Sexualization by Women of Women
#COM461 #Harmfulpropaganda #Celebrityagenda #resepectyourself #protectyourself #protectthechildren
The hyper sexualization of women in rap and hip-hop songs has been prevalent over the past decades. However, in these recent years it has been on a fast track to popularity in the media. These up and coming female rappers and hip hop artists have reclaimed their femininity through taking on the personas that men have been painting them in for decades.
In the article “Sexualization and the power of women in hip-hop”, Mendoza speaks about how in the past male rappers would openly objectify women in their lyrics, music videos and album covers (Mendoza, 2021). She continued saying how sex sells and now women want a piece of that. Personally, I have seen a huge incline in how the music hypersexualization in the media has promoted a feminist movement circulated around ‘being like men’. Doing the same things as men, sexual liberation as they describe it. Dressing in a provocative way because they choose to, not because men want them to. The propaganda that women should act like men in a sexual way isn’t beneficial. It has created a society in the west where women are actually more prone to depression, illnesses and divorce because of this new ‘movement’.
Not only are women dressing more revealing but some are so persuaded by this harmful propaganda to go as far as plastic surgery. Mendoza says, “Whether it’s with boob jobs, butt impacts, fat removal, or plastic surgery, many people have tried to artificially change the way they look because they want to fit the look that many artists describe in their songs. It can have a huge mental toll on a woman because they can start to dislike the body that they have, which can in turn lead to body image issues and even eating disorders” (Mendoza, 2021). At the moment it seems good because they want to be looked at how artists in the media are. But regular people not only don’t have the money to keep up with their surgeries like celebrities do but they base their result on how happy they see their favorite artists are. Celebrities only post their best images, videos etc. so basing your emotional response to a surgery from a Kardashian instagram post can have irreversible consequences.
The lifestyle along with the look is a recipe for failure. The harmful propaganda targeting women is unfortunately working. Women are more masculine in attitude and sexualization while dressing in a manner that objectifies themselves. The article talks about how female artists have been taking advantage of this propaganda to make more money and gain attention in the media; “Megan Thee Stallion is a prime example of someone who has embraced these objectifications and used it to their advantage. It is a common trend for Megan to be wearing little to no clothes in her music videos, accentuating her feminine qualities to appeal to the male species” (Mendoza, 2021). Having young women and children looking at Megan Thee Stallion as a role model are being raised in a confusing way. Instead of being taught the problem with objectification of women they are thinking if they do it to themselves somehow it’s not degrading when in reality it is.
Overall, the harmful effects of this propaganda is prevalent around us. We see the effects it is having on young women. Having background knowledge on how propaganda works can help you detect harmful concepts being pushed through the media and find a way to combat them.
Script:
Opener: The topic I chose to cover was hypersexualization of women in the rap/hip-hop industry by men and now women.
Why: I chose this topic because it is something that is targeting my generation of women. It is a real shame that this propaganda and agenda is being pushed to the young women in my generation and so many are falling victim to it. In the article titled, “Sexualization and the power of women in hip-hop”, Mendoza talks about how female rappers are now taking the objectifying and misogynistic lyrics of older male rappers and embracing them for profit (Mendoza, 2021). This is because ‘sex sells’.
Example #1: Megan Thee Stallion is a clear example of how female rappers are promoting the sexualization of women for profit. Also promoting a masculine energy, rebelling against the norm of a soft and gentle woman.
Meg’s outfit in this image is clearly revealing and sexualizing in fashion. Promoting a sense of ‘liberation’ however damaging because young girls are trying to emulate this in their day to day lives.
Example #2: Another form of propaganda are the music videos and lyrics certain artists promote. For example in the song, ‘Munch’ by Ice Spice her lyrics read; “Bxxch, I’m a baddie, I get what I please, You know my body, I do it with ease/ He want my body, he tellin’ me, “Please”…Grabbin’ my axx while I’m doin’ my dance/She keep on starin’ ’cause shorty a fan (damn)/Gotta stick to the plan/He mad as fxxk, I won’t give him a chance/But still he gon’ do what I say (do what I say)”(Ice Spice, 2023).
- Citation of Song:
Gaston, I. (2023). Munch (Feelin’ U). Like..?. Retrieved From https://g.co/kgs/cJsABF
Here Ice Spice is promoting the egotistical views of women now, speaking on how men like her for her body and how women are worshiping her and being her fans. She is also showing her dominance by stating how men are mad at her because she openly rejects them. On this specific songs album cover as well we see another image promoting women to behave in a certain way and dress in certain clothing:
Closing: As we can see from only two artists how women are being targeted by sexualized propaganda. We need to be actively acknowledging these various forms of propaganda so that we can make sure they don’t impact us. The media in this generation is the biggest battle ground for exposure to multitudes of propaganda. Making sure you have these ‘aha’ moments where you can recognize the agendas for the mainstream media and how it could impact you if you’re not aware. Thank you for listening and have a great day!
Works Cited
Gaston, I. (2023). Munch (Feelin’ U). Like..?. Retrieved From https://g.co/kgs/cJsABF
Mendoza, K. P. (2021, April 8). Sexualization and the power of women in hip-hop. Medium. https://medium.com/cultures-of-hip-hop/sexualization-and-the-power-of-women-in-hip-hop-1aca8cc6859d
