Recording Academy and Grammy Awards president Neil Portnow said women should ‘step up’ if they wanted to win more recognition and accolades. Should that comment cost him his job?
Neil Portnow says it was a poor choice of words. But nearly 14,000 people want the Recording Academy president to resign — and some of the most powerful people in the music industry are calling him out.
Others are flat-out screaming for his head, including Bob Lefsetz. And part of the reason is that the Grammys are regarded as highly exclusionary and discriminatory towards women artists.
Portnow has not apologized, but has opened a task force to examine issues negatively affecting women in the Grammys and broader music industry.
The infamous ‘Step Up’ comment…
Here’s the comment that tipped this whole thing off. When asked why there was so little representation from women artists at the Grammys, at any level, Portnow responded:
“It has to begin with… women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level… [They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome. I don’t have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that you face but I think it’s upon us — us as an industry — to make the welcome mat very obvious, breeding opportunities for all people who want to be creative and paying it forward and creating that next generation of artists.”
There is no such thing as equality nor diversity being a strength and no truth in “equality of outcome”. It is all Marxist B.S.
If you don’t like what he says then mind your own fucking business. Your feelings either don’t count or are shit.
And yes, many women artists suck and or are over-hyped. They are not oppressed by the big bad bogey-man. Losers are not heroes.
Now go on and take on the day!
Where’s the voting?
I would vote “no”
Vote. You’ll see the running results posted.
No he shouldn’t be fired for explaining commons sense.
This is really about power and war.
Women want more power, so they declare war.
War is ugly. So be it.
People get killed in war for no reason except that one side wants what those people have.
Land, money, resources.
So Neil Portnow gets killed. Charlie Walk gets killed. Then Michele Anthony and Jody Gerson get more power, along with a bunch of other women (mostly white).
That’s what’s really going on here.
Can i vote to retire the entire Grammys? Been a shit show for years
All music executives over 45 should resign.
Portnow should stay on in a reduced capacity. And Opra should become the head of The Grammy’s.
Great idea! She and Gayle will serve complimentary tuna in the green room.
Behold The Grammys! The house that Portnow built! Think all Hip Hop all the time 24/7…365! It’s the only answer… as the rating slide into the Abyss.
Ageism much?
Put APPLE…Jimmy and Dre in charge of The Gramny’s. Then you’ll see success and equality in action.
Don’t let Lefsetz recommend or comment on any of the talent cuz his ears are MUSH. He’s a great cheerleader for the artist, but he’s tone deaf.
Should change the name of The Grammy’s to The Gimmee’s. More youthful and ties into the Millennium culture of entitlement a lot better.
This site can do polls now? Sweet! This site needs more polls. I’d love to see a Music Modernization Act poll personally. Do people support it? oppose it? support with minor revisions? support with significant revisions? or not sure? It’ll be fun. 🙂
I never watch the Grammys because I am sick of self-centered dillweeds spouting off about politics. Shut up and play your dang banjo, and I may come back.
But, I doubt these elitist liberals shivagit about me, so it is doubtful I will ever watch (or care) about the Grammys again.
If there is a voting mechanism at work here it is not apparent, nor is there any running tally or results offered. The idea that there is a vote going on is not in evidence for all users; Quite the opposite, in fact. This is a fail for at least some users.
It’s a little buggy. After I put my vote in, I think I had to refresh, maybe even restart the browser, but the tally showed up eventually. It’s currently at 51% no, 46% yes, and 6% unsure.
Poll: Should Paul resign for saying Kim K faked her own jewel heist?