# Talk:Meg White

"her minimalist and simplistic style ..." No. Simplistic is a pejorative, it's not a synonym for simple or minimalist. It means dumbing something down to the point where you miss the point. Oxford Dictionary of American English: "treating complex issues and problems as if they were much simpler than they really are: simplistic solutions."
If you mean minimalist, say minimalist.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Haslinger1999 (talk • contribs) 14:24, 11 September 2024 (UTC) 


### Meg White
Previous peer review

I've listed this article for peer review because since its previous one in 2014, it has been expanded drastically, many things have happened and since been added to the article with the best of my ability. I tried to remain as objective and informative as I could whilst providing information that I believed was useful/important to the article. It would be cool to get feedback!
Thank you, Watagwaan (talk) 03:51, 13 February 2025 (UTC)


#### Comments from Arconning
Here are the comments I'd say from a thorough skim (quite the contrast). Arconning (talk) 12:58, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

Thank you! I applied all of these except for "rockonthenet" because these were citations I got from the White Stripes' awards list, which is a Featured List, so I figured it was reviewed. Watagwaan (talk) 07:04, 28 February 2025 (UTC)
The source in the lead citing White's birthday can be removed as it's already mentioned within the body. A better source could be provided as I've seen some more reliable sources citing her birthday.
"including "In the Cold, Cold Night"." Could be rewritten as "including in the song...".
The first mention of "The White Stripes" should be wikilinked.
I doubt "www.rockonthenet.com's" is a reliable source, this could be switched for something better.
On the Icky Thump tour, the bass drum head design was switched to a button inspired by the Pearlies clothing Jack and Meg wore for the album cover. She also used Remo and Ludwig drumheads, various percussion instruments and Vater drumsticks., unsourced.
White's Pearl Export bass drum—complete with original peppermint-painted bass drum that she used with the band's first show—and the Pearly Queen outfit she wore in the photos for the Icky Thump album, were featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "Women Who Rock" exhibition., source should be fixed to a live one (or an archived version of the citation).
incredible hulk,, sic?
Wikipedia:Citation overkill in "Personal life" and "Accolades and achievements"?


### "Retired" musician discussion
Hey folks! So, Meg White never made a retirement statement, which is the reason we don't list her as a "retired musician". She did cease performing and leave the industry when the White Stripes formally disbanded in 2011, which is why her "Years active" ends at 2011. But without an official statement from Meg herself saying she retired, this is why we haven't put "retired musician" or "former musician".

If this is not correct (I was going off previous reverts and other editor's comments) by all means we can amend it. I hope all is well! Watagwaan (talk) 18:09, 3 May 2025 (UTC)

@Watagwaan: Hi, I think I can swing in either direction; what are the arguments of the previous editors for not mentioning directly that she's retired? I tried to search for effective examples on other pages, but only found Daniel Day-Lewis who both time announced that he's retiring, thus the page said he was retired. Meg White didn't announce, but she ceased to work in the music (i.e. retired). To take a side, I would revert the changes that said she's retired to play it safe; and then a reader can come up with their own label for Meg's status. —LastJabberwocky (Rrarr) 18:58, 3 May 2025 (UTC)
Got it! It's the first time it's been fully talked out, really, so I don't mind changing it now. Watagwaan (talk) 21:44, 3 May 2025 (UTC)

I reverted the addition of a signature image for the following reasons.

Much of my concerns are outlined in this essay.  It's from a primary source, it's not widely published.  White herself gives every indication of wishing privacy.
Wikipedia is not a fansite.  It does not collect signatures which are more often that not, devoid of information.  What does the reader learn from them?
In order to add it to the infobox, it was changed from the specific "musical artist" to the far more generic "person".  I do not see that as an improvement.
Escape Orbit (Talk) 09:47, 20 June 2025 (UTC)

On Bastille Day in 1997, White began learning to play the drums using Jack's drumkit. What is the significance of Bastille Day? Is she French? Is she a revolutionary? Is she descended from Robespierre? The sentence has three citations, but neither of the two online citations mentions Bastille Day. Assuming the other one does, the citation should include a direct quote showing how it is significant. Otherwise, it should be changed to "in 1997". No other musician biography gives the day and month the subject began learning to play. 2001:BB6:4756:DF58:8D49:B474:8FD8:96C4 (talk) 11:20, 8 August 2025 (UTC)

Agreed, removed.
Polygnotus (talk) 13:57, 8 August 2025 (UTC)

There is an updated file of her signature from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is publicly accessible and preserved. I took a picture and extracted the signature from it. As for the infobox, I changed it to infobox person in example of articles such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga which are FAs, and other notable musicians such as Chappell Roan. Watagwaan (talk) 20:52, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

Comments from Noleander, in response to request from user Watagwaan  for suggestions to make sure the article is ready for an FA nomination:

Images will need "alt" text WP:ALT.  The alt text should describe the visual aspects of the image (as if describing it to a blind person) and not simply restate the caption.
Jack vs Jackson:  I suggest using only one first name throughout the entire article, even the InfoBox.  Otherwise, readers may think that is two different people.  The full name (Jackson) can be mentioned once, perhaps in the InfoBox as  "Jackson (Jack)" then use Jack in all the body text.
Paragraph William Bowers of Pitchfork celebrated himself in a 2002 article for not talking "covetously" about White's body. While Kilian and Schreiber at Pitchfork praised White's drumming, Brent DiCrescenzo called it "pancake-handed" and "sloppy" in 2003; ...  Thoughts on this paragraph:
The theme of the paragarph is not clear.  I'm guessing it is a collection of negative reviews of White, and other attacks on her. If so, that should be stated in the first sentence e.g. "White received negative criticism from ..."
The first sentence:  William Bowers of Pitchfork celebrated himself in a 2002 article for not talking "covetously" about White's body. His statement is just weird.  Unless other sources have called-out Bowers  for misogyny (who is saying that Bowers "celebrated" himself"?)  I don't think the sentence  belongs in the article.
Consider adding wikilink to Pitchfork (website)  ... duplicate links are permitted if the first link is in another major section.
White's public presence and strict maintenance of her privacy has also been the subject of significant commentary; as of 2025, she has not made any public appearances since 2009..  Should "public presence and" be deleted?  Or replaced by "reclusive nature" or "reclusiveness"?
Semicolons are great:  As a member of the White Stripes, she was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 and inducted in 2025;  she is the third female drummer to be inducted.  As a fellow user of semicolons, I'm glad to see a few in this article.  Have a response handy in case an FA reviewer objects to them.
... in progress ... Noleander (talk) 20:20, 21 November 2025 (UTC)
Here's what I fixed so far
Added alt text
Jack vs Jackson is because it refers to two different people: Jack White, and her former second husband Jackson Smith
Reworded the William Bowers sentence because I still think it is important to include. Wikilinked, didn't realize it wasn't
Replaced "public presence" with "reclusive nature"
Thank you for the compliment on semicolons! I love semicolons with all my heart and I'm scared to overuse them sometimes. Watagwaan (talk) 01:17, 23 November 2025 (UTC)