Media Chin-Check

Posted by SOHH Hashim at March 16, 2005 1:32 AM

Statistics are nice to look at, but unfortunately they don't really mean anything. Take a look around to and you will see, that teen pregnancy is out of control, STDs are out of control, and drug use in the black community is out of control. I dont know where you live, but from where I stand I see a culture that is being fueled by the most negative ascepts of the black community. The hip-hop culture has our youth head for "Self-Destruction".
So don't you beleive the hype! Look for yourself.

"Where's all the harm being done by the deluge of sexist imagery in hip hop? Despite tons of anecdotal evidence to the contrary, pregnancies are decreasing amongst Black girls. As a matter of fact, teen pregnancy in the Black community is at a historical low. Black women already outnumber Black men in college, and are well on the way to outearning Black men. So where's the crisis, ladies?"

Don't believe the hype.

Posted by Hashim Warren at March 16, 2005 01:32 AM

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If it wasnt for abortion you wouldnt think pregancy was at an all time low,asked these young teenagers who are doing it.I'm glad the black women are wising up about getting their education before having babies,but where are the black men heading?
Did we mention the high rate of STD among our people?Everyone wants to be pimps and hoes and not taking responsible for their actions.Did we mention the disrespect the black woman have to endure daily?I mean the bitch and hoe name calling is so widely accepted now`cause the hottest rapper say so.I live right next door to a Middle School and you should hear how the boys speak to the girls,its unreal sometimes....kinda like a war within.
Where do you think they are getting these ideas from?Sometimes I think they know more of these ill lyrics than they do their School work,what a lost though!
Seriously,where are our self respect?We seems to be losing ourself in the madness.

The destructive image/lifestyle in HipHop is doing a number on our people yet we are none the wiser to whats taking place right infront of our eyes,there is a crisis in our community and you are not believing it.
And by the way,this is not just about black women,its about us collectively!
I'm happy Essence stepped up to the plate,I mean its about time someone looked out for us.

Parents you need to be more responsible also,where are the Daddies?

3rd I...

I'm concerned that your final question is "where is their daddies". Yes, STD's is at a high rate, but blaming hip hop is a cop out.

Hip hop music doesn't make policy decisions about funding for social programs, nor does it develop the school curriculum for the middle school children that you live next to. Maybe we should look at these first, before we charge hip hop with corrupting our youth.

Our world is full of poor influences, but in Essence's attempt to point fingers without implicating themselves is really a disservice to this movement for "knowledge of self" and addressing hip hop's imprint on our world today.

By the way, I picked up the latest issue of Essence and surprise, surprise... the "Take Back the Music Campaign" commentary has been reduced to the "Under 30" Column (1 page or so) where a woman proclaims that "hip hop videos destroyed her life"

Food for thought...

I think the point everyone is missing is that this particular aspect of hip hop, which is so very influential, not only in our community, but in the world, is enforcing unhealthy messages to our youth. These music videos that glorify pimps and hos is being spread to other places more often than the good in hip hop. The point is, it's having the most negative impact on younger girls, than those of us who are already in college and able to distinguish right from wrong. The staff at Essence, I believe, is among a population within the black community that is saying we need to address our own ideas and promotion of sexism. Clearly, the women in these videos are seen as accessories, just like all the ice and spinners that surround the rappers. They're expendible pieces of T and A. This isn't a healthy message to send to young girls or boys about black womanhood and sexuality - that's the bottom line. And that is not to say hip hop hasn't given us positivity, but we cannot deny that there is a problem here or we'd be lying to ourselves.

I find it very interesting that the statements followed by, "don't believe the hype" are statements from men. Think of it this way, would you like your daughter, sister, or mother in these videos? Didn't think of that with you.
Get out of your sexually glorified minds gentlemen and raise your children right.

