I’ve recently heard that the feminist movement is now seen as somewhat redundant, that the battle has been won and women can sit back and enjoy the privilege their second waves sisters fought for. Women are in high paying jobs, we had women candidates running for the presidency one of the most powerful, if not dysfunctional, countries on earth and we’re no longer shackled to the kitchen.
One afternoon in the gym, however, quickly dispels that notion! I say the gym, because that is the only time I happen to be watching badly produced music channels.
Much has been written on the hyper sexualisation of pop videos; that is, that children at too young an age are being exposed to overtly sexual behaviour and sexually explicit lyrics. People saying this are absolutely right: children shouldn’t be exposed to gold-stringed bikini girls and blinged up ‘rappers’, but neither should we!
There is a strong sense of ‘ownership’ over women which has begun to permeate most rap videos. Here we have women cooing and gyrating for the benefit of men – vying for their attention – desperate for a bling shower. Beyonce, a supposed advocate of the independent woman has no problem singing if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it. She is ostensibly defining herself as a piece of property that should have been snapped up sooner. It’s as if the consumer - an eligible bachelor - was perusing a shop window. He dallied too long, however, looking at the other items on offer and missed his chance.
This idea is rendered even more frustrating by the incessant and tuneless chorus of ‘all the single ladies’’. What is she playing at? And why does she need to be dressed in a skimpy leotard. In fact, why are women in most of these video clips scantily dressed and seem to be constantly gyrating and pouting?
Look, I know that a critique of rap videos is nothing new but what is startling is its popularity - and that fewer women speak out about it. it's rare that a man is sexualised . What has happened to the feminist movement? Is it because women have supposedly broken the glass ceiling and we can have promiscuous sex, that the battle has been won?
I just want to ask: how many clips are there in which a man is prancing around in his underwear, being photographed and objectified whilst he peeks out from behind a tacky velour curtain, like a coy bunny rabbit? The answer is none. And that is a shame, because If more of this was in offer, I’d have no problem with women performing in the same way.
This is not, however, the case. Instead, we see semi naked women performing benefit of a fully clothed man! The man is usually in dark shades, and baggy clothes – leaving him completely impenetrable and in control. Odds on he claims a dubious drug peddling/ gangster past - when in fact, he’s lucky enough to have a hit song writing team behind him.
All I’m suggesting is that more men become sexualised. If there’s going to be a superfluous pole, then I want the man gyrating around it. if a woman is going to be wearing nothing but a bra and panties, I want the man in a g-string. Beyonce should be demanding that a man please her sexually, that he be the one putting on a show.
Is that too much to ask? Yes, it would compromise their masculine image, but aside from drug peddling, gun fighting, and a spawn of white middle class kids singing along to lyrics of oppression, I don’t understand what this image is really contributing to society.
I’d find video clips much more fun if a man was showing off his muscles by wearing next to nothing. Women should be staring them down in dark shades from their pimp rides or from the safety of a chaise lounge.
Not quite sexual liberation – but at least there would be an equal playing field, where women become the ‘playas’ and the men become performers!
One afternoon in the gym, however, quickly dispels that notion! I say the gym, because that is the only time I happen to be watching badly produced music channels.
Much has been written on the hyper sexualisation of pop videos; that is, that children at too young an age are being exposed to overtly sexual behaviour and sexually explicit lyrics. People saying this are absolutely right: children shouldn’t be exposed to gold-stringed bikini girls and blinged up ‘rappers’, but neither should we!
There is a strong sense of ‘ownership’ over women which has begun to permeate most rap videos. Here we have women cooing and gyrating for the benefit of men – vying for their attention – desperate for a bling shower. Beyonce, a supposed advocate of the independent woman has no problem singing if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it. She is ostensibly defining herself as a piece of property that should have been snapped up sooner. It’s as if the consumer - an eligible bachelor - was perusing a shop window. He dallied too long, however, looking at the other items on offer and missed his chance.
This idea is rendered even more frustrating by the incessant and tuneless chorus of ‘all the single ladies’’. What is she playing at? And why does she need to be dressed in a skimpy leotard. In fact, why are women in most of these video clips scantily dressed and seem to be constantly gyrating and pouting?
Look, I know that a critique of rap videos is nothing new but what is startling is its popularity - and that fewer women speak out about it. it's rare that a man is sexualised . What has happened to the feminist movement? Is it because women have supposedly broken the glass ceiling and we can have promiscuous sex, that the battle has been won?
I just want to ask: how many clips are there in which a man is prancing around in his underwear, being photographed and objectified whilst he peeks out from behind a tacky velour curtain, like a coy bunny rabbit? The answer is none. And that is a shame, because If more of this was in offer, I’d have no problem with women performing in the same way.
This is not, however, the case. Instead, we see semi naked women performing benefit of a fully clothed man! The man is usually in dark shades, and baggy clothes – leaving him completely impenetrable and in control. Odds on he claims a dubious drug peddling/ gangster past - when in fact, he’s lucky enough to have a hit song writing team behind him.
All I’m suggesting is that more men become sexualised. If there’s going to be a superfluous pole, then I want the man gyrating around it. if a woman is going to be wearing nothing but a bra and panties, I want the man in a g-string. Beyonce should be demanding that a man please her sexually, that he be the one putting on a show.
Is that too much to ask? Yes, it would compromise their masculine image, but aside from drug peddling, gun fighting, and a spawn of white middle class kids singing along to lyrics of oppression, I don’t understand what this image is really contributing to society.
I’d find video clips much more fun if a man was showing off his muscles by wearing next to nothing. Women should be staring them down in dark shades from their pimp rides or from the safety of a chaise lounge.
Not quite sexual liberation – but at least there would be an equal playing field, where women become the ‘playas’ and the men become performers!
Words: Frontpage
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