In 2018 feminism has come on leaps and bounds, with the #MeToo movement creating waves, mindsets changing in over use of language, a light has been shone on equal pay, and we are celebrating strong and powerful women more and more.
Sadly though, a report by the Fawcett Society revealed that only 9% of British women describe themselves as a feminist with some women having even said they look on feminism as a bad word now that it (wonderfully) is being used much more.
Music legend Nile Rodgers for one is disgusted that there could ever be negative connotations attached to such a powerful word, revealing he was shocked to hear a woman dub feminism a bad word.
In an exclusive chat with Metro.co.uk, he said: The other day I was at a party and I heard a woman say “Feminism is a bad word now”. And I went “what are you talking about? Every woman I grew up with was a feminist. I dont understand what youre talking about.”
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Thats like saying “Black people. Thats a bad word now.” I didnt know anything about that, I only knew really cool women.
He added that his experience growing up was of being surrounded strong, confident women who knew their own minds and bodies.
I remember a girl I used to know and she was a doctor. She was a doctor, and a very very party kind of girl and she was the first person I heard of getting an abortion, he said. When youre young and you have those kinds of encounters, thats how you view the women around them – they take charge.
So this I hear lately is a surprise to me, I think “Jesus, where have I been?”
Nile, who heads on a UK headline tour later this year, added that he feels the world has shifted without him realising, particular with his own health scares in recent years that hit him sideways.
I never really watched the world get that way, it was like one day Im Mr Hippy and going to discos and partying, and the next thing you know friends are dying of cancer, he said.
I got cancer twice. Thats not a rock and roll disease. Were supposed to get drunk and choke on our own vomit.
He continued: To like have a real disease. I was like “wheres that coming from?” and I realised we get older and were human beings, we get real diseases and stuff like everybody else. Trying to express myself musically like that without saying that – Chic Lyrics never say “this is what its about”.
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The singer referred to his new album, Its About Time, in which he says hes harped back to Chics Le Freak era when the songs were more clear and less abstract than in their following albums, and explained the new album is looking at this strange new world.
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Quoting a lyric, he told us: The world has gone mad, we might be safer on the dance floor.
Theres a world that exists that we dont recognise, he said of his inspiration behind the record. Youre the first person Im telling this to but Im living in a world I dont recognise. I dont understand it. You go to a dinner party and hear someone say feminism is a bad word, When did that happen? This morning?
He dubbed the new music a celebration of the happiness one can have in life
Im not religious so Im not trying to be zen, but life can be difficult and hard, he said. And one does have to cherish those fleeting moments of happiness. I know that, not from a zen philosophy but you can see. But man we have fun, and its usually based around music, Ive never seen any celebratory activities take place and music wasnt involved. Can you think of one?
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He added: I wanted to make songs that reflect the happiness I feel when I do a happy song. I also wanted it to be reflective of the world I see today, which is strange.
We can still have a good time and its not being apathetic, but we can have a good time and see that theres a lot of people who are miserable and filled with hate and in my mind, fairly unbalanced with the weird sex scandal stuff thats been going on in America with the catholic church and stuff like that, and I think to myself, “wow, I grew up during the time of the civil rights movement.”
Its About Time is out now, tickets for Niles UK tour are available from Live Nation.
MORE: Pasha Kovalev is the only pro who will not be hit by the Strictly curse, claims Gleb Savchenko
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