Feminist Rap Music Fandom

Last Thursday, I was at our sorority event. 
Imagine the loud, dark, perfume and vodka smelling bar, with hundreds of people dancing and singing and even the occasional couple making out on the dance floor...
It's a night I usually enjoy, and last Thursday wasn't much different. It was a holiday themed event, so of COURSE Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" comes on a couple times... but what followed the occasional Christmas music banger? 

"Bend Ova" by Lil Jon...
Here are some of the lyrics: 

"Bend ova, make your knees touch your elbows
How fast can you shake it?
Put it on a n**** 'til his a** can't take it
Stop playing girl, shake that s**t. 
Wiggle that a**, make it shake like Jell-O."

Even when "Sexy Can I" came on, there was no way I could avoid listening to the specific words that were being boomed over the speakers with the echoes of girls' voices screaming the words. The title makes it sound like Ray J is trying to ask for consent, right? Ha. 
It is hard to be a woman who loves to dance and go out and listen to the popular rap songs when ALL of them have some aspect of sexism, rape, misogyny, or something similar. My best friend is someone who has (for YEARS) been an active feminist, but she can't help her love for what she calls "Trap Music." Seems ironic, right? We vote when we buy food, we vote when we listen to music, we vote when we visit restaurants or businesses. Everywhere we spend time and money is a contribution; and to talk constantly about one way of life, but be subconsciously paying into the misogyny we fight during the day? It sounds very counterproductive to me. Of course, there is no perfect way to combat this. You like music, you like music. I'm just always taken aback by the amount of music that we play, know, and listen to on a regular basis that doesn't accurately represent us. Men listen to this music too... and to what extent does this continue to normalize and reinforce the culture we should be fighting against?

Comments

  1. Shanaya ShahDecember 13, 2017 at 4:52 PM

    I think you bring up a really good point. I enjoy my fair share of movies, music and pop culture that often objectifies women. However, I don't think it makes you a bad person for dancing to a song that you know is sexist. You can like something and enjoy it while still being critical of it. Everything has it's own flaws. It's very important to actually examine what we like and use our feminist lens to analyze what is being said by that particular song, or movie or whatever it may be. I think if you can acknowledge and own up to the fact that something that you like is problematic is already a foot in the right direction. The narratives that we surround ourselves with can subtly, subconsciously influence how we think about ourselves and others, and realizing that is one way to be more cognizant of what we surround ourselves with.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shanaya ShahDecember 14, 2017 at 1:15 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What We Hunger For: Deep Thoughts

"Just because you survive something does not mean you are strong." To be completely honest, this story was one that I could almost watch in my head. Perhaps part of that was because it was written vividly with strong imagery and diction; perhaps because I could see a reflection of myself in Gay's story. This year has been a transformative one for me, as I have learned to become more self-aware and acknowledging that there is immense power in naming our struggles. I am consistently told by my friends how "strong, courageous, and unfuckwithable" I am... which, I think, genuinely stems from my inability to be comfortable. I've survived too much. I've been exposed to and made it through too much... and apparently, the fact that I managed to make it "out" of those immediate situations is seen as strong. However, I am very thankful that Gay made the comment above. To me, I've always seen strength as how people cope with the long-term effects o...
Read more

A word is a word is a word

In "Bad Feminist: Take One," Gay opens up about her inner quarrels regarding her identification as a feminist. This is something I, too struggled with. At the time, the term was gaining a less than popular connotation, with a minority of the movement taking it upon themselves to spread their isolated belief that women rise above the equilibrium of society; they are superior to men and all men are inherently awful. It is easy to understand, then, why a young girl that does not share these extreme views and stereotypes may not want to be a placed beneath a spot light during such a tense situation, and would subsequently ditch the term. Ditching the term, for me at least, did not mean that I lost my way and would slowly evolve into the submissive, modest, and good woman deemed to be the ideal. Although, ditching the term is controversial and some may see it as a betrayal to the movement executed by a ‘ bad ’ woman. If the individuals remains true to their beliefs and conti...
Read more

Fifty Shades of Fantasy

I've never been too intrigued by all the 50 Shades of Grey concept. As a social work major, reading the first book in the series and watching the first movie with my aunt (yes- my AUNT...), all I could think of when I was exposed to that plot was the lack of focus on Christian's real need and outcry for help. The novel flips the 'usual' narrative of the woman being the victim and her inability to retain a healthy relationship, and shows us a man who seeks domination and control, which- some argue- is what women *really* want. I will not be the first to argue that point. In "The Trouble With Prince Charming," Gay references 50 Shades and how the author uses a disgusting sense of erotica that we can't help but be turned on by, to romanticise the idea of pure abuse, submission, and toxicity in the text. I will commend the story on one thing: Christian is adamant about consent. Mostly because it could result in a MAJOR lawsuit against him if ever interprete...
Read more