Friday, February 15, 2008
“I’m gonna bitch-slap my ho, and you should too.”
I think it hit me as I was driving home from work the other day. I was mindlessly listening to the radio when the song “Big Pimpin” came on. So here I am singing along, thinking about getting home and fixing a lean cuisine, when—like a ton of bricks—it hits me that I am completely degrading myself. I have often dismissed song lyrics based on a fun beat or just never taking the time to really listen, but there are songs out there, especially in the rap and hip-hop genre, that endorse the mistreatment and inequality of men to women. Whether it’s talking about how fun it is to “be a player” or “if your ho act up, put her six feet deep.”
Does nobody else have a problem with this? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills here (this is a line I’ve been working on. I really think I might be the next Ludacris.). “Look I don’t care how crazy yo bitch is, you can’t kill her, and if you did, it would mean some serious jail time...playa.”
OK, maybe not Luda. Maybe more like R.Kelly.
One might say chauvinism has existed from the beginning of time. The supposed first story ever written claims that women came from men and are therefore innately less superior. However, such ideas have been progressively suppressed since the women’s right movement, so I’m wondering when it became cool to be a bigot and how society has let it come this far.
These artists and their ideals are glorified by the media, which allows people to feel justified in their own mistreatment of others. Some men think it’s cool to spread their seed all over the town, because that’s what they hear on the radio and the TV. We are not animals living in some primitive world. We are rational beings capable of respect and meaningful relationships. By demoralizing our set standards as higher-thinking beings, we are slowly sending ourselves back into the Stone Age.
I don’t mean to sound like Will Smith, but it’s gotten a little out of control, when lyrics that talk about raping and killing women are considered the “new hot thing.” We have to sit back and ask ourselves, “what kind of society are we becoming?”
Art is an expression, true, but when the emotions being sparked by that form of expression are causing more harm than good, it’s time to take some responsibility for the principles we supposedly hold. I really feel, however, that this argument is hopeless, lyrics are going to keep degrading and objectifying women, artists are going to continue to make millions of dollars off of them and women are going to keep grinding their booties on the dance floor to them. Everybody’s going to give up their integrity and get VDs, and the world’s going to continue to turn like it always has.
Simmermon is a Leawood senior in journalism.
Hip-hop forum comes to Multicultural Resource Center
Debate about misogynistic rap lyrics and their epithets arise during Women's History ...
Forget what you heard
The Kansan's four part series showcasing hip hop's impact on a mix ...
Rap music sales decline
The hip-hop and rap industries are losing fans and sales. Sales dropped ...
Simmermon: Negative comments on story perpetuate false ...
Stereotyping. In American culture, it’s inevitable.
Question & Answer with Amy Millan of ...
Q&A: Brendan Hangauer: vocalist/guitarist of Fourth of ...
Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.
Review: Music
Guest Column: Have any recent bands lived ...
"Across The Universe," with all its sexy men and (less importantly) artistic ...
Marsaglia: ‘Odd Future’ testing the limits of ...
While their lyrics have understandably disengaged some, an exponentially growing Internet following ...
Stuewe: A sign of hope in modern ...
National band plays at local venue and proves with emotional lyrics and ...
Accessing jazz
Make jazz more accessible by checking out local acts.
Realignment means revision for fight song
Nebraska and Colorado's departure leaves no room for them in the KU ...
Simmermon: It’s a bad day when you ...
Lots of people who live here feel invincible, like they can walk ...
Music guy
A road map to music utopia
Christian mother vocalizes her joy of sex.
Devoted mother shares her joys of sex and gives tips on how ...
Music guy
Your guide to music utopia
Q&A with Reckless Kelly's Willy Braun
Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.
Beauty of the fairer sex
Both women and men performed in "Genius of Women," a talent show ...
She Rocks
For years, women were excluded from the boys-only rock ‘n’ roll club. ...
Kansas divers in depth
The diving team has prepared all year for this week’s Big 12 ...
Poetic license
Find the ordinary extraordinary in easily and accessible everyday poetry.
Long live the Shack
As KJHK moves from its “lived-in” studio, a look back at the ...
Tomorrow's news: Midomi
Interview with Lotus
Macho-Macho Man
Does going to the doctor make you less of a man?
Music Review: War on Drugs
A guide to sonic consumption.
Catch of the Week: Ryan Burton
A weekly peek at a KU fish in the sea.
Simmermon: Childhood nostalgia inspires trip down Rainbow ...
Never was there a better Rainbow Road level than in the Super ...
Music guy
A road map to music utopia
Kansas Public Radio awaits decision
Copyright regulation could change the way stations broadcast online.
Presentation to discuss stereotypes about black women
A group of students will hold presentation to discuss positive and negative ...
KJHK radio named one of the best ...
KJHK has seen an influx of honors and volunteers this year
Music That Moves You
Doing Without: Swearing
Absence makes the heart grow...?
Why don't we do it on the ...
State radio brings service to the community.
Matney: Chapelle was right
After much thought, yes, chivalry is still worth it.
Drive-by shouting
Catcalls are commonplace in many women’s daily lives. Is it all in ...
To the beat of their own drum
After 52 years unchanged, new fight song ...
The lyrics to “I’m A Jayhawk” have been updated to reflect the ...
Q & A
With Lisa Loeb
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Simmermon: Lyrics degrading to female listeners
yet another article bashing hip hop from a white female who's from the nice confines of suburbia. When people misinterpret and misreport hip hop music, it simply reinforces racial stereotypes about young black, hispanic, and asian males. Way to go...your readers came away sharing your prejudiced message that youung black males are sexual deviants... Don't get me wrong, there are questionable lyrics and practices in all musical cultures, however...why do you simply point out hip hop. The Kansas City Star had a great article last month which touched on degrading lyrics in music, and it stated that country was worst. But I guess no one is willing to criticize some white males.
Simmermon: Lyrics degrading to female listeners
I hate this bandwagon of hating on rap music. Okay, maybe rap says certain things...but why not get down on rock music or horror movies? No one seems to complain about movies like 'Saw' showing people getting cut up and crap. This is an obvious attempt by someone who dislikes rap to vent. And that line in Big Pimpin' referenced isn't on the song nor would have been played on the radio...
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID