Five Reasons why Linda McCartney is a Fierce Female Role Model
Linda McCartney was known for being many things—Paul’s wife, rock photographer, singer, mother, cook. But there is one role that in today’s day and age, is more powerful and visible than ever before: her feminism. This may not be a trait that is often associated with McCartney. In fact, some might see her participation in Wings and her focus on the home to indicate the opposite. But though it’s not overt—she did not often express it openly or campaign for feminist causes—she lived her life with an admirable strength and independence that she, in turn, passed on to her daughters.
On the 20th anniversary of her passing, we look at five reasons Linda McCartney was so much more than “lovely,” and even now, is a model of female independence and resilience.
1) She made her own way in the world
In 1965, Linda Eastman was a divorced single mother working as a receptionist at Town and Country magazine. A photography hobbyist since college, she observed how professional photographers created their shoots, and she eventually began to assist on shoots herself (she was not, as rumors suggest, descended from the Eastman-Kodak family). A year later, Linda was one of the world’s most sought-after rock photographers, with subjects running the gamut from the Rolling Stones to Aretha Franklin, and eventually, to the Beatles.
Some have argued that Linda’s appearance, not her talent, was the secret to her success. Others have gone further, assuming that she succeeded because she slept with so many of her clients. But that reasoning is unequivocally wrong, an argument that only serves to slut-shame, and that must be rejected along with the Harvey Weinsteins of this world. A beginner photographer, recently promoted from a receptionist role, would not have risen to become the first female photographer to shoot the cover of Rolling Stone (Eric Clapton, May, 1968) without the talent. And whether she was photographing superstars or her own children, there’s no question she had it.
So what was it about her work that helped her rise to the top? The Kunst Haus Wien Museum described her “distinctive personal style: a casual elegance combined with an instinctive feeling for capturing the subject at just the right instant,” and reviewer Barney Britton remarked that her portrait of Twiggy was “almost voyeuristic in its intimacy.” Her work was natural and easy; she put her subjects at ease during a session; her relaxed banter and familiar manner allowing them to relax enough to reveal their most authentic selves.
Skill behind the lens was only part of it; Linda’s own confidence and authenticity allowed her to connect with her subjects in a way that produced great work, and continued to serve her well throughout her life. Considering that research has revealed a “confidence gap” between men and women—where “evidence shows that women are less self-assured than men—and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence”—Linda McCartney is an example of what a woman who bridges that confidence gap can do and be.
2) Criticism did not make her conform
“American Slut Go Home.”
This was just one of the many angry messages scrawled on the newly-married McCartneys’ door in the late ‘60s. Fans hated her. Critics hated her too. And as long as Linda was in the public eye, the hate never completely stopped. Maligned for her marriage, her career, her activism, her singing voice, her hair, her fashion choices, the list goes on—there was always something to criticize. Did it affect her? Of course (see #5). But her determination to do what she wanted, wear what she wanted, and be with who she wanted, allowed her to live her life how she wanted.
The choice that brought her the most criticism was, of course, performing. And there were plenty of things to criticize in the beginning. She was clearly not comfortable on stage, had trouble singing in tune, was a novice at the keyboards—and was thus the butt of many cruel jokes. An especially unforgiving tape of a vocal isolation in the early ‘90s brought the question of her abilities back into focus, a full 20 years after she began performing with Paul. No matter what Linda did, fans and critics couldn’t stop asking, “Who does she think she is, calling herself a collaborator with one of the most famous and brilliant musicians of all time?”
Who she was, was his wife, giving Paul what he needed to help him rise out of intense depression after the Beatles’ breakup. Her presence in a band was an act of courage, a testament to their partnership, and a model of love that any woman—or man—can aspire to.
And looking back, was it really such a bad choice? It was Linda’s voice that gave the ever-changing Wings supporting lineup a distinct and recognizable sound. And it was her love, support, and physical presence both on and offstage, that inspired some of the greatest songs of a generation.
3) She did not let traditional gender stereotypes dictate her choices
Linda McCartney did not make her choices based on what society saw as appropriate for her gender. She embraced traditionally “female” pursuits (cooking, homemaking, mothering), while at other time taking on roles that were, at the time, seen as “male” (photography, entrepreneurship). In an age where women’s choices are continually judged against unforgiving and unattainable societal expectations, it’s inspiring to look to someone who refused to limit herself based on gender stereotypes.
4) She was an entrepreneur and a visionary
In the mid-‘70s, being vegetarian wasn’t trendy, and it certainly wasn’t easy. There were no veggie burgers, no fake-meat hot dogs you could put on the grill to fit in at the barbeque. As Linda concluded, there nothing that could fill “the hole in the middle of the plate” that going meatless left. So Linda set out to fix that. A passionate cook for her friends and family, she experimented and pioneered new ways to make a meat-free diet easy for anyone to adopt, while also tasting good. A series of successful cookbooks led to a food company that still continues under her name, and Linda’s and others’ initial experimentation with vegetarian foods has solved the problem and filled the hole in the plate.
Is her name and fame be partially responsible for her initial success? Of course. Who wouldn’t be curious about cookbook from the wife of a Beatle? But ultimately, it was her vision, determination, and talent that kept people coming back for more, 35 years after that first cookbook.
5) She had the final word
She may not have let the haters dictate her choices, but years of constant criticism wore on her. And at the very end of her life, Linda got the last word. “The Light Comes from Within”—her final studio recording—finally told her critics how she felt about their judgments, with enough F-bombs to force the BBC to ban the single for explicit language.
As Paul McCartney wrote in the liner notes to Linda’s posthumous album, Wide Prairie:
If I Got Up showed Linda’s strong opposition to oppression, then The Light took it a few steps further. During the last couple of years of her life, we were required to make many trips ‘up to London’ for one treatment or another. We always tried to put the journey time to good use. She and I talked a lot about this album, and the lyrics to this song were finished during one such trip. When we came to record the vocal, which was sadly to be her last, I said half-jokingly, “you can’t sing this”. She looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and said “You wanna bet?”
It was her answer to all the people who had ever put her down and that whole dumb male chauvinist attitude that to her had caused so much harm in our society. God bless her… my little baby literally had the last word.
In the 20 years since Linda McCartney died, so many things have changed. But her influential life, lived as a feminist role model, must continue to be celebrated.
