...Both the satiric piece “Bitches Ain’t Shit But Hoes and Tricks” and study: “Gangsta Misogyny: A Content Analysis of the Portrayals of Violence Against Women in Rap Music 1987-1993” serve a purpose to change the way women are portrayed in popular culture. These pieces effectively point out the fact that women are looked upon in a very negative light, though one is conducted as a study and the other is satire. The satirical piece also pokes fun at other aspects in popular culture. Beginning with the title, “Study Confirms That Bitches, As Suspected, Ain’t Shit But Hoes and Tricks” the piece pokes fun at common culture as well as academia because of the outlandish study. However, looking deeper into the article it is apparent that the piece exploits the way that society displays women as its main topic. The piece points out that this negative view isn’t a new idea as “Shakespeare used the sentence “Wenches art naut beside harlots and strumpets” in his private works, but it had never been presented publicly.” This gives a timeframe to the crisis. This piece really brings up the issue, however it lacks the resolve and seriousness needed to make a change. The study: “Gangsta Misogyny: A Content Analysis of the Portrayals of Violence Against Women in Rap Music 1987-1993” gives a better analysis of the same problem brought up in the satirical piece. This work is presented in a much different way and offers much more evidence and explanation supporting its claims. This piece states that...
Words: 513 - Pages: 3
...American opera singers have more opportunities in opera but I do not believe they have equal pay in Opera. African American’s have come a long way in all genres of music but especially in Opera. It was more accepted for African American’s to be Opera singers in Europe than the United States. As Mr. Moore said, people were not comfortable with a black male to have relations with a white woman in opera back in the days but that was because of the times black people were living in. It was accepted that black people had talent and were meant to perform for white people in the United States but interacting with white people in any way, was not appropriate. Today’s society has come to accept all black artists. We are at the top of music billboards in several genres. It seems as if we are climbing to the top in Opera. Recognized worldwide as one of today’s most exciting vocal stars, American mezzo-soprano, Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled popular and critical acclaim. ‘USA Today’ identifies her as “an operatic superstar of the 21st Century. I do not believe it is any harder for African American men to be in Opera than a woman. Like all other genres I feel that it is harder for an African American women because they have so many more expectations that a man does not have. I feel that men get more respect in music and don’t have to worry about certain things such as personal appearance and the way they should present themselves. African American men in Opera have also been...
Words: 395 - Pages: 2
...Women in the music industry have become more hyper sexualized than ever before. This is a much more complex idea than I had ever thought. There has always been a huge gray area and divide between sex-positivity and catering to the male gaze. I understand the struggle of female artists, but it is hard to defend some of the new artists. Slut-shaming is another extreme of the conversation because it can become so easy to look at these women as objects instead of real people. They become so much more of a cultural product selling fantasy that you forget that there is a person behind it all. Female artists now have been turned into brands forced to become just an image that can be sold to the public. They are no longer individuals with creative...
Words: 423 - Pages: 2
...During the Middle Ages, women opportunity for music was decently available. In a sense, many women were in churches practicing their belief and faith for god. Through their prayers and time in the church, they spent some time creating and educating the young youths about sacred music. There were songs or melodies focusing on the greatness of god, how god is the savior, devil and his sins, etc.. However, many women were not recognized for their musical talent or songs due to the lack of prestige and class. As a result, there were very little known women composers or musicians during this era. But, during the 18th century, women musicians became more popular and were acknowledge since there were more opportunities for women to perform. Opera...
Words: 258 - Pages: 2
...The Evolution of Music: Offensive to Women, yet Acclaimed in Society Victor Hugo, a well known French Romantic writer, once stated “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Though this statement was made in the 19th century, it continues to stand true to this day. Through decades of evolution, music has constantly been a way for anyone to express themselves through melodies, timbre, dynamics, and lyrics. People around the world are composing, as well as listening to, all kinds of music, and this unifies nations in all countries and continents. Introduction to Literature is an anthology that consists of a variety of literary works – poems, short stories, and excerpts from novels – that discusses globalization. I believe that a chapter regarding the subject of music and its evolution should be included in the Introduction to Literature. Music has continuously been changing ever since the first beat was tapped, the first piano was struck, the first violin was plucked, and the first horn was blown; however, in the last 150 years, the meaning of lyrics and the style of music has changed drastically. From Bing Crosby to Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Eminem, the artists and composers have altered the way music sounds on the radio, computer, and other musical devices. Every genre has artists, who have songs, which have lyrics that contain a story. Whether the story is from a memory, a dream, or an ambition, it becomes...
