Teenage Girls Told They’re Not “Sultry” Enough To Win Battle Of The Bands

Kalliope Jones are a three-piece band from the US state of Massachusetts made up of three young, teenage girls. The talented trio recently made headlines after they competed against other 12-to-16-year-old musicians at the Massachusetts’ Tri-County Fair Battle of the Bands this weekend.

So what did the band do to end up in the papers? Apparently, they weren’t “sultry” enough. At least, as Mass Live reports, that’s the opinion of one of the judges on the panel, who reportedly took points away from the band in the “Stage Presence – Showmanship” category.

On their scorecard, the unidentified judge wrote: “♥ the sultry in bassist voice + Guitar singer’s too… Use the sultry to draw in the crowd.” However, the judge then gave the band a bonus point because “Chicks Rock” and the girls ultimately ended up taking third place.

The band, made up of 16-year-old vocalist and guitarist Isabella DeHerdt, 14-year-old drummer Alouette Batteau, and 14-year-old bassist Amelia Chalfont, issued a response via Facebook:

“A woman’s sex appeal, or anyone’s for that matter, should not be the defining factor in their success in the music industry, and in addition to that, WE ARE CHILDREN! WE ARE 14-16 YEARS OLD.”

“The judges tried to say they meant it as a positive thing; that it was supposed to mean ‘soulful’. They did not understand why we confronted them about it.”

According to the band’s post, when they asked the judges if they had made similar comments to any of the bands that were made up of only boys, they were told, “Oh, no. It is a completely different thing.”

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“Actually, it really isn’t,” the girls write. “The fact that they made these glaring and crude, sexist and stereotypical notes about our performance was made worse by the fact that they did so while drinking beer, blowing their bloated beery breath in our faces.”

“We do not, in any way, want to be demonizing or offending the judges, sponsors, or fair organizers by making this announcement,” the band wrote in a clarifying statement on Tuesday. “We understand that the judges may not have even realized that what they said was sexist; it’s just what many define the music industry as these days.”

“We sincerely hope the judges made an honest mistake in their use of the word ‘sultry,’ and that they, the sponsors, and the fair organizers join us in eradicating sexism wherever it may show up.”