...Modern Hip Hop Music has always had a huge impact on society; it serves as a means of expression and as a way of communicating and connecting with others. While there are positive aspects to music as it uplifts society during times of hardship it also serves as a means of reinforcing gender norms as well as upholding capitalist ideals. Since its inception, hip hop has remained one of the most popular genres with today’s youth, but it is clear that women play a different role in the genre than men. Through a study of several hip hop and rap songs it becomes apparent that hip hop glamorizes brand names, “fast money”, and women. When women are objectified they are no longer encouraged to amass wealth, instead they are encouraged to simply be with men who have money. By reviewing popular song lyrics of famous hip hop such as Iggy Azalea’s, “I’m so Fancy” and Kanye’s “Mercy”, it is clear that there is a common theme of the obsession of wealth and beautiful women. Hip hop often dehumanizes women as they are perceived as plentiful and a luxury “item”. The modern woman, and women of the working class have no representation in hip hop. Women are further oppressed through hip hop as the average life style of those who cannot afford to spend lavishly are often left out and depicted as envious. Understanding how hip hop and capitalism is related is important to understanding why modern women are oppressed through this genre of music. Consumerism plays a huge part in how lyrics are written...
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...Music v. Society It is well known that American society preaches against sexism and inequality among the sexes and this standard applies to everyone, except our favorite singers. The media praises Feminists and infamies anyone who says or thinks against feminism, but will turn up the tunes on misogynistic songs. Although they may seem common terms now with media and our culture turning to the cause of feminism, let us define some terms. Sexism is prejudice, stereotyping, or discriminating, on the basis of gender. This means that sexism can be discrimination against any gender; this also means that objectifying is, by association, sexist (“Sexism”). Conversely there is feminism, which is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights...
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...Black Women in the Media Media is defined as a form of mass communication through the use of radio, television, the Internet, music, film, and etc. Throughout history, American media has not only been used as a form of communication and entertainment, but it has also been utilized to spread stereotypes and hegemonic ideals reinforcing the racial hierarchy that has continued to survive even after the abolition of slavery in the nineteenth century. According to Tilicia L. Mayo, Indiana University communications graduate, images in the media contain the ability to teach many different lessons. Mayo states, “Contemporary films and television shows deliver images that communicate ideologies such as class, standing and position in society” (vi). After the abolition of slavery, White America searched for means of social control through the media since they lacked the power of legal control. Black women, being of the lowest racial and gender classes in America, have repeatedly been stereotyped and victimized through the use of degrading images in contemporary media. The origins of these images can be found in the racist ideologies of the African slave woman created by White Euro-American slave owners. The images of black women in American media have directly affected how black women and other people in society define black womanhood. This influence directly shows how people utilize fictitious and stereotypical images from the media in trying to understand the stereotyped group and...
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...Misogyny Page1 In today’s view hip hop is blamed for the negative images of women in music videos. When it comes to degrading and sexist representations of women in music, it is often perceived as misogynistic. Misogyny in hip hop culture refers to lyrics, videos or other aspects of hip hop culture that justifies exploitation of women. Hip hop has influenced modern popular culture, saturating mass media through music videos, radio broadcasts, and a variety of others. Most of the lyrics and images you see today in the hip-hop industry portray women of all ethnicities as sexual objects and depicts the exploitation of women. The image of dozens of semi-naked women dancing provocatively around one famous rapper has become the usual in music videos. Hip hop has become a mess of unrealistic images of female sexuality. Some defend that the sexism in hip hop is a part of a hip hop artist life. If that’s the case then how did this image become the accepted standard of hip hop music video format? Many artists try to manipulate their fans in believing that this is their lifestyle, but the main reason behind that is sex sell and it draws people in. Some women have made careers of this lifestyle. If you pay attention to hip hop videos you may see some of the same faces in multiple videos. The more revealing they are the more casting calls and more money they will receive. To me I find it embarrassing that rappers degrade females in their music videos but still have the same ones in every...
