Hi, I'm the leader singer of the White Eyes, Gao Xiaogao
Today, I alone bear the burden of being interviewed
Looking at the lyrics of other popular female lead singers
I think
They're very ordinary... very superficial
I'm not sure how to describe it
They're all more or less the same
I've not seen a more interesting point of view
I think maybe they are limited by their own public image
Actually I don't really like the image people identify with us
Like a woman going insane
I think that the people who identify us with this image
If I focus my energy on playing the music
They'll come up and say "Aren't you feeling up to it tonight?"
I think that's odd because I've already done a better job at playing my instrument
But I don't scream "Ah, Ah, Ah!" so people think I'm tired
I'll think I'm better with my instrument, but you just want to see me go wild on stage
Sometimes it bothers me
But I think if we persist in this people will acknowledge that that's not what we're about
Maybe people think we're a bit overt
Like we're using our bodies to sell music
But I don't think that is the case
What I want
is not for people to associate what I do with pornography
I don't think that on stage I'm trying to express "I am a woman" or anything
I think I'm pretty asexual on stage
Most guys like affectionate, cute girls
Because I act so fierce on stage people don't really dare to approach me privately
That's a pretty common occurence
It's hard to explain
I often hear, my friends tell me
Guys think Gao Xiao Gao from White Eyes is sexy, but they wouldn't want to be her friend
THat's what I hear the most
They don't want to get to know me in private - there's distance there
Do you think this is because of the way you perform and your image?
Yeah, but girls are more inclined to make friends with me
Why?
I think that men feel threatened by me
They reckon if I'm like that on stage then in private I will boss them about
Tell them what to do
I think men don't want to feel threatened
They fear being threatened
Not really, I think that about half of my fans are men and half are women,
I do not think there are more men.
In fact, I think there are slightly more female fans.
I think this is a good thing.
Because often, I think,
if a girl's style of performing is more sexual, more revealing
then there will certainly be more male fans, but the girls will hate her,
because girls are more sensitive and aware of this aspect, guys don't really notice.
This sounds very interesting,could you elaborate a little more? Why do you think girls hate that? 53 0:04:30,001 --> 0:04:34,900 Because when girls see that they will think, this girl is just exploiting her looks,
this girl is really fake.
It's very obvious to see.
Men, on the other hand, have a blind spot when it comes to this,
men won't even notice.
If a girl is really so fake
you think guys will notice?
From my vast experience growing up with men I think they generally do not notice.
Only girls really talk about it.
I think I have more female fans and girls tend to like me more.
In terms of performance and my music.
I think it's great.
It means I've been successful in what I set out to do.
I think I am truly genuine when I am performing.
Yes, I think that is it.
I don't think Taiwan is like that.
I think Taiwan is good in this aspect.
I think girl performers can actually get better chances.
maybe because there are so few, they will quickly garner attention
I don't think Taiwan has any problems in this sense.
Before, I read a lot of books about foreign girl bands,
about how they had to really struggle to get on top
but it's actually pretty easy in Taiwan
I think Taiwan is more open in this sense, there is less opposition.
People won't say your music is bad just because you are a girl or anything like that.
I also think girls in Taiwan are much more innovative and creative than guys when performing.
Guys care too much about individual self-expression.
Some male musicians give me this impression.
Like they care more about how to show off their talent and skills.
Girls don't worry about that so much.
They care more about performing their music well.
That's the main difference.
I think that girls with big breasts are popular
If a star exposes her breasts, she will become very popular,
everyone's focus will be on her breasts.
I'm not really affected because my chest is as flat as an ironing board.
So it's pretty distant from me.
I don't really care about it.
I don't know why everyone cares so much about breasts.
Whenever a female musician performs and shows some skin
everyone will give her lots of attention.
But the focus will all be on her breasts.
without any regard to what her music was like.
Recently for example
Doris, from the band CHTONIC
The picture with her breats exposed
was noticed by everyone.
but no mention was made of how she performed that day.
All they thought was - Wow, great breast!
What a nice angle.
It has nothing to do with the music.
That's the stereotype more or less.
When a girl is on stage, people don't pay attention to her music but just what she's wearing
I think it's dull to try and distinguish between 'male' and 'female' bands.
I think music is music.
It shouldn't matter if it's a girl or a boy.
But girls tend to pay attention to smaller details, the bits people normally overlook.
I think that's it.
I'm not really trying to say something in my lyrics.
When I'm writing, I don't particularly write from a female perspective.
I don't write like that.
This female consciousness appears because I'm a girl.
So when I'm writing it'll come out anyway.
It's the same for all female artists.
They don't say "I'm a woman so I must create female art".
Men don't create things only men could create.
It's just because of the difference in gender so they'll be differences in the art.
Subtitles by Conor Stuart and Daniel Pagan Murphy