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Gwen Stefani is playing the ‘Girl Card’ too many times on the Voice. Where the other judges score singers based on their credentials, Gwen is making arguments on the basis of her gender which is not only sexist but depressing.
The Voice claimed to be different when it started and it has proved to be. To be coached by an amazing singer as you proceed in the show is every singer’s dream especially when you get people like Adam Levine and Blake Shelton who have been around since season 1. Adam and Blake are the consistent judges on the show. Both of their contestants have won in different seasons and they have a serious going on for the past six seasons which is fun to watch so they are like regulars at The Voice stage.
Out of four judges, two are regulars as we said. But the other half of the panel hasn’t been so consistent. The production keeps on changing the other two judges. They started with Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera. Cee Lo and Christina put up a good fight for the first three seasons but remained unsuccessful to put up a winning artist. The production signed Usher and Shakira for the next season and the stars, although putting up good competition, lost to Shelton.
This season it was very interesting to see which stars would sign on to mentor the new singers. We were amazed to see Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams. Gwen has a 27 years experience in the industry and Pharrell is the king of collaborations. He has collaborated with Adam Levine, Robin Thicke and won a Grammy with Daft Punk for their album ‘Random Access Memories.’
It was interesting to see Pharrell in motion as he scored his singers in the most elegantly smooth way possible and being a perfect gentleman amidst Adam and Blake’s thrashing and merciless comments. Even in the battle rounds, Pharrell was like a streak of brilliance and inspiration. He made the decisions very logically and supported the dismal artists and inspired them to continue with their dreams for a musical career. The ‘Happy’ singer is like sunshine in the Adam and Blake storm. He ahs played his cards smoothly and has played the best strategy of the lot in season 7.
While Pharrell has been sunshine, Gwen has been not. I think she is still getting the hang of the show because she doesn’t get how to score artists for her team. She should have seen Usher giving away his Grammy to score an artist and Adam thrashing Shakira for a contestant they were both after or Shakira scolding Adam in Spanish to shut him up. Gwen has a 27 years worth of experience in the music industry, she has her own line of fashion stores and great collaborative experience.
She has been around in the industry longer than any artist on the panel so when she doesn’t refer to the awards she’s won or the years of experience she has had to score an artist and tells them that they should come to her team because she’s a girl. Making an argument that the artist should join her because she’s a girl has to be the weakest argument on the show.
For someone who should be serving as a role model for female artist and aspiring them to rise despite being in a male dominated industry. She is emphasizing that she is a girl over and over again which makes her kind of a weak team to join. Her feminist approach might be getting too sexist.
We don’t see the male judges saying that you should join my team cause I’m a guy. That would be frowned upon but Gwen seems to be doing it and not just once but once every episode. Gwen is spreading herself to thin where Adam and Blake are viciously experienced and Pharrell seems to be playing a smooth game. Gwen needs to buckle up or she’ll not be able to put up a good fight.