Ahh, yes. Lovely misogynistic rap music. The genre that brought us gems like "Put Anthrax on a Tampax and slap you till you can't stand," (Eminem, "Superman"), and "Do like Ice Cube, slam her ass in a ditch," (NWA, "A Bitch is a Bitch").
Shockingly violent misogyny aside, popular rap provides a pretty (disgustingly) astute commentary on sex and gender relations from a distinctly male gaze. While I don't claim to know anything about lyrics influencing today's youth to be crazy sex fiends or murderers, it's pretty damn clear that these lyrics absolutely reflect our cultural norms in relation to sex and male-female power dynamics.
I, like Chris Rock, love hip hop (especially stuff that shows some level of skill...but that's another rant) but find certain aspects of it difficult to defend. As a bisexual female with many queer/lesbian/gay friends, it can be hard to stomach Nas dissing Jay-Z for "deal(ing) with emotions like bitches" or having "dick-suckin' lips" ("Ether") without feeling kinda guilty and queasy.
I actually adore the word bitch and am trying hard to reclaim it as a positive term for smart, sexy women in charge. I am a bitch. Smithies are bitches. Hillary Clinton is bitch. Sarah Palin ain't no bitch (Palin, get on my level!). But unfortunately, I know most MCs and rappers aren't using the term that way.
Which brings me to example A, from Dr. Dre's "Housewife."
And when it all boils down you gonna find in the end
a bitch is a bitch, but a Dogg is a man's best friend
So what you found you a hoe that you like
But you can't make a hoe a housewife
Consciously or unconsciously, in the chorus of this track, Dre points out the virgin-whore complex that's as old as time: women fall into two categories in this world, and the world of rap is no exception. You can be a whore or you can be an angelic, self-sacrificing mother (or in rap, a ho or a wifey), with no gray in between. Obviously this is deeply problematic, since the vast majority of women exist somewhere in that in-between, and deserve no shame for that fact. A woman shouldn't be scorned for owning her sexuality, but that's exactly what a verse like this does: it directly juxtaposes the ho with the housewife, and acknowledges that once a ho, always a ho. A damaged reputation is burden you can never be free of. But beware housewives! You can always become hoes too, if you're not careful. Dre, much as I love you, you make me sad. I can be both a ho AND a housewife if I want to, motherfucker (the new American dream?).
And now, example B, from T.I.'s "What You Know" (an excellent song to lift to, btws)
Ya bitches get low
Because I get dough
Oh, damn. For such a short excerpt, this actually says a shit ton about heterosexual gender relations.
First of all, the women here (bitches seems to just be the neutral term for females in rap, so I'ma roll with that and not deconstruct why using it as a man is inapprops), are getting low for him, thus presumably showing their sexual availability and that they want him (FYI, male readers: just because a bitch is grinding on you DOES NOT MEAN SHE WANTS YOU. Please get that through your heads, both of 'em). But as he points out, they're doing it because he's rich, which is the age-old way men of less-than-attractive looks or of an elderly age get with women way out of their league (see: every film Marilyn Monroe was ever in). Women need their looks to get sexual attention; men just need deep pockets in order to demand sex from women.
That being said, I will probably always dance like a rap video vixen to a good beat, because it's all good fun if you don't listen too closely, and will reserve my attention for more female positive hip hop like Atmoshphere and Brother Ali.
Much love,
The Albright Sheriff
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ReplyDeleteAnother interesting thing about this: Not just that ho and housewife are used as mutually exclusive concepts, but that those are THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS. What if I don't identify with either of these, and don't let my sexuality, or lack thereof, determine how I see myself and how other people see me?
ReplyDeleteApparently identifying as an intellectual, or an artist, or a hard worker, or a baller business woman are not options. If they are, the women are either using their sexuality to manipulate men and get ahead or they've been wholly desexualized, because those are "male" characteristics. It's been said before, but i'm sayin' it again, because clearly it hasn't been said enough.
I have always struggled with the image of women that rap music portrays because I love it so much and I do drop it low. I also won't deny that these messages definitely affect "America's youth." I know that they affect the world's youth because while I was abroad, everyone thought that American women were whores (in the negative sense of the word) b/c of these messages. Boys called out insulting things but at the same time, they had no idea what they were actually saying to me b/c they don't know the cultural context. Back at home, I have squared myself with these songs by supporting Rhianna in her quest to give female sexuality a voice. [Remember I am an EOO (Equal Opportunity Objectifier)] But unfortunately, that's not a solution and just leaves everyone feeling like a piece of meat.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to horribly offensive, yet surprisingly entertaining music, I think the same message of women needing to meet the stereotypical definition of "hot" and men needed to have deep pockets is all over the media. Ever seen an episode of The Millionare Matchmaker or The Real Housewives of _______ ? Or simply visit http://sugardaddie.com/ to see how much this idea is becoming mainstream.
ReplyDelete(Also this: http://abc.go.com/shows/wife-swap/episode-guide/dusseausmithsnider/161007?page=1 is really interesting/disturbing/entertaining)