Meg White: a Genius Revisited

Meg White (photo: Scott Gries)

Over a year ago, I penned a tribute to Meg White and her unparalleled drumming style. Despite her undeniable talent, her stripped-down approach to percussion has often made her the subject of unfair ridicule, rooted in a deep-seated sexism that has plagued the music industry for far too long.

It seems that Meg has once again found herself at the center of the conversation. A recent tweet, which unjustly belittled her abilities, went viral and sparked outrage across the music community. But this time, something was different. This time, artists rallied to her defense and celebrated her incredible musicianship.

Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine boldly declared that Meg is "one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock," while Questlove of The Roots rightly slammed the original post as completely out of line. Even Meg's former bandmate and ex-husband Jack White stepped up to the plate, penning a heartfelt poem in praise of her work.

Of course, Meg needs no one to defend her. Her drumming speaks for itself, as anyone who has seen her perform can attest (raises hand enthusiastically). But it's heartening to see more and more people call out this garbage when they see it, and stand up for the women who have long been overlooked and undervalued in the music industry.

In a world that so often seeks to diminish and undermine the contributions of women, we need more voices like Tom Morello, Questlove, and Jack White. We need more people who are willing to speak up and say that talent knows no gender, and that anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is just plain wrong.

So let's keep celebrating the Meg Whites of the world. Let's keep amplifying their voices and their talents. And let's keep calling out the BS whenever and wherever we see it.