Image source: BSA-30 (here)
An op-ed piece on CityLab (The Atlantic) proclaiming that Bansky (the acclaimed street artist) is probably a female is getting quite a bit of attention. What's interesting about this is that the piece is probably mostly getting attention for the headline alone, which the article doesn't address at all: why is "Why Banksy is (Probably) a Woman" such an attention-grabbing headline? Instead, the article relies on further gender stereotyping and caricature to argue that it's more likely that Banksy is female (or, rather, a group of artists headed by a female). The author sees the assumption that Banksy is male as an affront to women, but then makes the counter-argument by (mostly) denigrating male artwork and approach. It's unfortunate that this article is garnering so much attention by employing the same tactics it eschews.
I wait for the day when a headline or an op-ed piece doesn't make a splash by suggesting a famous artist, creator, entrepreneur, CEO, or other figure is a woman! or a man! The very fact that suggesting Banksy is a female gets so much attention is a tragedy: this means we still have sharply defined gender stereotypes that people operate on when thinking about what defines "art" or "creativity" or "success." Unfortunately, there is no winner in the great gender reveal of Banksy (should it ever happen): if Banksy is male or female, no one will cherish or celebrate the points that distinguish Banksy from all other street artists, regardless of gender.
I wait for the day when a headline or an op-ed piece doesn't make a splash by suggesting a famous artist, creator, entrepreneur, CEO, or other figure is a woman! or a man! The very fact that suggesting Banksy is a female gets so much attention is a tragedy: this means we still have sharply defined gender stereotypes that people operate on when thinking about what defines "art" or "creativity" or "success." Unfortunately, there is no winner in the great gender reveal of Banksy (should it ever happen): if Banksy is male or female, no one will cherish or celebrate the points that distinguish Banksy from all other street artists, regardless of gender.
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