The Rap Music Video: Storytelling by Means Of
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THE RAP MUSIC VIDEO: STORYTELLING BY MEANS OF GENDER EXPLOITATION Kristina Lee Diaz University of Florida The Music Video: Story Telling by Means of Gender Exploitation 1 Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the formulaic gender themes found in rap music videos as it relates to the gender stereotypical ways it portrays women. The focus on this specific genre of music stems from the considerable social impact it has had on youth culture in recent years. Using content analysis on a purposive sample of ten songs found on a Billboard.com’s 2009 year end countdown, five gender-related themes were generated and it was found that most of the songs contained either misogynistic or gender-role messages. In addition, this study addressed questions relating to how repetitive themes may impact youth, particularly young women and how society may best mediate the effects of the messages being put out by music video media outlets. Introduction Yeah, just know my condo is the crack spot Every single show she out there reppin' like a mascot Get it from the back and make your fucking bra strap pop All up in yo slot until the nigga hit the jackpot “Best I Ever Had”—Drake on So Far Gone Featured on his mixtape CD So Far Gone, Drake’s song “Best I Ever Had” peaked at number one in Billboard.com’s Best of 2009 for Hot Rap Songs while topping many other charts in the process. A staple at most club scenes, “Best I Ever Had” has been in heavy rotation on many DJ’s playlists; it seemed that no one could get enough of the song’s danceable beats and catchy lyrics. However, much like most rap, the song’s accompanying music video told a story using women, or more specifically women’s bodies, as the foundation around which the rest of the song’s story was told. A communications research study by Nancy Signorielli revealed that the six types of media primarily used by teenage girls—television, commercials, films, music videos, magazines, The Music Video: Story Telling by Means of Gender Exploitation 2 and advertisements—present very similar and consistent messages and images concerning gender roles (USA Today). Of focus in this particular study is the rap music video. The focus on this specific genre of music stems from the considerable social impact it has had on youth culture since its early beginnings in the late 1970s (Emerson, 2002, p. 115). Rap as a genre, became highly influential on young people’s attitudes with the advent of the music video in 1981 (Kistler & Lee, 2000, p.68). In addition, its corresponding hip-hop culture has “affected the arenas of film, fashion, television, art, literature and journalism” (Emerson, 2002, p. 115). Rap and hip-hop have mostly been seen as located within Black youth culture, however, Music Television, better known as MTV, changed that: “Viacom, the company that owns MTV, claims to reach 320 million households on five continents 24 hours a day” (Kistler & Lee, 2000, p. 69). One can only assume that with the expansion and improvement of technology in the past decade, this number has almost certainly increased. It has become apparent that MTV can “make” or “break” a recording act: today’s music artists’ success depends heavily on the success of their aired music videos. Appealing to global audiences, MTV, and consequently the music video, has come to define youth culture. Rap videos then, are a large part of this impact: it is “consumed by youth from all racial and ethnic groups. Such images have real-world effects insofar as they contribute to gendered socialization and perpetuate gender inequality” (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009, p. 6). The important question to be examined is whether or not this impact on youth culture is a positive one. Because these videos are intended for consumption, positive messages may be compromised for profit. Many studies thus far have revealed that the rap video depicts women as sexual objects and men as sexual aggressors while legitimizing the subordination of women to men (Sullivan & McHugh, 2009, p. 745). To be a “man” in these videos requires male artists to reduce women to The Music Video: Story Telling by Means of Gender Exploitation 3 their bodies, thereby objectifying them for use as mere video “props” (Sullivan & McHugh, 2009, p. 745). This study seeks to expand previous research by first identifying how the music videos reproduce stereotypical notions of gender and misogynism. The prevalent themes found within the songs will be analyzed; and lastly, there will be a discussion on how these may in fact impact young women and what can be done in the face of such impacts. Literature Review Scholars have studied MTV since its inception in the early 1980s and agree that the content of music videos is replete with images containing sexual imagery and gender stereotypes. Particularly for young women, the mass media (including and