Power to the Prima Donnas
Divas, double standards, and discographies, oh my! There’s no place like the music industry.
Written by Miranda Garza
Illustrated by Roberto Soto
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word diva as “A self-important person who is temperamental and difficult to please (typically used to describe a woman).” Deriving from the Italian word for female deity, the term “diva” is closely associated with “prima donna,” the opera term for the leading female soprano — in the 19th century, many lead opera singers were perceived as goddess-like. Whether it's inclusive of body-long feather boas or extravagant sequined-gowns, everyone has their own perception of what a diva is and what they do.
History is no stranger to divas, with some of the most influential women in the arts having carried the label. One of those women was Maria Callas, a '50s and '60s Greek opera singer who sang prima donna soprano for some of the most famous opera houses in the world. Singers with this powerful vocal type are typically known to have high-strung personalities, and Callas was no exception, often exuding a volatile persona dictated by her nerves. During the opening night of the Rome Opera in 1958, Callas only sang the first act of Vincenzo Bellini’s “Norma” before belittling whistles caught her attention and sent the opera singer backstage. The audience, which seated the then-president of Italy, did not react well to her departure and created an uproar so fierce that police intervened to restore order. There were many moments like this in Callas’ career, all cohesively building her grand reputation as a diva.
Her capricious tendencies came with consequences; at the peak of her career, Callas was notoriously fired from the Metropolitan Opera by impresario Rudolph Bing. Long after the incident, Bing described Callas as one of the most difficult artists he ever worked with: “Other artists, you could get around. But Callas, you could not. She knew exactly what she wanted and why she wanted it.” Although many speculate that Callas’ termination was undeserved, it is undeniable that the confidence she held within herself not only surprised Bing, but intimidated him as well. Moments like these raise more red flags than one, and beg the question: Do these women deserve to be labeled as divas, or was their determination and ambition so strong that they were mistaken as such?
The Queen of Soul herself, the late Aretha Franklin, once held the label “diva” when she took her career — and her money — into her own hands. In the 1960s and 1970s, women gained some momentum with social equality. However, the male-dominant nature of the music industry back then resulted in women musicians often being undercompensated or stolen from. Franklin noticed this and decided to handle all financial transactions herself, keeping a cash-filled purse on her person at all times. Others slated the soul songstress as someone “tough about money,” one of many proclamations that framed Franklin as one of the most notorious divas in all of music history.
Franklin's unreceptiveness to criticism was another factor that fueled her diva status. With 18 Grammys under her belt, Franklin developed her own unique sound and didn’t want others' input to change it. In the early 1980s, she worked with singer-songwriter and producer Luther Vandross on her “comeback” album, Jump to It, and her following release, Get It Right. According to a David Ritz biography on Franklin, Vandross had looked up to Franklin when he was younger, even describing her as a "warm and down-home" artist. But as the two creatives began their work together, tensions flooded the recording studio. Many of the pair's disagreements were about how Franklin sang — with one party offering feedback and the other refusing it. “My point was simple: If he wanted to tell other artists how to sing, why didn’t he sing it himself?” Franklin said.
During her life, the soul icon acknowledged herself as a diva and brought depth to the ill-intended term. “I think a diva has to be more well-rounded than just singing,” Franklin said in a 2015 interview with Asbury Park Press. “A diva has to be a giving and caring person." After a monumental life spent advocating for humanitarian rights and supporting charities such as Feeding America and the NAACP, Franklin’s legacy is one built from strength and perseverance. By steering her career herself, she always knew what was in her best interest, allowing her to build her musical throne in confidence.
It’s no surprise that every powerful woman always intimidates at least one man — or two, or three. One diva never ashamed to speak on her supreme independence is the multi-talented Cher. Throughout the 1990s, the “Believe” singer made several humorous remarks on her belief system toward men, which garnered loads of criticism that eventually gave way to her diva title. In a 1996 TV interview, talk show host Jane Pauly asked if the pop star meant to sound “mean and bitter” after she called men “not a necessity, but a luxury” and compared them to dessert. Cher quickly said no and explained that, although men are "the coolest," she doesn’t see them as vital to life. She then recited a conversation she had with her mother where her mother says, “You know sweetheart, one day you should settle down and marry a rich man,” to which Cher responded, “Mom, I am a rich man.” The media was quick to react, coining the singer as a diva who thought she was too good for men (which she was).
Divas unafraid to speak their minds are also unafraid to hash out a long list of demands. While touring the UK, The Sun recalled how Cher's requests were nothing short of extravagant; she asked for everything from chocolate fountains and slushie machines to fruit platters that had to be kept at exactly 23.5 degrees Celsius. When stepping foot into a concert venue, the pop star requires air conditioning be turned off (to prevent any harshness on her voice), an entire room be reserved for her wigs and stage wardrobe, and the stocking of obscure backstage goodies like Walkers Thai Sweet Chilli crisps and chilled bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne. Although purging the air conditioning was best to preserve her voice, it’s easy to see where Cher's preferences cross the line from reasonable to over the top. Performing is an exhaustive process, however, and meeting these demands can be considered a form of compensation for the hard work Cher puts into her craft — even the humblest of slushie machines can have value.
Throughout her career, Cher has acknowledged her diva reputation and even poked fun at her persona. After a jaw-dropping concert entrance, she told the Los Angeles audience of her 2002 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour that "I have been a freakin’ diva for 40 freakin’ years! And it’s not easy!” The singer’s campy antics weren’t put to rest for long, because she was back on stage almost a decade later.
Although the term diva is usually tossed around to insult women, a majority of those so-called divas have taken the title back. In her interview with The Guardian, Mariah Carey set the record straight on her view of the label: “Oh, my God, they’re calling me a diva! You think in the grand scheme of things in my life that really matters to me? I am, b-tches, that’s right!” Another artist unafraid of the word is Beyoncé, who fittingly has a track titled “Diva,” where she strips the term of any negative connotation and uses it to empower women with the hook, “Diva is the female version of a hustla.”
The term isn't one of empowerment for all, however. In a Hollywood Reporter roundtable interview of actresses, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez said she sees the term as a sexist putdown. She then explained the double standard that permeates the industry, saying "how much more well-behaved (women) have to be than men" and recalling male co-stars receiving no penalties for unprofessional behavior while she was berated by a director once after being 15 minutes late to a shoot.
When taken into consideration, not all celebrities are handed the diva title deservingly. While some view the term as empowering, others see it as an unfair stain on their reputation. However, it is just as important to inspect who calls these women divas, instead of just blaming the women in question. Perhaps the d-word the media should be focusing on is double standard.