It's A Mans World, and Woman Are Just Living In It. NOT

Women are more respectful to men in their music and men disrespect women in their music. Hip-hop artist Ciara, illustrates a dominance of admiring a man for what he is. Although some of her songs do not do just that, she manages to respect a male and does not call a male inappropriate names. She creatively expresses her videos by using the male figure to tell the proper story of her songs. Some of her songs for example, "Like a boy", she sings about how men are cheaters and liars. She is talking down on how men are but she does not show the men half naked, nor in her lyrics does she ever say inappropriate things about them.

In comparison to Ciara, Rapper Tyga fails to appreciate a woman in many of his videos. The rapper has caused controversy wether certain of his videos should be shown to the public. His music usually tells the story of girls and how everywhere he goes he gets these females. In most of his videos he shows women's bodies and not in a good way. He uses certain angles of their bodies most of the time, and have all of the women that are part of his videos, wear little clothes on to show off their "curves". He not only sexually shows the woman, but his inappropriate lyrics show how little respect he has for woman.



-Stephanie.

More Power to You

One of the most famous rappers, Jay-Z vowed to remove the word “bitch” to describe woman after the birth of daughter Blue Ivy Carter. He has probably realized that he was being somewhat sexist during his rapping career only after the birth of his daughter. Rappers do not realize that they should have been respecting women from the start, which possibly shows how he was actually not raised to be a man and respect women. Although he used the terms and shared the thoughts in his music to express extortion of woman, after the realization that he would not want a man to disrespect his daughter, he changed his whole views. He then goes on openly telling NY Daily News, "Before I got in the game, made a change, and got rich/ I didn't think hard about using the word bitch/I rapped, I flipped it, I sold it, I lived it/Now with my daughter in this world I curse those that give it. No man will degrade her, or call her name/I'm so focused on your future, the degradation has passed." http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-16/news/30633543_1_jay-z-beyonc-poem

 Taking into consideration, Society has now become a custom to use sex as acceptance. Sometimes rappers mention "bitches" and sex because rap has evolved into just being about that. They can disrespect every single woman and the audience can be perfectly fine when done so. Society does mold rap to certain communities to bring up woman and sex to disrespect. Not all rappers are the same. Rapper Common, propels the cultural downfalls and raps about the issues, and problems that his community are exploited to. Every rapper comes from the "bottom" and have now rised to success, yet common is one of the only rappers that focuses about his people rather than "hoes" and sex.

Common focuses on the hardships of people's lives and can rap about the things African Americans go though, and not focus on how he gets girls. For example, in his song Testify, it is noticeable that he used a woman in the video, but this time he uses her to tell the story of something so severe and is realistic to show what actually happens to people in actual life.

-Stephanie.

How Beyonce Expresses Feminism In Her Music Videos

Beyoncé, a successful R&B artist has always seemed to express her feelings of woman dominance in her music career. Her past album, "I am Sasha Fierce" featured songs like "If I Were A Boy “expressed how men are dishonest and lack of trust. In her music video she plays the role of the man in the relationship and shows how life would be like if she were the man but at the end it reflects back to her as the women, hurt and misunderstood. It seems as though Beyoncé is talking down on men but then turns bipolar of her feelings about a loved one on her song "Halo".

She expresses her self, as "Diva" and that woman should be dominant rather than men. In society it is known for men to be more dominant than women and she is trying to change that. Beyoncé’s recent album "4" also I could say is bipolar with music like "Who Run The World (Girls)" and "I care" a song about how she cares about her love that "Doesn't really care". But at the end of it, it can be strongly agreed that she is a feminist.

She does not always want to write music about love but more as the life of the party and not depressing music but music that would cheer one up. Not only can you tell, but hear that women rule the world is quite comical but in Beyoncé’s eyes it's true. Her husband Jay-Z (Rap artist) has collaborated with her music as well but perhaps she has changed Jay-Z perspective on women? In December 2011 Beyoncé and Jay-Z had a child named Blue Ivy and after the birth of their child Jay-Z refused now to use the phrase "Bitch" in his music. But perhaps it’s not all because of Blue Ivy Carter but perhaps her outlook on the term "Bitch" too.

By: Karina Aguirre

Can't Beat Them, Join Them

Not only are the male rappers in the down grading women action but female artist as well.  Female rappers are taking the roll of trying to act like a male in their music by talking bad about woman. As we take a look at female rapper Honey Cocaine from rapper Tyga’s group “Last Kings”, she fluently raps about women being “bitches”. In her song, “Heisman” the collaboration with Tyga, follow on in saying some things like, "fuck you, pay me's what I told the bitch, you can't walk or talk, I own you bitch." This makes the hip hop artist sound like a man, considering that woman is what they usually rap about.

History repeats itself.

It is ironic that women disrespect women as well, because there was a time where women fought for equality and fought for respect from men. Woman fought for their rights for the reason that they no longer wanted to be the inferior sex, but rather prove to society that they are capable of being more than just an object in a mans life. But throughout history, women have gained that respect by taking a male’s task in the working business and their own success. Although they have gained that respect, the respect has short lived. Instead of male rappers exploiting women, some female rappers are now contributing to the disrespect phenomenon. In order to be successful in rap, the women have to take that roll as a man too. Women are exploiting their own sex. Female hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj, has a big influence too in rapping about "bitches" and "hoes". She entered the male dominated hip-hop game and only to take on the music the same way males do.

Some of her lyrics on her single "Did it on em'", mentions how she does not like "bitches" and they do not mean anything to her.

-Stephanie.

