When I hear the word gatekeeping, my mind gravitates towards fashionistas who refuse to inform you where they got their jewelry or pants from. They’ll make up some excuse, going, “Oh, the place closed down, so you can’t find this anymore,” or “I just found it.” Or say, you’re in a car with a friend and playing music. You hear a really good song and want to know the title of said song so you can save it, but your friend instead goes, “I’m not telling you the song, they’re really underground and I don’t want them to become mainstream.”Â
Gatekeeping is, “the activity of controlling access to something / The action of discouraging or criticizing others’ participation in or enjoyment of a shared activity or interest.”
I can understand the desire to keep your interest to yourself. It makes us feel special and unique when we have a niche interest that no one else knows about. Trust me, I’ve been in situations where I’ve witnessed my favorite artist and books blow up overnight. I remember listening to Sabrina Carpenter’s music when she was still playing Maya on Girl Meets World. When she blew up into the mega popstar she is today, it did feel like parts of me were exposed. Suddenly, I don’t feel unique anymore.
Recently, I went to see my all-time favorite artist, Kyle Dion, live in person. A small hint of the desire to gatekeep him came through me while at the concert. Witnessing how other people knew who he was and appeared to be bigger fans of him than I was (even though everyone who knew me also knew that I would frequently shove his music down their throat since I was in the 10th grade) made me feel incredibly territorial. How dare other people than me know who he is! But granted, knowing that he has a bigger audience than expected brings a sort of pride in me. Witnessing my favorite artist grow and gain the recognition he deserves makes me happy.Â
It’s fun to keep our interests to ourselves, but if we think of it when it comes to entertainment, gatekeeping can hurt people more than benefit them. Lots of musicians made the leap of faith by making music because it’s their love and passion. This is their dream, to be able to sustain themselves with their music only and no longer have to work. When people gatekeep these artists, it prevents them from making their dreams come true to sustaining themselves with just their music.Â
Musical artists do not get paid a lot when people listen to their songs. Lots of music services will pay their artist less than a few cents for each stream they receive, meaning that every person who listens to their music counts. The more people who listen to their music, the more revenue they earn, which means they’re more likely to continue making music. There’s a reason why a lot of artists also use the means of selling merchandise to gain a profit. Their music doesn’t give them enough revenue, which further supports the fact that when an artist has a bigger crowd, they can sell merch to their fans who are big supporters. Of course, not everything is money, but I would be lying if I said our entire lives isn’t surrounded by money, plus having money is great.
Gatekeeping artists, while it can feel good to us, does not feel good to them and can discourage them from continuing to produce their work. This does not just apply to musicians, but also to films, books, clothes, and small businesses. If these people are under the assumption that people do not like the work they create, what will be their motivator to continue creating if they desire to share their work with the world?
If we think deeper, how does gatekeeping benefit anyone? There are a few scenarios where gatekeeping can do more good than harm, and the prime example is protecting locations and wildlife. If a hidden pond in a forest is not as widely known, then it’s more likely to keep itself healthy with less human traffic. If more people were to know the location, it runs the risk of becoming polluted, and the touchless beauty it once had is now gone and irreversible. When I scroll through TikTok and see a beautiful beach and notice that the creator is keeping the location hidden, I cannot bring myself to blame them, as we humans have already destroyed countless environments. In this case, I view it less as gatekeeping but more as protecting a location. With climate change and the rapid destruction of sensitive environments, this is the only time when “gatekeeping” is reasonable and needs to happen.
While some gatekeeping has its benefits, in the long term, it’s harming people more than helping. When a friend next time asks you what song you’re playing, where you bought that delicious food you’re eating, or what’s the name of the niche film you’re watching, just know that whoever made it will probably be greatly appreciative of you for pushing their name out there for more people to enjoy their work.