For the past several months white mainstream media has been calling me to hear my views on gangsta rap. Whether major television networks, or small independent radio shows, they seek me out for the black and feminist "take" on the issue. After I have my say, I am never called back, never invited to do the television shows or the radio spots. I suspect they call, confident that when we talk they will hear the hardcore "feminist" trash of gangsta rap. When they encounter instead the hardcore feminist critique of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, they lose interest.

To white dominated mass media, the controversy over gangsta rap makes great spectacle. Besides the exploitation of these issues to attract audiences, a central motivation for highlighting gangsta rap continues to be the sensationalist drama of demonizing black youth culture in general and the contributions of young black men in particular. It is a contemporary remake of "Birth of a Nation" only this time we are encouraged to believe it is not just vulnerable white womanhood that risks destruction by black hands but everyone. When I counter this demonization of black males by insisting that gangsta rap does not appear in a cultural vacuum, but, rather, is expressive of the cultural crossing, mixings, and engagement of black youth culture with the values, attitudes, and concerns of the white majority, some folks stop listening.

The sexist, misogynist, patriarchal ways of thinking and behaving that are glorified in gangsta rap are a reflection of the prevailing values in our society, values created and sustained by white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. As the crudest and most brutal expression of sexism, misogynistic attitudes tend to be portrayed by the dominant culture as an expression of male deviance. In reality they are part of a sexist continuum, necessary for the maintenance of patriarchal social order. While patriarchy and sexism continue to be the political and cultural norm in our society, feminist movement has created a climate where crude expressions of male domination are called into question, especially if they are made by men in power. It is useful to think of misogyny as a field that must be labored in and maintained both to sustain patriarchy but also to serve as an ideological anti-feminist backlash. And what better group to labor on this "plantation" than young black men.

To see gangsta rap as a reflection of dominant values in our culture rather than as an aberrant "pathological" standpoint does not mean that a rigorous feminist critique of the sexist and misogyny expressed in this music is not needed. Without a doubt black males, young and old, must be held politically accountable for their sexism. Yet this critique must always be contextualized or we risk making it appear that the behaviors this thinking supports and condones,--rape, male violence against women, etc.-- is a black male thing. And this is what is happening. Young black males are forced to take the "heat" for encouraging, via their music, the hatred of and violence against women that is a central core of patriarchy.

Witness the recent piece by Brent Staples in the "New York Times" titled "The Politics of Gangster Rap: A Music Celebrating Murder and Misogyny." Defining the turf Staples writes: "For those who haven't caught up, gangster rap is that wildly successful music in which all women are `bitches' and `whores' and young men kill each other for sport." No mention of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy in this piece, not a word about the cultural context that would need to exist for young males to be socialized to think differently about gender. Staples assumes that black males are writing their lyrics off in the "jungle," away from the impact of mainstream socialization and desire. At no point in his piece does he ask why huge audiences, especially young white male consumers, are so turned on by this music, by the misogyny and sexism, by the brutality? Where is the anger and rage at females expressed in this music coming from, the glorification of all acts of violence? These are the difficult questions that Staples feels no need to answer.

One cannot answer them honestly without placing accountability on larger structures of domination and the individuals (often white, usually male but not always) who are hierarchically placed to maintain and perpetuate the values that uphold these exploitative and oppressive systems. That means taking a critical looking at the politics of hedonistic consumerism, the values of the men and women who produce gangsta rap. It would mean considering the seduction of young black males who find that they can make more money producing lyrics that promote violence, sexism, and misogyny than with any other content. How many disenfranchised black males would not surrender to expressing virulent forms of sexism, if they knew the rewards would be unprecedented material power and fame?

More than anything gangsta rap celebrates the world of the "material, " the dog-eat-dog world where you do what you gotta do to make it. In this world view killing is necessary for survival. Significantly, the logic here is a crude expression of the logic of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. In his new book "Sexy Dressing, Etc." privileged white male law professor Duncan Kennedy gives what he calls "a set of general characterizations of U. S. culture" explaining that, "It is individual (cowboys), material (gangsters) and philistine." Using this general description of mainstream culture would lead us to place "gangsta rap" not on the margins of what this nation is about, but at the center. Rather than being viewed as a subversion or disruption of the norm we would need to see it as an embodiment of the norm.