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...Hip-hop culture is everywhere. The culture, which encompasses rapping, deejaying, break-dancing and graffiti-writing, has become so popular that it has entered mainstream fashion and modern language. It doesn't stop there. The culture permeates everything from TV commercials to toys to video games. Currently, there is even a hip-hop exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. You name it, and hip hop is there representing. However, hip hop's most potent form is its rap music--embraced by urban Blacks and suburban Whites alike. It is raw self-expression that sometimes features profane lyrics, misogyny and violence. The music, along with rap videos that often present a disturbing mix of rap, hip-hop dance styles, fashion and language, leave many people asking: Is hip-hop culture harming our youth" "The hip-hop culture is just like electricity," civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton told JET. "It can be used negatively or positively. The same electric current that lights up your house can also electrocute you. It is the misuse of hip-hop culture to attack our women and promote violence. We must encourage the proper use of hip-hop culture. We are all influenced by the hip-hop generation." Sharpton, who recently hosted a special summit on social responsibility in the hip-hop industry, labeled gangsta rappers "well-paid slaves." Advertisement "Don't let some record executive tell you that cursing out your mama is in style. Anytime...
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...188-024 Research Essay December 13th, 2013 How Women Are Portrayed in Music In today’s society, the genres of rap and R&B are one of the most popular forms of music. Conversely, the ideas and lyrics of many songs fall into these genres tend to be violent, offensive, vulgar and sexist. We can see that sexism in rap music is apparent through the negative portrayal of women found in both the lyrics and music videos. This is an important issue because rap is so popularized today that these negative depictions of women, especially African American women, is potentially giving its viewers the idea that it is acceptable to treat women in such demeaning ways. Most of the time, we do not comprehend the message that is being sent through songs we listen to. We as society need to become more conscious of the music we listen to. Over the years, rap and rap music videos have repetitively become more and more sexual and degrading towards women. Rap has been criticized various times for this reason. The excuses used to justify the misogyny in rap are inadequate and lack accurate support. The most effective way for this continuous cycle to end is if the fight and protest comes from the women themselves. Men are the problem in the objectification of women but in order for it to stop, women need to step up and take control of the situation. Misogyny and degradation of women does exist in almost every genre of music, yet the Elmhorst 2 one genre that completely revolves around belittling...
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...Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth Abstract Music plays an important role in the socialization of children and adolescents. Popular music is present almost everywhere, and it is easily available through the radio, various recordings, the Internet, and new technologies , allowing adolescents to hear it in diverse settings and situations, alone or shared with friends. Parents often are unaware of the lyrics to which their children are listening because of the increasing use of downloaded music and headphones. Research on popular music has explored its effects on schoolwork, social interactions, mood and affect, and particularly behavior. The effect that popular music has on children's and adolescents' behavior and emotions is of paramount concern. Lyrics have become more explicit in their references to drugs, sex, and violence over the years, particularly in certain genres. A teenager's preference for certain types of music could be correlated or associated with certain behaviors. As with popular music, the perception and the effect of music-video messages are important, because research has reported that exposure to violence, sexual messages, sexual stereotypes, and use of substances of abuse in music videos might produce significant changes in behaviors and attitudes of young viewers. Pediatricians and parents should be aware of this information. Furthermore, with the evidence portrayed in these...
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...this research is to state the effects of pop music (and music videos) to overall well being of children and teens. This paper will focus on the negative side, on two major fields: Behavior (including health) and Interpersonal relations. I picked 10 current Pinoy music videos of varied genres. I formulated a mini questionnaire and let random children and teens answer it. It took me almost 3 weeks to gather information and make conclusions. I chose to do a research on the effects of listening and watching pop music/music videos because me, myself is an avid listener and viewer of pop music. It will be much easier for me to do a research if I choose a topic, which is very relatable/close to my heart and to my being. And also, the reading assigned to me in the class, which is an experiment to pop music video viewers and its effects to gender and sexuality of teenagers, influenced me to do this paper. Below is the actual survey questionnaire that I gave to 8-20 year old children and teens, to be followed by an explanation of why I chose those kinds of questions. Questionnaire 1. State your gender: _____M _____F 2. Age range: _____5-12 _____13-25 _____26-30 3. Do you watch music videos? _____Yes _____No 4. How often do you watch music videos? _________Hours 5. Where do you watch music videos? _____TV _____Phone/iPod _____Youtube 6. Do you like to see dance routines within a music video? _____Yes _____No Why? ______...