especially the music video) are one of the most powerful transmitters of cultural ideals including those of beauty (Tiggeman & Slater, 2004, p. 48). MTV programs target audiences between the ages of 12 and 34, with a median age of 23 (Tiggeman & Slater, 2004, p. 49). This translates into relatively young women serving as the main consumers of these messages. In some studies, it has been found that adolescents prefer rap and hip-hop (an offshoot genre of rap, and also a lifestyle associated with this music) over any other genre, a preference that is shared across many different ethnicities (Kistler & Lee, 2000, p. 68). In music videos the physical appearance of women is emphasized: they are usually barely clothed and are involved in sexual or subservient behavior (Sullivan & McHugh, 2009, p. 745). Several recent studies analyzing the content of rap videos have found them to contain more descriptions and depictions of sexuality, eroticism, and inappropriate touching compared with other forms of music videos such as rock and country (Peterson, Wingwood, DiClemente, Harrington, & Davies, 2007, p. 1158). The Music Video: Story Telling by Means of Gender Exploitation 4 The arising concern then is to what extent do rap videos, as containing more profanity than other music genres, affect young women, particularly those of color and minority origin? Consider studies which reported that “teenagers rank entertainment media as a key source of information about sexuality and sexual health” (Kistler and Lee, 2000, p. 68). Also consider that many studies seem to point to the fact that the misogynistic and violent themes found in these videos can prime related responses and behaviors in adolescents (Dixon, Zhang, & Conrad, 2009, p. 347). Before beginning to analyze the effects of rap music videos, it is important to understand the roots of the musical genre and how it evolved to its current form. Today’s rap artists do not live in a vacuum; their songs are influenced by three major social forces: larger gender relations, the music industry, and local neighborhood conditions (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009, p. 5). The most prevalent influence is the larger gender order which stresses the cultural value of a certain type of masculinity and femininity. Rap artists receive pressure from music industry elites to maximize sales by recording “provocative, edgy lyrics” (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009, p. 6). Producers encourage artists to become “hardcore” and marginalize artists who wish to do otherwise (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009, p. 6). As a result, rappers receive a dose of the reality of the music business: they leave behind their dreams of promoting social messages and come to focus on sex, money, violence, and drugs. This kind of music is what ends up receiving the greatest air play on radio stations. The origins of rap music however, are much less dark. Many scholars have argued that rap music is a form of expression rooted in African American oral traditions (Dixon et al., 2009, p. 347). More than any other genre, rap is a “localized form of cultural expression” (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009, p. 8) which developed out of the lived experiences of youth in poor communities of color as a means to combat their oppressive status in the United States (Dixon et al., 2009, p. The Music Video: Story Telling by Means of Gender Exploitation 5 347). It has also historically served as a medium that provided Black men with another (non- violent) means to assert their masculinity, an area in which they have typically faced obstacles and denied access to opportunity (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009, p. 10). As Weitzer and Kubrin (2009) explain, this kind of assertion of masculinity can be linked to the conditions found in disadvantaged neighborhoods (p. 8). The forces that shape rap music and its videos are an essential part in understanding the context within which its messages are best understood. With a number of social and business-oriented influences, a great portion today’s rap music has evolved to portray women as “hypersexual, materialistic, and amoral” (Peterson et al., 2007, p. 1158). In an article discussing the commodification and selling of the “Black body” in a global marketplace, Patricia Hill Collins illustrates how “sexualized understandings of Black women’s and men’s bodies and culture become marketed and put up for sale” (Hill Collins, 2006, p. 313). She also focuses on “how Black people become target audiences for their own degradation” (Hill Collins, 2006, p. 313). At the root of her discussion is the idea of “hip-hop capitalism”, which explains how the public’s consumption of Black culture is in fact akin to modern capitalism in which there is a reliance on stimulating consumer demand. Here, consumers include “whites and other cultural groups across the globe” (Hill Collins, 2006, p.