The quote above is by entrepreneur and rapper, Jay-Z. Recently, watching a video on the objectification of women in the music industry, the discussion brought up mixed feelings on the subject. Many believe that you can not mix those grimy hip-hop lyrics and chivalrous behavior; however, I believe that a woman can enjoy Lil Wayne and still not share his beliefs on women and life.
Yes, Lil Wayne loves to call women bitches, and wants to only date red bones and yellow women. He loves to objectify women. I've been to five Lil Wayne concerts, since I was twelve, and I don't consider myself a bitch. I also do not only date light-skinned boys. I can rap every lyric of his, but I do not believe in what he says. Lil Wayne is an entertainer--his job is to entertain others. He is not an educator. While music can influence what you think,
Parents should censor what their children watch if they care that much about the lyrics and videos. If you’re son or daughter begins to believe they are a hustler, bitch, hoe, etc., then you have failed as a parent. Don’t blame Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, or any other rapper; blame yourself. As a society, we are too quick to blame someone else for our issues, especially the media. There have been thousands of debates on the influence of media, and the “winning” argument remains the same: Media is a bad influence on kids. WRONG! Parents who don’t monitor their children and try to instill the right values in them are bad influences on children.
Then, there is the old argument about the representation of females in the media. Females are objectified in all genres of music, including rock and hip-hop. Turn to any music video channel, and 75% of the time, women are half-naked, lusting after some guy with a lot of money who boasts their great sex skills and stacks of cash. But there are women in the media who objectify men. Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, and Remy Ma are the perfect example. They constantly objectify men in their music, using them as sexual objects and flaunting their cash. Songs include, One Minute Man (Missy Elliot), almost any song from The Notorious K.I.M. (Lil Kim), and Conceited (Remy Ma).
As a woman, I understand where other women are coming from with the whole objectification idea, but I can’t agree. Women should begin to seek more positive role models, such as Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey. Americans are being too sensitive. Every little remark is the objectification of women or inappropriate. Entertainers main goals are to entertain and they are going to do whatever to make money—no matter what it is. Women should learn to separate what they believe is right for them and what they believe is wrong.
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Your opinion is absolutely correct of speaking about how the public always puts the blame on everything else but themselves. The public is always quick to blame everybody else, but never seems to realize the problem is themselves. And I love how you reflected on positive role models in society rather than only speaking of the negative aspects. Great Job Nichelle!
ReplyDeleteGreat comments, Nichelle. I do, however, feel that you are in a fortunate position, given your rearing and ability to be self-critical and conscientious. Unfortunately, deterioration of family communication about appropriateness leads to all too many young people not having a "filter" to process negative messaging in music. I was quite liberal as a parent w/ regard to music, etc... but we also talked about EVERYTHING. Being a rap artist myself, there are some who may have believed that some of my messages were inappropriate, so it's important to understand the context. True... anyone letting any kind of music or entertainers raise their kids shouldn't be complaining about the music. They're simply scapegoating their own lack of efficacy and influence in their family. Thoughtful blog.
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