Words: 2731 - Pages: 11
...Hip-hop began in the 1970s in the south Bronx of New York and served a cathartic purpose for the black community. People could explore issues such as the eradication of racism and equality, but since Hip-hop was created, the cathartic use has been abused through the increased use of misogynistic lyrics and music videos. Artists like Ludacris, 50 Cent and Eminem portray women nothing more than “ho’s”, “bitches” and “freaks”. Nothing more than sex objects; and yet, their biggest fan base is adolescents, this is dreadful as neuroscientists have discovered that the teenage brain still undergoes the same radical development as seen in childhood . Teenagers are easily influenced through their formative years ; as they are consuming music videos and lyrics of a sexual nature, the adolescent will not only become desensitized to the misogynistic views; but may also become a misogynist themselves. The teenagers who are passive viewers and are directly affected by what they view, are those who the supporters of the Hypodermic Needle Theory worry about. The Hypodermic Needle Theory (also known as the magic bullet theory) suggests that viewers are passive and are subliminally accepting a message without considering its faults; this is because as a source (for example, radio) can be the only possible source you could view news from, and you then rely and accept its message. An example of the hypodermic needle theory is “The War of the Worlds” radio panic. In October 1938, there was breaking...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...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 women is rap. The topic of women being...
Words: 2121 - Pages: 9
...Portrayal of Women in Rap and Music Videos :: 4 Works Cited Length: 1724 words (4.9 double-spaced pages) Rating: Blue Price: $24.95 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Misogyny and degradation of women is present in almost every genre of music, yet the one genre that completely revolves around demeaning women is rap. Over the years rap and rap music videos have continually become more sexual and degrading towards women. Rap has been criticized numerous times for this reason, and that is because rap is one of the most popular genres of music for the younger generations. It is more than a genre of music, it is a complete industry filled with clothing and other merchandise. The reason this constant demeaning of women exists is because rap as a genre that rewards the objectification of women. The excuses used to justify the misogyny in rap are incomplete and lack accurate support. The most effective way for this continuous cycle ends, 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. Women need to act sooner rather than later because in recent years the rap industry has become more and more sexual. Ra... ... middle of paper ... ...Society 113 (2000): 255-69. JSTOR. 29 November 2009 . McLune, Jennifer. "Hip-Hop's Betrayal of Black Women." Perspective on Contemporary Issues. 5th...
Words: 5327 - Pages: 22
...Side In America women are supposed to be equal to men. In rap music though, it is portrayed that men are superior to women. Rap music was created in the 1970s and it is a fast growing culture. Rap has “taken the center stage in both the music and television worlds” (why we need to…). This is a problem in our society because women are not portrayed fairly in rap music. This has a negative effect on how the audience perceives women. Rap culture can influence men to think of women as sex objects, normalize domestic abuse, and can instill misogynistic views towards women. Sex is a big part of rap music and culture. It is mentioned in the majority of songs at an alarming number. This has a big influence on males. Rap music contains very explicit content of sexual acts, sexual thoughts, and sexual images. The problem is that most rap songs aren’t about love. The songs are only about the act of sex with a lot...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...How Music Treats Women Madonna and Don Mclean sang about “the day the music died.” While music hasn’t died, it has certain changed. Music has been commercialized, and it has become quite the profitable business. Gone are the days of artistic expression. They’ve given way to the era of the bottom dollar. This music industry is dominated by men. The artists, managers, and executives are all mostly males. They target other males as their primary consumers, and everything revolves around that fact. The easiest way to market a product is with sex, and since these industry’s power players target male consumers, they use women as cheap sexual marketing tools. The music industry promotes the objectification of women because they are used to sell a product with their sexual appeal. While the majority of the earth’s population is female, most people in positions of influence are actually men. For years, females have been forced to keep silent in a male-dominated world. Jennifer Mclune states in her article “Unlike men, women in hip-hop don’t speak in a collective voice.”(1) Women have very little voice in the music business, and few females wield any real power. The industry is full of male power players including most producers and composers. A heavy hitter in the hip hop world is Rapper Jay Z. He’s been around for several years, and he’s sold plenty of records. Jay Z also has his own clothing line and owns a sports representation agency. Needless to say, this man is at the top of...
