
women comprised just 22.4 cultural conversation.” In
percent of artists and 12.3 2017, a mere 2 percent of
percent of songwriters on producers of 300 popular
the Billboard Hot 100, a sin- songs were female and
gles chart that crosses mu- only four female produc-
sical genres. This combination photo shows music artists Rihanna, from left, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. ers worked on the 100 top
Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Associated Press songs. Females comprised
Taylor Swift dominated the solo activity, and appears included. sion Initiative, said in an just 16.8 percent of popular
charts during this period to be a lonely one,” the Some of the more eye-pop- interview Thursday. She artists on the top charts.
but the survey found that researchers wrote. They ping numbers include that called the handful of pow- “If the industry is concerned
relatively fewer other wom- noted that the numbers only two women of color erful men in music “gate- about issues of inclusion,
en in the music industry are were “surprising” because were among the ranks of keepers” who may not re- this is the way forward —
employed behind those su- women are big customers the 651 producers listed in flect the “dynamic world in by actually having a road
perstars. of music, making up 53 per- the charts while nine male which we live.” map of what this issue of
The researchers also looked cent of digital music buyers songwriters were responsi- The Inclusion Initiative has representation looks like,”
at Grammy Award nomi- in 2014. ble for one-fifth of the songs also previously examined Smith said.
nees. A total of 899 people The university’s Annenberg in the sample. gender disparity in films “So they can set target
were nominated for Gram- Inclusion Initiative research- “What’s really problem- and found that a bias in inclusion goals and think
mys between 2013 and ers examined 600 songs atic about this is that those favor of men seems to be more critically about how
2018. Of those, 90.7 per- appearing on the Billboard many men and their views the reason female directors to meet the needs of not
cent were male and 9.3 Hot 100 end-of-year charts of the world are setting an aren’t tapped to helm ma- only consumers but also
percent were female. from 2012 through 2017. A agenda for pop culture,” jor motion pictures. developing artists and to
“For women, pursuing mu- total of 1,239 solo perform- Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder “My sneaking suspicion is ensure that they look like
sic as an artist is largely a ers, duos and bands were and director of the Inclu- the exact same bias is op- the world we live in.”q
Candice Bergen to star in

CBS’ ‘Murphy Brown’ revival

By LYNN ELBER lead-actress Emmys for the self out of the running to in
AP Television Writer original, will be an execu- 1996 give other actresses a
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Can- tive producer, CBS says. chance. Overall, “Murphy
dice Bergen is returning to The 71-year-old actress will Brown” captured a total of
TV in a revival of “Murphy be reprising her role, while 18 trophies.
Brown,” the agenda-set- other casting wasn’t an- In the final season, a story
ting 20th-century comedy. nounced. line about Brown’s breast
CBS said in a Wednesday The series addressed hot- cancer revived attention
announcement that it’s or- button social and political to the show as its ratings fell.
dered 13 episodes of the issues, drawing applause In one episode, Bergen’s
sitcom for its 2018-19 sea- and the ire of critics includ- character smoked marijua-
son. ing then-Vice President na to ease the pain of che-
Diane English created the Dan Quayle. It ran for 10 motherapy, a move both
original series that starred seasons from 1988 to 1998. praised and condemned.
Bergen as a hard-charging “Murphy Brown” became a In a 1988 interview with
TV journalist. English is back focal point during the 1992 The Associated Press, the
as writer and executive George H.W. Bush-Bill Clin- Oscar-nominated Bergen
producer for the reboot. ton presidential campaign (“Starting Over,” 1980) said
CBS suggested the show is when Quayle criticized a seeing the first script about
ready for to embrace the plot line that had the un- an aggressive TV reporter
current zeitgeist. married Brown having a fresh out of alcohol and In this June 8, 2017, file photo, actress Candice Bergen arrives
“As its 30th anniversary ap- child. He said it damaged nicotine rehab persuaded at the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Diane Keaton
proaches, ‘Murphy Brown’ family values. her to take the job. in Los Angeles.
returns to a world of cable When Bergen won her sec- “I wasn’t quite ready to Associated Press
news, social media, fake ond Emmy for the role that do a television series, but been written for you.’” as Corky Sherwood and
news and a very different year, she jokingly thanked then there were whispers Other cast members in Grant Shaud as Miles Silver-
political and cultural cli- Quayle and “the members about this pilot script,” Ber- the original series includ- berg.
mate,” the network said in of the cultural elite.” gen said, with people tell- ed Charles Kimbrough as Robert Pastorelli, who
a statement. Bergen won five Emmys for ing her, “’You know there’s Jim Dial; Joe Regalbuto as played Eldin the house-
Bergen, who won multiple the role, finally taking her- this pilot script that’s as if it’s Frank Fontana; Faith Ford painter, died in 2004.q