That viewpoint was graphically highlighted in the film "Menace To Society" which dramatized not only young black males killing for sport, but also mass audiences voyeuristically watching and, in many cases, "enjoying" the kill. Significantly, at one point in the movie we see that the young black males have learned their "gangsta" values from watching television and movies--shows where white male gangsters are center stage. This scene undermines any notion of "essentialist" blackness that would have viewers believe the gangsterism these young black males embraced emerged from some unique black cultural experience.

When I interviewed rap artist Ice Cube for "Spin" magazine last year, he talked about the importance of respecting black women and communication across gender. He spoke against male violence against women, even as he lapsed into a justification for anti- woman rap lyrics by insisting on the madonna/whore split where some females "carry" themselves in a manner that determines how they will be treated. When this interview was published, it was cut to nothing. It was a mass media set-up. Folks (mostly white and male) had thought if the hardcore feminist talked with the hardened black man, sparks would fly; there would be a knock-down drag out spectacle. When Brother Cube and I talked to each other with respect about the political, spiritual, and emotional self- determination of black people, it did not make good copy. Clearly folks at the magazine did not get the darky show they were looking for.

After this conversation, and talking with rappers and folks who listen to rap, it became clear that while black male sexism is a serious problem in our communities and in black music, some of the more misogynist lyrics were there to stir up controversy and appeal to audiences. Nowhere is this more evident that in Snoop Doggy Dogg's record "Doggystyle". A black male music and cultural critic called me to ask if I had checked this image out; to share that for one of the first times in his music buying life he felt he was seeing an image so offensive in its sexism and misogyny that he did not want to take that image home. That image (complete with doghouse, beware the dog sign, with a naked black female head in a doghouse, naked butt sticking out) was reproduced, "uncritically," in the November 29, 1993 issue of "Time" magazine. The positive music review of this album, written by Christopher John Farley, is titled "Gangsta Rap, Doggystyle" makes no mention of sexism and misogyny, makes no reference to the cover. I wonder if a naked white female body had been inside the doghouse, presumably waiting to be fucked from behind, if "Time" would have reproduced an image of the cover along with their review. When I see the pornographic cartoon that graces the cover of "Doggystyle," I do not think simply about the sexism and misogyny of young black men, I think about the sexist and misogynist politics of the powerful white adult men and women (and folks of color) who helped produce and market this album.

Your article was thought provoking,but what are

we as a society going to do about the problems

that rap/hip-hop causes as far as the negative

images of black women are concerned? Wheres the

FCC when you need them? I see how black women are

treated,men(white and black) tend to look down on

them and it shows in their behavior,especially in

the workplace,but the white women are shown all

the polite courtesies expected for a princess!

Its a sad day ,when black women have to fight for

respect in a society that seems to hate them,no

matter what they do in life,whether they're maids

or Secretary of State,black women have an uphill

battle.Another part of the problem is that people

have a big thing for celebrity worship,and can't

seem to realize the entertainment world and the

real world should remain separate.Sadly what a

person sees an entertainer do,they imitate it.I

live in Ohio, that openly caters to racism,for

its displayed over Jacobs Field,better known as

"Chief Wahoo";mascot for the "Cleveland Indians",

so I know all about rich powerful people making

fun of a culture in order to make money,and the

fools that cater to it by attending these games,

unmindful of the protesters expressing their

concerns outside the stadium. Our city is the

poorest in the nation but we keep are celebrity

athletes rich,so the same goes for these women

hating rappers'they make money while the black

woman is degraded for all the world to see,and

since whites buy into this attitude,that keeps

race-mixing down among white men and black women,

the blacks at each other's throut,and the white

women respected.How many white women are degraded

in these hip-hop videos have you seen? None, I

bet. Don't think the Religious Right aren't be-

nefitting from this finacially,for the music

industry is a rich powerful company that pays

the Nellys and Snoop Dogs of the world. Can we

say "Slavery on the Plantation" anyone?

I am a teenager and I have recently found the light that has uncovered the way "good music" is. A good friend of mine told me I haven't a good taste in music because I don't like songs like "whispers" by the Ying Yang twins. Okay he was aboy and all but he's a boy I respect because he is very smart and has positive views. But I don't respect his taste in music or most of my friends because of the repetitious way in which "good music" degrades women. I used to watch music videos religiously and I would feel so inferior to the beautiful women who would shake and gyrate expertly. I felt that I was less than because I couldn't execute a certain move or look a certain way. But it's not just that, the lyrics when you hear the songs have a damaging affect on your self-esteem as a woman or man. For men it gives you the sense that you are dominant and the abuser in the relationship. They can be players without being hoes and be considered cool when they are pimps. For women you feel you are tools used for your man's pleasure and this reoccuring vision of being submissive and weak goes along with it. Now many people might disagree but I am steadfast in my position that alot of rap music degrades women and uplifts men to this fictitious position of negatve power which ultimately divides and conquers our communities. Not to mention the serious issues of promoted violence and hatred. Knowing that this type of music weakens my spirit I chose rather to uplift myself with Gospel and Christian music or rapmusic that has something important to say besides derogatory terms and messages. I am too blessed to be stressed. So people need to stop trippin' and stop the madness

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i know there are enough black professionals in the right soical positions, to try to make the difference needed, to help the rejoining of all black people, living now in all nations. blacks need to become one again before a change can come. i'm 19 years old, and living in England now, and have known this for quite a few years. people speak up and the difference will come. hip-hop was real when tupac was around. yeah it was still about the p, but the messages that they were giving out and expressing, (which were what was bringing in the crowds) were real. lets all just get real, and tell ourselves we are not affraid of the truth. because all this good we plan on doing is all apart of and ongoing truth, which lived with our ancestors and now lives in us.

I am a teen minority who is an extreme hip-hop fan and also a female.since the days BIG was hot and the boys lugged around their boom boxs I've bine an avide observer and have loved the hip-hop subculter that most people condem.Yes,I agree now Hip-hop is all about the material and phyisical.But What makes it an object at fault for the probloms of our society really?okay, if we need to be finger waveing moral branders we can politic about what we believe to be at fault for society flaws but aultimitly we are just that an habitual society.Hip-hop alone isn't what make society norms,values,and beliefs but the practice that we give moral virtue dureing our contimpaltion of our world so it's really factors like daily human contact with groups such as family and peers not hip-hop wich is a small portion of who we become.I think that us females alone can change this without haveing to attack a song or a video or even need a no good man, by teaching our sons the importance of a women an emphasising on that intrinsic value and by giveing our self and teaching it to our daughters that value and also by carrying our selves not like hoodrats and hoes, but like ladies.Those two things put together I believe will make a lot more of an impact than minuseing a few phrases and girls from a rappers video trying to make a liveing by being mr.Don Juan.I have never bine offended by a rapper on T.v. being a sexist dog nor affected by it,but I have when a boy acts the same in real life and no one corrects it.In fact, I am a 17 year old female who is a freshmen in college that has bine rased surrounded by this sudculter and ''the hood life''which included prophanity and disrespect .Therefore, I believe the way we react to hip-hop take it in and deel with is what should be changed not hip-hop its self.So please, next time something that is affecting our nation is to be charged at,let us aim at it from an angal where we can all really hit the target.

I agree with you the way you view the issue. I remember Jack London once said everything positive has a negative side; everything negative has positive side. It is also interesting to see different viewpoints & learn useful things in the discussion.