Posted on 01/13/2005 9:26:17 AM PST by red lucy
Entertainment insiders, thinkers and consumers candidly discuss hip-hop’s outlook on Black women’s sexuality Photographs by Butch Belair
We are mothers, sisters, daughters and lovers of hip-hop. We’ve emulated the sexy confidence of Salt-N-Pepa and the toughness of MC Lyte. We’ve wept over Tupac Shakur’s visceral poetry and marveled at the lyrical dexterity of Notorious B.I.G. When Nas said, "The World Is Yours," we believed him. And today we stand at the forefront of popular culture: independent, talented and comfortable with the skin we’re in. We are really feeling ourselves. Perhaps that’s why we’re so alarmed at the imbalance in the depiction of our sexuality and character in music. In videos we are bikini-clad sisters gyrating around fully clothed grinning brothers like Vegas strippers on meth. When we search for ourselves in music lyrics, mixtapes and DVDs and on the pages of hip-hop magazines, we only seem to find our bare breasts and butts. And when we finally get our five minutes at the mic, too many of us waste it on hypersexual braggadocio and profane one-upmanship. The damage of this imbalanced portrayal of Black women is impossible to measure. An entire generation of Black girls are being raised on these narrow images. And as the messages and images are broadcast globally, they have become the lens through which the world now sees us. This cannot continue.
An entire generation of Black girls are being raised on these narrow images. And as the messages and images are broadcast globally, they have become the lens through which the world now sees us. This cannot continue. We have debated this topic, often heatedly, at Essence. Some of us are fed up; others don’t see the big deal. But all of us agree that as representatives of the world’s foremost publication for Black women, we need to provide a platform for public discussion. Of course, there is a much broader scope of perspectives to be heard than our own, and in the interest of fostering a conversation, we present a survey of the landscape: Entertainment journalist Ayana Byrd and Essence editor Akiba Solomon interviewed a wide range of key players in the music industry: a video director, a choreographer, a rapper, a psychologist and others. Public dialogue is vital to effecting change. Throughout this year we’ll explore this topic in our pages, and we invite you to tell us how you feel. E-mail us at letters@essence.com. Your opinion is the most important part of this discussion. And so it begins. —the editors
District of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment Project (EmpowerDC) 234-9119 fax 234-6655
We are mothers, sisters, daughters and lovers of hip-hop. We’ve emulated the sexy confidence of Salt-N-Pepa and the toughness of MC Lyte. We’ve wept over Tupac Shakur’s visceral poetry and marveled at the lyrical dexterity of Notorious B.I.G. When Nas said, "The World Is Yours," we believed him. And today we stand at the forefront of popular culture: independent, talented and comfortable with the skin we’re in. We are really feeling ourselves. Perhaps that’s why we’re so alarmed at the imbalance in the depiction of our sexuality and character in music. In videos we are bikini-clad sisters gyrating around fully clothed grinning brothers like Vegas strippers on meth. When we search for ourselves in music lyrics, mixtapes and DVDs and on the pages of hip-hop magazines, we only seem to find our bare breasts and butts. And when we finally get our five minutes at the mic, too many of us waste it on hypersexual braggadocio and profane one-upmanship. The damage of this imbalanced portrayal of Black women is impossible to measure. An entire generation of Black girls are being raised on these narrow images. And as the messages and images are broadcast globally, they have become the lens through which the world now sees us. This cannot continue.
An entire generation of Black girls are being raised on these narrow images. And as the messages and images are broadcast globally, they have become the lens through which the world now sees us. This cannot continue. We have debated this topic, often heatedly, at Essence. Some of us are fed up; others don’t see the big deal. But all of us agree that as representatives of the world’s foremost publication for Black women, we need to provide a platform for public discussion. Of course, there is a much broader scope of perspectives to be heard than our own, and in the interest of fostering a conversation, we present a survey of the landscape: Entertainment journalist Ayana Byrd and Essence editor Akiba Solomon interviewed a wide range of key players in the music industry: a video director, a choreographer, a rapper, a psychologist and others. Public dialogue is vital to effecting change. Throughout this year we’ll explore this topic in our pages, and we invite you to tell us how you feel. E-mail us at letters@essence.com. Your opinion is the most important part of this discussion. And so it begins. —the editors
District of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment Project (EmpowerDC) 234-9119 fax 234-6655
link busted
... waiting ...
As J F'in K said, "Bring it on!"
I'm not holding my breath. ;-)
Welcome to Free Republic
I agree. Just like the news during sweeps-week. A whole lot of, "Can you believe how outrageous this is?" Or, "Wait until you see this!"
Oh brother. Or should I say, oh sista.
Quit buying their music and supporting these acticities and it will go away.. or should I say Boofrigginhoo...
African American women portrayed as sex objects? Thank the liberal elite, and their democrat sychophants.
Does the capitalization of "Black" remind anyone else of how white supremacists almost always capitalize "White" when referring to their own race?
Just wondering...
About time...glad to see the much needed attention on the "bitches" and "whores" depiction of women in general and black women in particluar.
Gotta say you hard core, extreme right Freepers that blow this off as unimportant piss me off royally.
When are you gonna figure out that damaging stuff targeting one half of the human population carries destructive ambient effect for society as a whole?
No loyalty to your daughters, wives, sisters, mothers...helllooo?? Or did you all just spring from the head of Zeus without the aid from any female?
Waithing for the boorish bombthrowers...
Yeah, there should be a boycott of the music to make a statement.
I often see these music lovers mature around 30 or so. They usually shift their attitude to care more about things like a good paying job, health insurance and retirement.
"We’ve wept over Tupac Shakur’s visceral poetry"
BWAHAHAHA!
I agree.
Possible Black Conservative/cultural climate Ping?
Sister Aretha Franklin
Diana Ross & The Supremes
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Martha & The Vandellas
The Marvelettes
Mary Wells
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Marvin Gaye
Junior Walker
The Isley Brothers
Otis Redding
Sam Cooke
Cab Calloway
Miles Davis
Nina Simone
I think you get the point
BWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHHAHAAAA!!!!!!!!
check #18... take care and best regards...
Link never meant to work. red lucy is a troll. When a newbie post an article and then doesn't stick around to answer replies, they're a troll.
ZOT! this thread.
The Beatles ruined their song "Twist and Shout".
What about Michael Jacksons picture?
A couple of Halloweens ago I had some black kids show up at my door - she was dressed as a whore and he as a pimp. They weren't kidding.
As Daniel Patrick Moynihan said forty years ago, the disintegration of the black family is just a precursor of a trend hitting the population in general. We also have the feminists to thank for teaching that putting women "on a pedestal" somehow harms them. Treating women like whores is some kind of improvement?
I take it you are refering to the Libertarian types, and not individuals who are 'hard core, extreme right' morally.
We have figured it out. The problem is that conservatives are neither the market nor the economic push behind Hip Hop. We can't boycott it effectively because we mostly don't buy it. Conservative criticism of the genre is considered racist.
The only people that can turn the destructive images of women in Hip Hop around are the women themselves. They have to stop buying it until their concerns are met. But look at the tone of the article. These women don't sound outraged to me. Still, I wish them well.
You make good points...hope you're right that all here agree that this stuff is insidious and damaging.
And yes, this crap moving into the mainstream hurts everybody...nope, certainly no improvement in female depiction in this stuff--strange irony here, militant, arch feminists should take note.
I've just noticed some knee-jerk comments at FR ridiculing this troubling trend--hence my post.
Hmm, maybe Essence should broaden their outlook and take Condi Rice, Judge Janice Rogers Brown and other conservative black women more seriously, and promote them as role models for their daughters.
Well, it's a start.
And the only way a protest against this hateful stuff will have any impact at all, is for it take hold from inside the community that buys it---so the article is a beginning, anyway--glad to see it.
Ok, so my first question is, where's Jesse on this? Secondly, Tupac's visceral poetry? The man was a buffoon and a gangsta, hip hop is trash, period!
Michael Jackson? Maybe in the Jackson 5, but that freak of nature hasn't produced anything of any serious quality in over 20 years!
Hip Hop is to culture as mold is to cheese, a surface infection working its way to the core.
Quite frankly, I don't believe that the objectification of women came about without the help of any female, either. I think it's largely driven by women.
I used to believe that society's habit of judging women primarily on their appearance had its roots strictly in male dominance and male sexual desires. I thought this way until I started to raise my daughters.
We as parents never taught our daughters to focus on their appearance, and we always kept an awfully tight lid--almost too tight, some say--on their exposure to popular culture. And yet, they are focussed on their appearance, very strongly. They have this natural impulse towards wanting to be judged on their looks, and to be judged "pretty", of course. They cry if given pants to wear, rather than a dress. They ask to wear makeup, even though Mrs. P. almost never does. Their dolls don't work in laboratories or kitchens, but compete in fashion shows.
We try to tell them that appearance isn't the goal of life, but it is against instinct that we argue. God help us when they hit puberty.
Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Donny Hathaway, Luther Vandross, James Brown.
These artists helped raise me during the first couple or three years of life, so to speak ... :=)
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
Ping
Thank you for finishing what I started... Those were people to be respected no matter where you came from! Professionals, genius artists, people of character! Pioneers of some of the most amazing art we have ever seen.
Too bad that their heritage has turned into goofballs with drum machines yelling about their cars, their money, drugs, etc etc.
At least when guys like Cab Calloway and other folks talked about drugs and money, they did it with class!!! hahahaha
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
How could you leave out the best of them all, Satchmo? Louie Armstrong is my favorite American musician of all time. (for the trumpet playing, not the singing which I can take or leave.) You do redeem yourself by including Duke Ellington who I believe is the greatest American composer by a long shot. Now I've got an itch to listen to Duke at Newport, 1956 - I can never get enough of that sax solo on Dimenudo and Cresendo in Blue.
You presume I don't have loyalty to my wife, daughters, mother, etc.
What pompous deity did you spring from?
Teach your kids what music is, and they will laugh hip-hop as rabbit pellets.. Rap is nowhere close to music.. not even in the same ballpark.. Music flys like an eagle, rap hops like a rabbit..
just another reason I have not bought any music on a domestic label for nearly 5 years now.
Think you might have posted this just to be offensive towards blacks ? Why do I smell a troll post ?
Link? Source?
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