“B*%@$”

The word “Bitch” has been used ever since the up rise in hip-hop and rap became alive. Although alternatives like Sugar hill Gang where more about having fun with hip hop in the 70’s, gangsta rap was brought up as the street rap in the late 80’s early 90’s. Rappers like NWA, Dr. Dre, and Tupac were innovators as using woman, “bitches “ as one of the main subjects of their music. The term “bitch” is usually used to insult a woman and claims they’re the “female dogs”. Although not every rapper believes every woman is a “bitch”, they still use bitch in their music instead of saying women or female. Most rappers for example Too Short, exploit women as just being “sluts” and “bitches” rather than appreciating women.  

 One of the biggest songs that opened a lot of doors for the term was “Bitches Ain’t Shit”, by Dr. Dre ft. Daz, Snoop dogg and Kurrupt. At the time the song was released there was an epidemic of AIDS awareness and more people were introduced to sexual relationships at early ages. Rather than rapping about awareness of AIDS affecting their community, the song provokes the ideology that using woman as sexual objects is a good thing and possibly an acceptance to the community. These rappers are looked up as role models by so many fans and by providing the image of anti respect for woman, it molds their minds to making them believe that this is the right way to treat women.

I’m not saying every guy thinks this way, but the bad exploitation of woman to a younger, teenage audience can make them believe that all women should be treated as a "bitch", rather than respecting them. The action to treat a women like a “dog” should not make males think they are tough and that much gangster, that’s why it is time to turn that around.

Women should not be sexual objects but be respected.

-Stephanie.

Who Is Lady Gaga's Audience?

Lady Gaga, five time Grammy award winner. Is known for her extravagant clothing and odd performances that keeps people talking about how she is living in a fantasy. Lady Gaga wants to be known for her unique style and especially wants to impress her fans. She said that she believes that anyone and everyone have the privilege to change the world and that "Pop culture is our religion" (Lady Gaga). In a typical mainstream video women are dancing and men typically are not. But in Gaga’s videos men are half dressed wearing usually heels or strange clothing not manly men would not wear.

So is Gaga looking to reach out to certain viewers like the gay community? Or is she being misunderstood? Lady Gaga has a large fan based of the gay community but she is not just expressing that it is okay to be gay or lesbian but more, as you should love yourself for whom you are. But not all people who listen to Lady Gaga are just gay or lesbian. When you listen to her music you do not picture what her video would consist of until you witnessed her music videos. Lady Gaga is an artistic music artist and she expresses her view of art in her videos and not something vague but outside the box. Why is the way she expresses herself more adored by the gay community and seen as "odd" and "strange" by the straight community? I have witnessed a group of gay males who adore lady Gaga but they see her as not caring about how she expresses herself and how she respects anyone for who they are and how she expresses it in her song "Born this way"".

Her videos portray that not only are women dancers but men as well. Though Lady Gaga will continue to impress us she will continue to express how men and women are equal and not just see women as the sex object in the video. Gaga's uniqueness and extravagant style seems to be rubbing off on other artist like Nicki Minaj and Christina Aguilera. Not only is Lady Gaga will continue to change our view of what music videos are like rather than the average video but more as an artistic video.



By: Karina Aguirre

How Latin Artist Portray Women in Music

Not all male music artists portray women as sex objects in their music videos. For example Bachata artist Romeo Santos portrays women as classy, sexy women. In the videos the women and her beauty usually mesmerize him. Or rather his lyrics explain a love story, and not a story about sex, drugs, partying and alcohol. Though Romeo Santos is not a Hip-hop, rap, and R&B artist his recent album featured R&B and Hip hop artist like Lil Wayne and Usher. His Bilingual album The Formula: Vol 1 has changed his main focus on “Bachata” music to a variety of genres like Pop, R&B, and Spanish Pop. If we compare a Spanish/English artist like Pitbull you notice that Pitbull’s songs portray women as sex objects and mainly about partying and alcohol unlike Romeo Santos who doesn’t disrespect women in a way of talking about her body as a sexual object but more of her body in a poetic statement and in a way that women are beautiful. Santos in his early music career did not plan on singing his own music but wanted to pursue his dreams as a songwriter. He said his true passion was journalism. And now he produces and preforms his own music. Although his fan base is mainly the Latino community, he is still adored by the English speaking community for his poetic music towards love.

His recent music video “La diabla/Mi Santa” translation “My Holy devil” is a music video from his recent album. In the video Romeo Santos commences his video sitting down and playing poker with a women who is the mysterious, rebellious women he loves. And although the woman is “Devilish” she is his true love. Romeo may still have a scene in the video where he is kissing in bed with the women but is not overly exposing her body like Pitbull’s video “Hotel Room Service” Where women are dancing around throwing money around. And hotel host are dressed with revealing blazers and wearing a bowtie. Pitbull has multiple women in bed in his hotel room. Every second and scene of the music video shows him with women in bed or by his side. He makes women look like they are throwing themself at him and men in general. And in a scene Pitbull’s girlfriend came to find Pitbull in a hotel with women in his bed, after she overly yells at him, he shrugs and goes on with the party with women in his room; Showing that he is unfaithful.

We are comparing to popular Latin artist Romeo Santos and Pitbull. In Pitbull's video he not only has a woman in his video but a multiple women. And Romeo Santos has one woman. This not only portrays Pitbull as a womanizer but how women throw themselves at Pitbull and dressed in their bras and underwear. While Romeo Santos video shows one women with him, and not talking down on her or just wants the women for a good time at a hotel. As an artist it seems not that important to keep an image to your viewers you will always be criticized although it is for entertainment. Viewers have a specific view on you, if your consistently showing women in videos and portraying them as sex objects you will be known as an artist for showing disrespect to women.

By: Karina Aguirre