Sexism in rap sparks black magazine to say, 'Enough!'

[mzmolly]

Taking on a multi-billion-dollar industry that accounts for more music sales than pop and rock - and exerts a cultural influence that extends far beyond the African-American community - is a monumental undertaking, even for a publication with a circulation of over 1.6 million. While few expect Essence to turn the tide, it's significant that the preeminent magazine for African-American women believes that the degree of sexism in rap is no longer tenable.

"This is certainly a women's issue, but it's a black women's issue first," says Michaela Angela Davis, Essence's executive fashion and beauty editor.

"It's fitting that should be the ones to help folks talk about it, listen to each other and have them come up with action steps that make sense to them," she says. "We don't have picket signs, we're not telling people what to think, we're just asking them to think."

The Essence campaign is not without precedent. The magazine's staff was galvanized by a much publicized incident at Spelman College in Atlanta last year in which students at the black women's school protested the appearance of the rapper Nelly for a fundraiser on campus. As part of its campaign, Essence will host a "town meeting" at Spelman next month. CSM

"We’re deeply concerned by the pervasiveness of negative images of Black women and its effect on our girls."

Take Back The Music

While this campaign started over two years ago I'm posting this because I've heard people say that concerns about the music industry are "right wing" and that's simply not factual. In fact, Ebony Magazine wrote about this in 1995: EBONY

I'd also like to add that Hip-hop music is only ONE genre that at times, promotes misogyny etc. Tolerance.org

I'm somewhat offended at the dismissal of what ails us "beyond Imus." I hope we'll all take time to reflect on a society that condones "art" glorifying the oppression of women.

[stillcool]

1. I'm somewhat offended by the conversation as well...

why is it that the manifestations of a sick society are seen to be the cause? Why should I be horrified by the expression, but ambivalent about the life being expressed?

[mzmolly]

4. How do you feel about white racist music?

Is it just an expression of a sick society and as such we shouldn't address it or consider it's contribution to the problem?

Unless I'm misunderstanding your point?

[Karenina]

10. It has been regularly promoted here

under the guise of "ain't it awful."

[Bjorn Against]

16. Good point, there certainly is racist white music...

I got dragged to a Pantera concert a few years back, and I was pretty shocked as to just how racist that band was. They were waving the Confederate flag all over the place. And Pantera is not just some skinhead group that no one has heard of, they were one of the most well known and influential metal acts of the 90's. And if you think rap is bad when it comes to demeaning women, try listening to some death metal. It is not at all uncommon to hear songs about mutilating a woman and then having sex with her dead body, I am not exaggerating when I say necrophilia is one of the major themes of music in that genre (although there is some socially conscious death metal music as well, just as there is socially conscious rap music). There is plenty of misogynistic lyrics to go around it is in no way limited to rap.

[mzmolly]

21. Rap is certainly not alone in it's issues with misogyny.

I have attempted to make that point here, and I hope it's made more often so that eventually we'll speak of this issue in broader terms, should we decide to address it at all.

Thanks for sharing your experience/knowledge in this regard.

[NormanYorkstein]

12. it goes both ways

sure it's an "expression" of society but then in becomes a fad and then starts to influence society.

I support their free speech rights to attack sexist lyrics in hip hop.

[mzmolly]

15. Indeed that "free speech" thing, it works both ways.

Thanks for the post. :hi:

[riverdeep]

2. This part needs to be emphasized

"concerns about the music industry are "right wing" and that's simply not factual"

It pains me to sometimes be on the same side as that asshole Bill O'Reilly or the clueless Michelle Malkin, but I guess we're also both carbon-based life forms, so there's another overlap.

Misogyny has become cool of late, and it's true that rap isn't the only source, unfortunately. One thing that concerns me, is painting with too broad a brush. When I listen to Howlin' Wolf (blues singer) for instance, superficially it could be contrued as misogynistic, but I don't think it is. He sings about sneaking through the night and getting young women. But in another song, his woman is sneaking through the night herself, or trying to poison him. The body of work needs to be looked at as well.

[mzmolly]

3. I agree fully.

And, I do think that music tells a story, but when some music tells the same story over and over again, we have an issue.

We'd be hard pressed to find defense of white racist music as "art" here.

[Bjorn Against]

17. I think if you were to go after a popular racist white band it would be different...

If someone were to put up a post critical of the racism in Pantera's music there would be plenty of people defending it as art. If you were to bring up a skinhead group no one has ever heard of however, there would not be many defending it. People stand up for the musicians they know about, not the ones they don't care about.

[mzmolly]

22. That could be?

It's certainly worth pondering.

[bliss_eternal]

5. Cool post...!

Thanks for making it! :hi: Glad to see you're still around. ;)

[mzmolly]

6. Nice to see you as well!

:hi:

[riverdeep]

7. Have you heard of Pam Spaulding?

She's a black lesbian blogger who contributes to Pandagon. I came across a post of hers recently on this subject.

http://pandagon.net/2007/04/12/addressing-the-problems-of-imus-and-hip-hop/#more-5153

One thing that is particularly timely:

"It is quite timely that this initiative is given attention because its Take Back the Music Hip-Hop songwriting contest will reveal its top 10 finalists tomorrow, April 13. Aspiring lyricists and songwriters, between the ages 15 to 18, will compete to win tuition-free classes at the Berklee College of Music’s Boston campus."

[mzmolly]

8. I have heard of her only briefly.

Thanks for the article. :hi:

[mzmolly]

9. I'm posting a quote from the Coach of the Rutgers Team Vivian Stringer:

"These comments are indicative of greater ills in our culture," ... "It is not just Mr. Imus, and we hope that this will be and serve as a catalyst for change. Let us continue to work hard together to make this world a better place."

[ellacott]

11. Thank you for this post, The sad thing is..

Essence started this campaign in 2005. No one in MSM covered this. There are people and organizations who have been working on this cause for a long time and no one reported on it. Now the media want to be hypocrites and ask why no one is doing anything about it.

[femrap]

13. And the work of another young woman....

she worked to stop the representation of women as bimbos in TV beer commercials!

Next time you see a beer commercial....women are treated as objects! And I don't remember hearing anything from MSM on that.

[mzmolly]

18. We are objects dontcha know?

Why, even liberal men approve of the word "ho" to describe women. It's the racism that's an issue, sexism, piff!

:sarcasm:

[femrap]

19. Sometimes I think the Lefties' sexism is

more difficult to overcome...because they are so much more in denial than the outright rednecks who are proud of their sexist behavior.

But it is the last of the 'isms' that needs to be buried. There are days when I wonder if the human race is capable of stepping up and evolving. I guess it's 2 steps forward and 1 step back...and we have been going backward since 1980.

[mzmolly]

20. Excellent points.

But it is the last of the 'isms' that needs to be buried. There are days when I wonder if the human race is capable of stepping up and evolving. I guess it's 2 steps forward and 1 step back...and we have been going backward since 1980.

Hear hear!

[mzmolly]

14. Absolutely.

This should be covered more extensively but women are at the bottom of the priority list.

We must maintain the Girls Gone Wild environment so that our young girls know their proper place. :(

[happydreams]

23. K&R. This is another good sign along with Obama's

comments in another post.