| Author |
Message |
    
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 173
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 11:42 am: | 
|
Women speak about misogyny in hip-hop
By Katelyn Noderer and Julien Pell
News Writers
9/21/2006
Female rapper MC Lyte and journalist Joan Morgan discussed the role of sexism and misogyny in hip-hop on Monday in Packard Auditorium, saying black rappers decide how the world treats black women.
The lecture, titled “From Fly Girls to Bitches and Hos,” was held in honor of the fifth anniversary of the Women’s Center and part of the “Say Word! Hip-Hop Theater Festival.”
“Young women have to decide what is more rewarding, a push up bra and sexual validation or going up against the wall,” Morgan said.
The speakers said VH1’s Flavor of Love is a direct response to invisibility. Music videos remain one of the few places black women can feel relevant.
The dumb, overly sexual image for a girl exists outside of the world of hip-hop, according to Morgan, who cited Laguna Beach and The O.C. as examples.
Fighting the image is difficult, because girls are told that if they do it this way, they will be successful, Morgan said.
“When I grew up, I wanted to play with Barbie,” Morgan said. “This generation wants to be Barbie.”
Hip-hop used to be about all the dynamics of personality, according to the speakers.
Lyte said current hip-hop music depicts life like a huge party without problems. The industry is caught up on projecting a persona, and women are trapped by that party image.
Lyte said the trend in hip-hop is pairing black producers with white female singers. Lyte mentioned Ciara, Gwen Fergie and Shakira as examples.
Lyte said record labels will not give black artists the same breadth as their white peers.
Lyte said Eve wants to expand to other areas like Gwen Stefani, but her record label won’t let her.
Morgan said she thinks the labels are stereotyping black female artists and then cutting black females out of the equation because they are not versatile.
“We should ask ourselves where the powerbase is and form a coalition to become a voice to be reckoned with,” Morgan said.
Lyte said women need to hold men accountable.
“Role-model status comes with the check,” Lyte said.
Morgan said hip-hop makes us aware of aspects of our culture.
“At least hip-hop makes attitudes visible and challenges us to talk about them,” Morgan said. “Women have the right to a voice, to ask questions and to be listened to, but they also have the responsibility to listen.”
Feminism must include communication between the sexes. Young women today feel privileged to have the options previous generations earned for them, but they still refuse to give up sexual acknowledgment from men.
A follow-up discussion about the existence of misogyny in hip-hop was held at the University Center on Wednesday.
Kristin Handler, director of the Women’s Center, Alta Thornton, interim assistant dean for multicultural affairs, Kashi Johnson, associate professor of theatre and Michelle Issadore, sexual violence prevention coordinator, led the discussion.
The discussion, titled “Cultural Expression or Misogyny? The Role of Women in Hip-Hop,” is part of the hip-hop series, “Say Word! Hip-Hop Theater Festival,” which will be held until Sept. 30.
The panelists began by explaining that the trend of misogyny in hip-hop is not new.
The increase in sexual openness and vulgarity in American culture has influenced rappers who strive to top one another by including vulgarity in their songs.
It has become more acceptable for women to be regarded in hip-hop as strictly sexual beings, the speakers said.
Johnson said women and young girls are on some levels accepting misogyny.
Young girls who do not have any positive role models at home look to the media for clues on how to behave, Johnson said.
Johnson said the cues add up for girls who are hearing these songs that put forth ideas of what women should be or what women are in society.
Calvin La-Mont, ’07, said he also thinks women sometimes become what songs tell them to be.
“Women embrace ‘bitch’ in the same way black people can embrace ‘nigger,’” La-Mont said.
URL: http://bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=19925
Copyright © 2006 The Brown and White |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2778
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 12:24 pm: |
|
They been doing this for twenty years and ain't got nowhere.
You think its because, as bell hooks says, the society as a whole is misogynistic? |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 177
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 01:17 pm: |
|
"You think its because, as bell hooks says, the society as a whole is misogynistic?"
Could be but, Chris, you've said so yourself. "Black folks have very little room for error." We simply can't afford to be misogynistic. How are we supposed to keep black women down when, according to statistics, they are our families’ only bread winners? You see, if we tear down the black woman; we demolish the community, economically, at the very least. Who's gonna put food on the table in this global economy? Who's going to pay the bills, for the children's clothes, ect? So, see, we can not afford it--we can't afford to pull them down.
(...That's just the way it is, young sisters and brothas.) |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2785
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 04:31 pm: |
|
You fail to see the point, but of course if you did you would have to do something you don't want to do.
The whole society is misogynistic. It does not matter what we do. All the big boys are misogynistic and you fall in line or they ruin you and get you in the position so you're begging for a bowl of soup on somebody's stoop so women don't care what you say anyway.
The point is the rulers are misogynistic. These rap guys are just fronting for them. If they don't do it somebody else will.
I have never said Black folks have very little room for error. We are human in a situation where we would have to be superhuman to avoid this. We are going to err and we are going to pay for it because we are human.
This is the way it is. This must be the way everybody likes it because I don't see nobody doing nothing but complaining.
Face facts. If these people offered you enough money you would be putting out videos and CD's calling women bitches and hos, too. That is the reason why it will never end.
Satan is the prince of this world. If you keep yielding to him, worrying about stuff you ain't never gonna do anything about, well, you gonna have a tough row to hoe.
Probably look up one day and you'll be one of them women getting happy in church all the time--
|
|
Email This Page