Words: 1065 - Pages: 5
...Essay by Simone, (Student) 2012/2013 Topic: The lyrical content of dance hall music is degrading of women and is morally obnoxious. Thus this genre of music should be banned from air waves. “Me have a trailer load a gal down a wharf fi come off”. This is a quote from a very popular song by Shabba Ranks about women. Degrading of women in song such of this one is something mostly used in dancehall, but when does it become a “cool” thing to do? This genre of music speaks volume to the influence it wields and its verbal attack on women. It is something that a lot of people are aware of, but yet it is continually played on the radio and found itself on top music charts. It is a shame that this type of music gets the attention it does, when all it is doing is clogging the airwaves with nothing but rubbish. Thus this genre of music should be banned from airwaves as it glorifies sexual aggression, promotes sexual deviant behaviours among women and referring to them as if they are sexual object. Dance hall music is the mother of vulgarity. Nowadays dance hall artiste are belching out any and every thing once it means making money with little or no regard for the people of the country, especially women. This explicit lyrical content goes undisturbed as it glorifies sexual aggression towards women. It is tremendously noticeable in the colourful songs and arrogant attitude of deejays. An example of this can be seeing in the lyrics of Beenie Man, “Gimme di gal dem with...
Words: 823 - Pages: 4
...in popularity, it is important to note some of the most relevant changes in the music being produced in the genre. This industry is relatively new to the music scene and only began in the 1920s. Since its debut in the music world, Country Music has changed throughout the decades and evolved into what is now known as, “Sixth Generation” Country Music. The most noted difference, becoming more apparent as the genre has progressed, is the themes in the music. Country Music is most famous for telling stories of faith, patriotism, love, sorrow, and of the common workingman. However, the genre is seeing a change in the recent music being produced. It is becoming apparent that lyricists are moving away from the traditional themes of Country Music and introducing its new style, called, “Bro-Country.” This style is defined as contatining lyrics about pretty girls, trucks, beer, alcohol that leads to sex, and scantly dressed women. According to Neff, “…objectification, was the main form of sexism in country music.” According to Rogers, “Most people would assume that country is less sexist or has the least detrimental type of sexism within its lyrical content. However, one might also argue that it is more dangerous when sexism is buried within the lyrics. People might think this is “quality” music on the surface and really take the lyrics seriously. The idea that this is wholesome music is really what makes it necessary to study the underlying sexism that exists within...
Words: 828 - Pages: 4
...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 other video. What...
Words: 1128 - Pages: 5
...Citron, argues that there has been an exclusion of women in the musical professions, which has inevitably had a correlation on how we continue to limit women representing the canon. She touches on subjects such as the patriarchal objection of music, stating how the French composer Cecile Chaminade’s father discouraged her pursuit of development of her musical talents. She also includes evidence of the sexism that had occurred throughout history of music patrons who disregarded music if they knew a woman had composed it and thus, forcing women to conceal their femininity through gender neutral names just to have their work listened to. Constant critique created a stigma of inferiority towards woman music if they showed or if they didn’t show femininity. She closes her discussion about the importance of representation of women in the music field by acknowledging the consequences that can result from thinking that if work is not existing in modern day, then it must not be important. Inclusion of women works in music can result in better representation, validity, and...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...her focus has remained unbreakable. Latifah’s values could and can be heard in her music. Latifah was skilled at her craft and was able to reach out and connect with her intended audience. It is a known fact that Queen Latifah’s music is deeply connected to the women’s empowerment movement. Latifah’s music served a plethora of social purposes. The term feminist refers to and individual that advocates for women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. “I am someone with or without this man. I am someone with or without this job, with or without these tight jeans. I am a strong woman. I can survive," (Latifah, ABC News) said while explaining the importance of confidence in the lives of women.” We see that Latifah is what one may refer to as a feminist in her song, “Ladies First”. Points made within this song received a substantial amount of attention from the media because of its political standpoint. The song depicts how women come second in society and while the discussion of the topic is great, women and their place in society is a very controversial topic. Latifah stood her grounds and remained true to people of her gender (specifically African-American women) and she did so by repeating the phrase “ladies first” and then going further to explain why and how women should and or do come first. Latifah made exceptional points in regards to how women are perceived in society and how they should be treated. She brought attention to the...
Words: 1105 - Pages: 5