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...THE MEANING OF 'INDEPENDENT WOMAN'' IN MUSIC MiA MOODY Introduction Rapper Roxanne Shanté's 1989 rendition of "Independent Woman," explored relationships and admonished women not to dote on partners who do not reciprocate or to buy into the fairytale dream that a man would always take care of them. The definition of an "Independent Woman" in the Urban Dictionary, a predominantly African American written and defined Web site, is "A woman who pays her own bills, buys her own things, and does not allow a man to affect her stability or self-confidence. She supports herself on her own entirely and is proud to be able to do so." Another depiction of independence is found in Tina Portis' video clip titled the "Deception of the Independent Woman" posted to YouTube in 2010. Portis, an entrepreneur and former single mother, offers her opinion on statistics showing 42% of U.S. black women have never been married and are "independent" because they focus on achievement, often waiting too long to compete for the small number of black men who are equal in status (Johnson, 2010). In the video, she asserts that independent women do not need a pat on the back for doing what grownups are supposed to do: pay their bills, buy houses and cars, etc. She adds that independence discourages relationships as people begin to believe they can do everything alone, so they do not need a mate. Mia Moody, PhD, is a professor of journalism at Baylor University. She is the author of ...
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...phrase “Hip-Hop Is Dead” can be found everywhere around hip hop community discussions during the last years. Rapper “Nas” titled his eighth album in 2006 with this statement, and has caused a controversy among rap artists and listeners all over the world. But comparing today`s hip hop music with the roots of hip hop can we really claim that hip-hop is really dead? If so, what are the facts that lead in the death of hip hop? What does its demise mean for the average fan? How to bring it back? Does it mean the genre will go down in irrelevance like what happened in disco music? All these questions will be investigated during this paper, and to understand this complicate statement itself, we should figure out what the statement really means. Maybe it is the fact that most of the genre’s songs and music videos look exactly the same. Maybe it’s the mainstream hip-hop game’s emphasis in ridiculously shinning jewelry, the sexism and the focus on money and women. Better yet, according to Mickey Hess, “hip-hop’s untimely demise could be a result of the cancerous lack of creativity that plagued the general music industry in the last few years”. (Mickey Hess, 2007) So many people have said that this music once so radical and new is dead, Nas included. Nas in an XXL magazine interview when asked what he meant when proclaiming hip hop is dead he said:”Yeah Hip-Hop is Dead ‘cause America is dead...
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...“A STUDY ON THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MALE RAP ARTIST AMONG 50 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NEWLAND CENTER FOR EDUCATION S.Y. 2011-2012” A Thesis Presented To the Faculty and Staff of Newland Center for Education In Partial Fulfillment For The Secondary Education By: Meinard Albert D. Retoran 4th Year – Gold 2013 – 2014 APPROVAL SHEET The thesis entitled “A STUDY ON A STUDY ON THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MALE RAP ARTIST AMONG 50 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NEWLAND CENTER FOR EDUCATION, S.Y. 2013-2014” presented and submitted by RETORAN, MEINARD ALBERT D., in partial fulfillment for requirements in Secondary Education has been examined and is recommended for acceptance and approval for ORAL EXAMINATION. Mrs. Michelle D. Retoran Adviser PANEL OF EXAMINERS As approved by the COMMITTEE ON ORAL EXAMINATION with a grades of ___________ on _____________________. DR. ROSARIO C. CRUZ Director DR. GELARIO C. CRUZ __________________ Principal DepEd Representative MRS. SEGUNDINA BANZON __________________ Member Member Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Secondary Education Date: ______________ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to dedicate this thesis entitled “A STUDY ON A STUDY ON THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MALE RAP ARTIST AMONG 50 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NEWLAND CENTER FOR EDUCATION, S.Y. 2013-2014” to...
