Preview

Rap Music Influence On Women

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1019 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Rap Music Influence On Women
Rap music videos are also a crucial influence in shaping identity among young listeners. The images displayed send off messages on how men and women should behave and look. The majority of rap music videos display misogyny through sexual objectification towards women. Many of these music videos portray women as sexually pleasing objects, this reinforces male dominance showing young young gilrs that their own sexual orientation and beliefs are inferior to a males sexual desires (Oosten, p. 988). For men, the display of dominant and sexually aggressive male attitudes and the willingness of women to please enforces that all women will eventually agree to sexual acts (p. 988). Oosten states, “One under-studied concept that may be portrayals of …show more content…
Although rap music can also be a source of therapeutic inspiration, popular rap music sadly consists of negative encoded messages that contribute to the construction of identity of many adolescents. Through new mobile media this form of music is highly accessible for anyone to discover and enjoy. When analyzing the lyrics within rap compositions it moves the intentions of a seemingly innocent song to sexual objectification, drug use, and ideals of body image. Messages encoded within this form of media are well thought out in order to fulfill corporate pressures, and consumer demand. These lyrics begin creating provocative messages in order to grasp a consumer’s attention in hopes of obtaining multiple views. These messages then become decoded in two main ways, sexual objectification of women and drug exploitation. Sexual objectification towards women in these songs creates a framework in which girls identify themselves with and in turn can begin to self objectify, leaving a never-ending cycle of misynony. Drug and alcohol use is also a major component in rap lyrics and music videos that can influence young teens to explore various substances in hopes of identifying with a party culture that many rap artists enforce. The visualization of rap music videos is a major influential form of media that is also used to praise particular body types, while putting others inferior compared. This shapes the identity of young girls regarding their views of attractiveness. Lastly, radio broadcasting can also hinder an individual’s sense of identity as the selection of songs played is based off of popularity, allowing inappropriate and exploitive messages to be communicated. All in all when consuming music media an individual should properly analyzed the messages within the piece of music before allowing it’s messages to become
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hip-Hop's Betrayal Of Black Women
    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hip-Hop's Betrayal Of Black Women

    In her essay “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women” Jennifer McLunes states that “Hip-hop owes its success to the ideology of woman-hating”(222). She states that hip-hop condones an attitude of objectification, sexism, and homophobia. That rarely does an artist break the mold of rampant sexism. While she is right that some lyrics may be interpreted as chauvinistic and perhaps even sexist, this is not majority of the music. McLunes argument is not valid because hip-hop’s artists, the environment it is born from, and its culture is a celebration of materialism not misogyny.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dreamworlds 3
    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dreamworlds 3

    American culture has learned to become sexist and misogyny with the influence of the sexual exploitation of women in the music, media, advertising and entertainment industries. For instance, today music videos are the latest expression of sexuality and gender stereotypes; however these music videos are often condemned for its exploitation of women. In the documentary Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Power & Sex, Director Sut Jhally analyzes how music videos both inform and are informed by our culture’s dominant attitudes regarding femininity, masculinity, sexuality and race. Sut Jhally begins to illustrate a unique and powerful understanding to the continuing influence of music videos and its storytelling, in terms of its cultural behaviors and attitudes. With the help of Sut Jhally in addition to analyzing the interrelated social problems we are able to investigate the social constructs of music videos and examine how they are drawn and shaped within our culture.…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Negative Influences Gangster Rap
    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Negative Influences Gangster Rap

    Have you ever wondered if letting children listen to whatever music they wanted to would ever have a bad influence on them? Parents today try and control what their kids listen to, but they sometimes end up failing. Since teens and young adults have the largest influence on music, they are the ones who will decide what will be the most popular music genre in pop culture. Some parents believe that letting their children listen to “gangster rap” or any other form of harmful and vulgar music will turn them into a psychopathic cop killer. With the this being true in some cases, it can be a cause for concern. The problem that most parents actually have with these types of harmful music is that it changes the way their children act and speak towards…

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Saartjie Hip Hop Music's Influence On African American Women
    • 1918 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Saartjie Hip Hop Music's Influence On African American Women

    Hip hop music influences larger society in powerful ways and has become a subculture that has transcended race, socioeconomics, and gender. Its popularity and ability to transcend across many social lines that are usually impenetrable is the biggest threat to the perception of Black women by others and by themselves. When leaders like President Barack Obama and other prominent politicians reference lines from popular rap songs, they are often received with admiration and excitement by the media and larger public. Such a response from a pop culture reference reveals hip hop music’s ability to influence culture on a magnanimous level. Hip hop music is an industry run by men, with overwhelmingly male artists who provide entertainment for other men. In this understanding of the industry, the images of women presented through this massively popular music are exclusively chosen by men. Additionally, hip hop music tends to sell a lifestyle and not just a song or beats. As was previously discussed in the quote from Daily Review, expensive material things and several beautiful and naked women are things to achieve and obtain. An object is for use of some kind and the hip hop music industry has single handedly crystallized the developing notion that women in general are objects for sexual pleasure exclusively. This idea is particularly harmful for Black women and girls in the face of a media that has very few other images of Black women. White women are of course objectified and hyper-sexualized in the same manner, but the damage of such objectification is buffered by other images of a range of professional White women, heroines in film and television, prominent White actresses, politicians, businesswomen, journalists, etc “Historically, white women, as a category, were portrayed as models of self-respect, self-control, and modesty - even sexual…

    • 1918 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Essence of Res(ex)pectability: Black Women’s Negotiation of Black Femininity in Rap Music and Music Videos
    • 629 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Essence of Res(ex)pectability: Black Women’s Negotiation of Black Femininity in Rap Music and Music Videos

    This article, written by Shanara R. Reid, discusses the over-sexualization of women in rap/hip hop songs and music videos, and the possible social causes of this. It has become apparent nowadays that women are heavily degraded in all kinds of media in order to appeal to the male viewing audience. Scantily clad women partaking in provocative dance routines and actions has become a norm of music videos. Machismo ideals that stress the extreme superiority of men over women and encourage the representation of women almost as an item prevail among lyrics. African-American women are especially susceptible to this kind of treatment, and many, including the author of this journal article, believe that more should be done by these women to protect the good name of their own class of people.…

    • 629 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Misogynist Analysis
    • 1655 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hip Hop Misogynist Analysis

    A part of the learned mainstream American culture is sexism and misogyny. Hip-hop culture is frequently condemned for its misogynistic exploitation of women, but this misogyny has its roots in the culture in which we live. Hip-hop but can be explored and used as a valuable tool in examining gender relations. It brings to surface the issues that face many young people, such as discrimination, peer relations, and self-worth, that can be considered in order to bring about change in the misogynistic aspects of hip-hop culture and American culture, in general. For young people that do not hold sexist ideals, mainstream hip-hop may influence them to do so…

    • 1655 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hip-Hop's Negative Impact On African American Youth
    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hip-Hop's Negative Impact On African American Youth

    Hip-hop can destroy other citizens. For instance, violence in some songs cause the youth to starts fights and also kill themselves. On the other hand, gangs and street thugs are a few examples. However, teenagers are starting to kills, steals, vandalize. Therefore, hip-hop culture and movement has an negative impact on contemporary African American identities based on how they represent themselves. This is due to the fact it promotes an unhealthy lifestyle towards attitudes and behaviors of American Youth. In addition, it teaches African American youth to use profanity. Furthermore, American youth do not have a role model when listening to hip-hop.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Issue Paper
    • 1874 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Issue Paper

    Music videos came to popularity in the 1980’s with such television stations as MTV, BET, and VH1. The aim of these music videos is to market and promote different artists through the use of visual appeals. Gangster rap, a subgenre Hip-Hop music, presents violence, homophobia, and sexism in its lyrical content. This type of music presents the youth with an ideal identity, one that is consumed with money, cars, drugs, and multiple women performing sexual favors. Gangster rap videos usually focus on the buttocks, hips, and breast of women, (specifically black women). These videos depict black women as: hypersexual, money-hungry, sex objects. The success of these music videos relies on the imaging of these women in these videos and their use of their sexual appeal to sell the song. Music videos portray woman in a positive and negative light and these portrayals of woman could essentially play a role in a young girl’s self-esteem.…

    • 1874 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hip Hop Culture Rape
    • 162 Words
    • 1 Page

    Hip Hop Culture Rape

    While statistics on sexual assault and rape are crucial in this context, just as important to explore is how hip hop generationers interpret sexual abuse, and how women in particular perceive the perpetrators of this abuse. In this chapter, I explore the relationship between hip hop culture and sexual abuse. In what ways does hip hop culture ride…

    • 162 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rap Music Controversy
    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rap Music Controversy

    By doing so, he informs the reader of the disadvantages of promoting degrading images of women and objectifying them in music videos. Parents have become aware of the language used and have begun restricting their children from contributing to the industry. As a result, the rap music industry’s profits will inevitably decline as women and young people become increasingly hesitant towards the genre. Brian also reintroduces the fact that rap music is harmful to women and their self-esteem. The rap genre encourages young people, especially young males, to be promiscuous and implies that women are objects used for pleasure. Ultimately, the continuation of theses nuances of misogyny and sexual objectification will result in a generation of domestic violence and the overpowering growth of a patriarchal…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Women In Popular Culture
    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Women In Popular Culture

    The media has the ability to aggravate and cultivate the minds of those who constantly engage and partake in the deliverance of such content. One theory that impelled research on how cultivation can affect the mind and attitudes towards a particular issue was the cultivation theory. Young adults are the ones who the media hopes to garner a lot of attention from, which is another reason why popular culture and hip-hop music should carefully depict how women are portrayed. In From Dr. Dre to Dismissed : Assessing Violence, Sex, and Substance Use on MTV, author Stacy L. Smith argues, “Young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 are the most likely age group to consume rap/hip-hop music, and in turn, may become desensitized to the derogatory lyrics condoning relationship violence and sexual aggression.” Smith argues a great point, because the media attempts to cultivate the mind into viewing women in a negative light, and when you become so very accustomed to engaging in popular culture and hip-hop music that degrades and dehumanize women, you become insensitive to dismissive misogynystic beliefs in relation to women. The cultivation theory is a logical concept because it numbs you to sexual degradability of women; as well as sexual harassment and sexual violence — you basically become blind to the prejudice contempt of…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Satire
    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Hip Hop Satire

    Media often paints a different picture than as seen by the eye. Often heard on the headlines are the bad and the ugly never the good. One picture that is often skewed by the media is that of hip hop. It is often heard that this genre is a negative influence on children, as the message put out by these rappers is not appropriate for today’s youth. The lifestyle is too violent and the lyrics are too harsh. All this is skewed in the wrong direction. As the hip hop genre is impactful and helpful for the youth of the world.…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Black Women In Hip Hop Music
    • 1715 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Black Women In Hip Hop Music

    It is a way for them to express emotions, relax and “chill”, and learn about the social world through the eyes of another. However, not all hip hop music is positive. How does lyrics from a song effect youth, specifically black female listeners? Upon an examination of popular hip hop songs, six major themes were present; men and power, sex as a top priority for males, objectification of women, sexual violence, women defined by a man, and women not valuing themselves. (Bretthauer, Zimmerman, and Banning, 2007)…

    • 1715 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    African American Women
    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages

    African American Women

    The method of testing, of whether or not female teens sense of body image were affected by music videos, consisted of questionnaires given to 522 females in the surrounding communities. The study focused on the depictions of females in rap music videos. Davies concluded, from the information gathered, that rap music videos contained more drug substance abuse and explicit sexual content involving females when compared with rock, country rhythm and blues music videos. Davies also concludes that African-American youths are exposed to 3.3 hours of black entertainment music videos, otherwise known as B.E.T. Davies says BET depicts scenes that objectify African-American women. The videos portray an unrealistic standard on how women should look, and often female teens want to achieve this look. According to the music videos, it is only desirable if the women have curves in the “right” places and an overall thin-like appearance. This study could have been expanded to include numerous ethnical groups, simply because the channel B.E.T does not just target African American youths but youths in general. The music videos on B.E.T expose all ethnicities of females and could play a part in youths feeling dissatisfied with their body type. Davies results may be altered if more female teens with different backgrounds who watch BET are added to the…

    • 1314 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Music Lyrics Do Not Promote Violence
    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Music Lyrics Do Not Promote Violence

    Music Lyrics being NON-VIOLENT Rap music can be considered a style of art, and a way for the artists to express feelings through their words on paper. However, there are quite a few rap artists that get criticized for their lyrics. In my essay, I want to discuss why rappers use certain lyrics in their music and why people shouldn’t believe that it causes violence among the younger generations. People shouldn’t censor the music just because of violent, vulgar and abusive messages it promotes to the world. I believe in my own mind, that there is a reason for these types of lyrics that rap artists use and I will simply explain those reasons in this essay. Rap has been called one of the most important music forces to emerge in two decades. It’s pounding beats and staccato rhymes exploded on the streets of the urban America in the early 1980s and since have become the theme music and lyrical heart of the vibrant youth culture called hip-hop ( SIRS 1993). There are many different types of rap artist. There are some that talk about money, some talk about righteousness, and the list goes on and on. Every rap artist had their own way of expressing themselves. There are those that talk about sex, drugs, and violence who receive the negative attention( SIRS 1993). People, think this so- called gangster rap is a bad influence on children in the world and that it promotes violence and that it also is abusive to women. Delores Tucker, head of national congress of black women has been among those pressuring different record companies to stop distributing gangster rap music. There were other significant names that participated in this action. Names like Senate Majority leader Bob dole, and former education Secretary William J. Bennett(Surveys, pg. 1). There are some rap artists that have been openly criticized for their lyrics. Rappers like Lil Kim, Too Short, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and a member from “Too Live Crew,” named Luke Skywalker. These rap artists in the past have been…

    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics