Why Is This Issue Important to Us?
Early in the semester, several African American women in our class brought up the subject of Nelly’s video “Tip Drill” and expressed their frustration at the acceptance, and even enjoyment, of this video among their male friends. After a series of class discussions, we reached the consensus that the “Tip Drill” video is a primary example of negative, objectifying portrayals of African American women in contemporary American popular culture. We decided to take on this issue as a class project.
Because Black women stand at the “crossroads” of pejorative race and gender ideologies, they are encouraged to display their bodies in rap music videos to the point where the videos could be considered “soft porn” (White 27). Dr. Catherine Squires, an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan, studies interactions between racial groups, mass media, and the public sphere. She feels that people in the music industry and in the viewing audience do not see black women in this serious, sensitive light: “The industry of hip-hop is of men, by men, and for men. Basically, they tell women to shake their butts and behinds or have no job” (Personal Interview 3/15/05). Professor Squires believes that these types of productions send unfortunate, even if unintended, messages: “Many rap videos portray women as nothing more than sex objects, put on earth to satisfy men’s sexual appetites in committed relationships, only to be tossed aside when the next “hoochie” comes along. Irresponsible sex, exploitation of women and material gain tend to be the consistent message” (Personal Interview 3/15/05). This particular misrepresentation of black women is a long-standing image that has been present since the slavery era and the creation of the Jezebel stereotype of the hyper-sexualized, de-valued black woman.
We were persuaded by Professor Squires’s arguments, and we agree with the students at Spelman College who feel that: “music videos have gotten so raunchy they might as well be pornography, presenting a hypersexual depiction of women that distorts and demeans the image of black women in particular. Even in the tamer videos, women might as well be prostitutes. They are objects, part of the bling-bling, like the platinum chains and diamonds sported by rappers” (Daily Review 7/4/04). Not only are the women in the videos dancing provocatively, but the lyrics and the messages of the songs condemn women. The lyrics of the songs are “constantly referring to women as bitches and hoes,” thus reinforcing the degrading stereotypes of Jezebel and Sapphire (Daily Review 7/4/04).
“The phrase ‘tip drill’ is urban slang for a woman with an attractive body and an ugly face, and the message of Nelly’s song is that such women are good only for sex” (Farrel 1). The music entertainment industry perpetuates this disturbing image of African American women. In their videos, rappers like 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Ja Rule all portray women as objectified figures that are only good for sex. Excuses are often made for the overrepresentation of African American women in this negative light. Musicians and fans alike sometimes argue that the women in these videos “think about their career, to get ahead. They’re not being objectified, they like the beat, or they’re just dancing” (Squires, Personal Interview 3/15/05). However, we feel that these recurring, disparaging images can negatively influence the minds of viewers and instill unfounded beliefs about black women’s experiences, lives, and characters.
The public’s lack of awareness of the sexist images in music videos does not erase the effect of these images in society: “Hip-hop has been a magnanimous aspect of not only black culture, but also American Culture in general . . . the Generation X has adopted all elements of hip-hop as a part of their daily practices claiming that hip-hop artists influence music, fashion, and speech” (DeBose 2). A sociological study published in 1995 by professors at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and Albany State University, indicates the powerful impact of negative portrayals of black women in music videos. The study was conducted to “assess the effects of exposure to nonviolent rap music on African American adolescents’ perceptions of teen dating violence. African American male and female subjects were exposed to nonviolent rap videos (which contained images of women in sexually subordinate roles) or they saw no videos” (Johnson, Adams, Ashburn, Reed 1). The study found that: “Female subjects who were exposed to the videos reported greater acceptance of teen dating violence than females who were not exposed to the videos. On the other hand, male acceptance of such violence did not vary as a function of exposure to the videos” (Johnson et al. 4). This evidence suggests that watching stock images of black women in rap videos made black adolescent girls more willing to accept demeaning treatment from black adolescent boys. The implications of this finding are surprising and alarming. Though musicians and fans may deny that some music videos generate stereotypes and discrimination, the potential for music videos to shape an environment that permits abuse of black women seems apparent.
The most effective way of refuting these images is by exposing the false stereotypes of African American women to the general public. In Professor Catherine Squires’s view, people should organize small protests in order to make others “familiar with the unfamiliar” (Personal Interview 3/15/05). She feels that the best way to spread awareness is to have those who are knowledgeable about these stereotypes speak out on the misinterpretations in rap videos and encourage everyone to “support media that isn’t giving stereotypes” (Personal Interview 3/15/05). That is our intention in creating this web-page.
References
DeBose, Brian. "How Has Hip-Hop Music Affected World Culture?" Washington Informer. 13 Oct 1999 : 15.
Farrel, Elizabeth F. " 'It's Gettin' Hot in Here.' " Chronicle of Higher Education. 4 June 2004 : 19.
Jackson, Ola R. "Commentary: Has the Rap Industry Gone Too Far?" New Pittsburgh Courier. 8 Mar 2003 : A6.
Johnson James D., Mike S. Adams, Leslie Ashburn, and William Reed. “Differential Gender Effects of Exposure to Rap Music on African American Adolescents’ Acceptance of Teen Dating Violence.” Sex Roles 33 (1995): 597-605.
Payton, Brenda. "Sorority Sisters Combat Exploitative Rap Images." Daily Review (Hayward, CA). 4 July 2004 : Opinions/Editorial.
Squires, Catherine. Personal Interview. 15 March 2005.
White, Deborah Gray. Ar’n’t I A Woman: Female Slaves in the Plantation South. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985.