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MUSI 1002: Issues in Popular Music

Final Paper Due November 20th, 201

!en"er an" #acial #epresentations in $ip%$op&#ap Music: 'hemes an" 'heir ())ect on !en"er #oles an" Societ*
+*: (mil* 'ennian 100,1,-..
Since its debut in the 80's, Rap music has been known to push society's boundaries with its controversial topics. The most common themes included sex, violence, and materialism. hile

these themes are still prevalent in today's rap scene, the !ocus has shi!ted !rom criminal activity to racism"stereotypin#, miso#yny and skin tone distortion. $n this paper $ will be discussin# the themes in %ip&%op and Rap music, !ocusin# on #ender representation, #ender roles, and race in music videos.

'ven !rom the be#innin# Rap has been dominated by (lack artists and per!ormers. (lack males have become the )norm* !or Rap and %ip&%op artists. +rtists like ,anye are mainly known !or their musical talents, whereas est and -ay&.

hite Rap artists such as 'minem or

/acklemore are also known !or their lyrics, however a #reat emphasis is placed on the colour o! their skin. + !act that is not so apparent is that (lack women have it even harder when dealin# with music videos. hy is this0 This is because o! colourism. 1olourism is an issue the (lack

viewers !ace whereby individuals with li#hter skin may be #iven advanta#es over those with darker skin 2,ubrin, 30045. +nother !actor that #oes hand&in&hand with colourism is 'urocentricity. /usic videos with (lack women are more likely to showcase (lack women with 'urocentric !eatures, such as thinner noses and lips, as well as strai#hter and lon#er hair 21onrad, 6ixon 7 .han#, 30085, rather than +!rocentric !eatures, such as thicker hair, darker skin and lar#er noses. This en!orces stereotypes and ne#ative assessments.

3 Race aside, what do these artists have to do with #ender representation0 Take a look at the content o! their music videos. hat is the most common act seen in %ip&%op and Rap videos0 omen

Sex, and sexuali9in# women. This is not surprisin# as it is very apparent that sex sells.

remain the ob:ect o! sexual desire, the sellin# point, and the !i#ures on exhibition 2;ra9ier, 301<5. This is blatant miso#yny in music videos.

To decode miso#yny we must !irst learn what it is. The term miso#yny came to li#ht in the mid 1=th century. ;rom the >reek words misos 2meanin# hatred5 and gun 2meanin# woman5, miso#yny is the hatred and lesser"mis&treatment o! women. Thou#h some would ar#ue that Rap music does not promote hatred !or women, it is not di!!icult to see how women are presented as the lesser #ender. /usic videos place a #reat deal o! emphasis on women's appearance and sexual appeal 2Seidman, 1883? Sommers&;lana#an 7 6avis, 188<?5, but do they place such sexuali9ation on men0 @ot particularly. $n !act, portrayals o! masculinity heavily underscore the importance o! virility, stren#th and power? while !or women, analyses indicate principally condescendin# and sexist treatment, with a !ocus almost exclusively on their physical !orm and sexual appeal 2Seidman, 1883? Aincent, 18885. The !act that men are not overtly sexuali9ed and not presented as ob:ects is a prime example o! he#emonic masculinity. This exhibits an attitude and practice that celebrates the heterosexual male domination over women. @ot only this, but these music videos #ive o!! the impression that sexual desirability is the most important thin# !or women, and must be attained in order to be seen as )worthy* or to be seen as an important and productive member o! society. $n a paper written by ,ate 1onrad, Travis 6ixon and Buanyuan .han#, a hypothesis was presented with results that were based on character level #ender di!!erences. The primary result showed that )male characters are more likely than !emale characters to be !eatured in videos containin# a

< variety o! themes, both controversial and community&oriented. ;emales, alternatively, are more likely than males to perpetuate only miso#yny* 21onrad, 6ixon, 7 .han#, 30085. This !indin# implicated two di!!erent thin#s. Cne D it states that male characters are able to explore a wider variety o! themes in their music videos, where !emale characters are limited to miso#ynistic themes. ;or example, take two o! the lar#est names in Rap today D male ,anye @icki /ina:. ,anye Jesus Walks, est and !emale

est has had a variety o! music videos that he plays di!!erent roles in. $n

est plays a man in a white out!it in !ront o! the !iery depths o! hell. $n Runaway,

he plays the piano in an expensive suit while a do9en ballet dancers prance around him. 'ven in est's video !or Bound 2, where he is presented in a sexual matter, he is not bein# used as an ob:ect. $nstead, he has his partner, ,im ,ardashian, makin# sexual moves with him with one lar#e di!!erence D he is clothed, and she is completely naked. 1ompare these videos to @icki /ina:'s. $n Starships she is in a small pink bikini rollin# around in the ocean and sand. $n Super Bass, she is seen dancin# in cuto!!s and a white tank&top with her bra shown throu#h alon#side !ive other women. The second part o! this study re!erences the impact o! Rap music. Rap music videos' portrayals o! male and !emale characters promote more stereotypical #ender attitudes 2;ra9ier, 301<5. +#ain, !emales are placed in submissive roles, 2especially sexually submission5 in comparison to their male counterparts. >oin# back to @icki /ina:'s Super Bass, the dancin# women are now seen dancin# !or men in chairs, entertainin# them as i! they are only there to please or pleasure the men. Some !ail to see why is this considered miso#yny. Since it promotes sexuality and women's bodies, it doesn't explicitly depict hatred !or women, ri#ht0 ron#. $n Rap and %ip&%op

music videos women are not seen as women, but merely as sexual items used as props. They are )dumbed down* and put into subordinate roles. These women are presented in a condescendin#

E matter, such as unintelli#ent sex ob:ects and"or victims 2;ra9ier, 301<5. +s o! 301<, miso#yny in music videos is still alive and well. $n !act, it may be the most prevalent it has even been. + prime example o! an incredibly recent miso#ynist music video is Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines. $n the catchy, chart&toppin# son#, women are paraded around in nothin# but skin&coloured thon#s and presented as ob:ects that compliment Thicke and his !eatured male artists. $! the music video !illed with #irls bein# lowered to the same level as do#s wasn't enou#h, the lyrics sure are another thin#. Thicke sin#s )$ know you want it* and )you're a #ood #irl*, possibly re!erencin# date rape. +ccordin# to 'li9abeth Flank !rom PolicyMic, ))The idea that consent is a GblurryH concept is deeply in#rained in the way sexual assault is represented in the media, our culture, and, yes, our :udicial system. $tHs what drives many to doubt the veracity o! rape alle#ations.* omen are constantly !i#htin# back to miso#yny in popular music, and Iily +llen is a per!ect example o! that. Cn @ovember 13th, 301<, Iily +llen released the music video !or her new sin#le Hard ut Here. This music video was a direct stab at Thicke's Blurred Lines, re!erencin# the lyrics and aspects o! Thicke's video. ;or example, in Blurred Lines, T.$. sin#s the lyrics )$'ll #ive you somethin# bi# enou#h to tear your ass in two*, re!erencin# anal sex. +llen blatantly !i#hts back and mocks T.$.'s lyrics by sin#in# )%ave you thou#ht about your butt, whoHs #onna tear it in two0*. +nother example o! Iily +llen's success!ul parody protrudes in .eppelin&!ashion. $n Thicke's video, )RC($@ T%$1,' %+S + ($> 6$1,* is written out in lar#e silver balloons. Iily poke's !un at Thicke by writin# )I$IB +II'@ %+S + (+>>B FJKKB* in the same silver balloons. $n both videos there are scantily clad women dancin# with D and as D props. hat is the

di!!erence0 +llen's video is an unconcealed parody, whereas Thicke's video is a prime example o! the issues with #ender roles in today's %ip&%op.

4 Cther !eminists takin# a stand include (eyonce ,nowles and her hit son# Run !he World, in which she makes clear that women are a powerhouse and are not to be messed with. )Some o! them men think they !reak this like we do" (ut no they don't" /ake your cheLue come at they neck" 6isrespect us no they won't*. +s o! now, #ender roles in Rap and %ip&%op music are very di!!erent. omen are

portrayed as ob:ects, and men are presented as :ust that D men? human bein#s. Thou#h women such as +llen and ,nowles exist and !i#ht as much as they can, it will be some time be!ore miso#yny in these music videos is #one !or #ood.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 1onrad, ,., 6ixon, T., 7 .han#, B. 230085. -ournal o! (roadcastin# 7 'lectronic /edia "/arch 3008 1ontroversial Rap Themes, >ender Fortrayals and Skin Tone 6istortionN + 1ontent +nalysis o! Rap /usic Aideos. Journal o" Broadcasting # $lectronic Media. Retrieved @ovember 18, 301<, !rom httpN""academic.csuohio.edu"kneuendor!"cO<<10"+rticles;rom1lass/embers"6on#woo.pd! ;ra9ier, '. 2301<5. >irls , >irls , >irlsN +naly9in# Race and Sexuality Fortrayal in /usic Aideos. Retrieved @ovember 1O, 301<, !rom httpN""comm.stan!ord.edu"wp&content"uploads"301<"01"'li:ah&;ra9ier&/+&Thesis.pd! ,ubrin, 1. '. 230045. >an#stas, Thu#s, +nd %ustlasN $dentity +nd The 1ode C! The Street $n Rap /usic. Social Pro%lems, &22<5, <O0&<=8. Seidman, S. 218835. -ournal o! (roadcastin# 7 'lectronic /edia "/arch 3008 1ontroversial Rap Themes, >ender Fortrayals and Skin Tone 6istortionN + 1ontent +nalysis o! Rap /usic Aideos. 'n in(estigation o" se) * role stereotyping in music (ideos, +,235, 308&31O. Sommers&;lana#an, -., Sommers&;lana#an, R., 7 6avis, (. 2188<5. role content analysis. Se) Roles, 2-, =E4 D =4<. hatHs happenin# on music television0 + #ender

Teitel, '. 2301<, +u#ust 85. (lurred Iines o! rape and relativism. Macleans. Retrieved @ovember 18, 301<, !rom httpN""www3.macleans.ca"301<"08"08"!lirtin#&with&rape&and&relativism" Aincent, R. 1. 218885. 1lioHs consciousness raised0 Fortrayal o! women in rock videos, reexamined. Journalism .uarterly, ,,, 144 D 1O0.