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...BLACK POPULAR CULTURE AS A MEANS OF ACHIEVING INEGRATION "We as a society successfully eliminated the need for achieving integration through political agitation for civil rights and opted instead for knowing each other through cultural text. In what way(s) has BPC contributed or contradicted this statement?" Since the early 1900s, many legislative steps have been taken to achieve equal civil rights for all American citizens regardless of race, gender, age, or ethnicity. Throughout this time of integration, however, there was much political agitation to achieve this equality. It can be said that, “we as a society successfully eliminated the need for achieving integration through political agitation for civil rights and opted instead for knowing each other through cultural text.” That is to say, nowadays we do not pursue integration through political agitation but rather through discourse and education on various cultures, including black popular culture. There are several ways in which black popular culture has both contributed and contradicted this statement. In regards to its contribution, literature from famous black authors has served to better achieve integration through education of its audience on the black reality. Secondly, high school and university courses such as African Studies classes also illustrate how nowadays integration is achieved through cultural text as opposed to political agitation. Additionally, scholarly writings such as the article “The...
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...Running head: THE EFFECTS OF MEDIA IN SOCIALIZATION The Effects of Media in the Socialization of Children and Young Adults The Effects of Media in the Socialization of Children and Young Adults The media today are a powerful tool in modifying the behavior of children and young adults. This behavior can be seen as negative or positive depending on the situation. Children’s development is influenced by many factors but as Lund (2003) noted the significance of the mass media cannot be overstated: “The accumulated experience of media exposure contributes to the cultivation of a child’s values, beliefs, dreams, and expectations, which shape the adult identity a child will carry and modify through his or her life.” Studies investigating Social Learning Theory, done by Baker (2007, p.26) have consistently reported that children can model roles and behaviors seen on television. Media play a significant role in the socialization process, body image, and moral judgments in children and adolescents. Cartoons on television are some of the first factors of socialization in a child’s life. Although many adults feel that cartoons are obviously fantastical, unrealistic, and therefore harmless to children, the research evidence proves otherwise. “According to developmental literature, children before the age of ten years often have difficulty differentiating between reality and fantasy”(Baker...
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...generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it” - Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth In cultures all over the world, music can be seen encompassing many aspects of life for many individuals. It is a form of mass communication that speaks directly to society as a cultural form", and often reflects a collection and pattern of personal experiences. Hip-hop or rap, an art form and culture nearly thirty years old originating from The Bronx, New York, has provided a forum for Black and Latino youth to express their respective cultures and speak on a number of issues. Today, Hip-hop is a global phenomenon that appeals to almost all ethnicities and is synthesizing a new culture that goes beyond race, education, and income. Hip-hop has been under continual metamorphosis since its 1970’s inner-city inception. Some of the original artists like Kurtis Blow chose to lament everyday life in the ghettos. Others, Sugar Hill Gang among them, took a more dance inspired approach to the music. But for both these and other artists from the early years of rap through the late 1980’s including KRS-One, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J, fast beats and socially relevant lyrics were among the primary components of the music. By the 1990’s a new face of rap music emerged. It began with Ice T and later gained popularity with artists such as NWA (Niggaz Wit Attitude) whose first album shocked and titillated the rap world with their obscene...
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...Resources for Teaching Prepared by Lynette Ledoux Copyright © 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin’s All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. 2 1 f e 0 9 d c 8 7 b a For information, write: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 (617-399-4000) ISBN-10: 0–312–44705–1 ISBN-13: 978–0–312–44705–2 Instructors who have adopted Rereading America, Seventh Edition, as a textbook for a course are authorized to duplicate portions of this manual for their students. Preface This isn’t really a teacher’s manual, not, at least, in the sense of a catechism of questions and correct answers and interpretations. Because the questions provided after each selection in Rereading America are meant to stimulate dialogue and debate — to generate rather than terminate discourse — they rarely lend themselves to a single appropriate response. So, while we’ll try to clarify what we had in mind when framing a few of the knottier questions, we won’t be offering you a list of “right” answers. Instead, regard this manual as your personal support group. Since the publication of the first edition, we’ve had the chance to learn from the experiences of hundreds of instructors nationwide, and we’d like to use this manual as a forum where we can share some of their concerns, suggestions, experiments, and hints. We’ll begin with a roundtable on issues you’ll probably want to address before you meet your class. In the first section of this manual, we’ll discuss approaches to...
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