blogpost9

Kristen Coyne

3-31-15

Blog Post 9

            African American women in hip hop often face many struggles to be accepted by the industry. Many of the megastars in the hip hop industry such as Beyoncé and Missy Elliott have made their own path to stardom and avoided some of the stereotypes brought forth by the industry.  Missy Elliot has been in the hip hop agency for a over twenty years but she has always used her sexuality as a form of power rather than a way of objectifying herself. According to the article “Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott and Nicki Minaj: Fashionistin’ Black Female Sexuality in Hip-Hop Culture-Girl Power or Overpowered?” Missy Elliot did lose a lot of weight at a period in time, but she did not use her leaner body in a sexual way. She uses choreography and her actual passion for hip-hop rather than the stereotypes the hip hop industry has set forth. But since Missy Elliott is not objectifying herself like many other hip-hop artists, the media began questioning her sexual preference. It is extremely frustrating that just because an artist does not wear revealing clothes and dance in a provocative way, she is questioned about her sexual orientation. Just because she is not using the male gaze to attract fans, she is questioned about her sexual preference. She handled the media asking these questions in a very strong way by saying that she does not need a man to be happy, as long as she is happy. This is the outlook that more women in hip-hop need to realize. Another hip-hop artist that is very empowering is Beyoncé. She does show off her body, but I don’t feel that she objectifies herself. She is seen as a very powerful artist and is know as “the queen”. I also feel that she shows off her body for herself, not to impress others in the industry. However, Nicki Minaj is not as empowering as Missy Elliott and Beyoncé. In my opinion, she represents herself in a very degrading way. For example, in the music video Anaconda, her butt is the center of the video and the song. She also has implants to her butt to make it bigger, whereas Missy and Beyoncé are all natural. I feel that since Nicki Minaj is still an up and coming artist, she feels that she has to present herself in this way, but once she is more settled in the industry she will calm down with the way she objectifies herself.

Blog Post 8

Hannah Dickie

3/27/15

Blog post 8

Male Dominated Industry

            This week in class we talked about the article “Check on It” by Aisha Durham. In this article she discusses how women artists in the hip hop music industry don’t really have a large say in how their music videos and their songs are created. The music industry is dominated by male directors and producers who are going to want to see women as a sexual object. They are going to have women wearing barley nothing dancing around well their male counterparts are seen as strong and powerful. However I do think that in some cases women are able to get the message they want out because of maybe more the lyrics. If the audience ignores the music video in most cases and just listens to lyrics closely there more than likely is a message in their about women. Or in interviews sometimes they say things about women to send a message or even in the way they act and present themselves. Such as Beyoncé she can be seen as a women with a larger shape in some areas and she is still extremely confident in herself. Because of this younger women are realizing its okay to look how we do even if we aren’t super skinny or don’t have a large butt. Beyoncé is helping other younger women gain the self confidence that she has.    It’s hard sometimes form women to get their music videos to send out the message they want especially now because in this society sex sells, so they will do whatever needed to make the most profit. In some cases women are able to get the message out they want to but then that song might never be played on the radio. Which is similar to songs about politics which we discusses in class. The media never plays songs about politics or that talk about a serious controversial message. I don’t really know why they don’t because in class we discussed some of the artists who have made songs about politics and to be honest I had never really heard of any of them. Maybe the media doesn’t want us to hear them because it will create a new idea within some of us and their afraid of what might happen if it does. Or maybe they don’t want to be categorized to support a specific side or group of people because then they will lose either the opposing side or people who don’t agree with that as listeners and in the end lose money. My guess is that it’s the second one because most people in the media are concerned with how much money they are making and they won’t really do anything to decrease the amount. The same goes for singers. They won’t sing about or discuss in most cases what their political views or what groups they support because they don’t want to lose the other sides fan base. If they keep their ideas quiet and to themselves remaining neutral then they can keep all sides of their fan base. Maybe in the future different artists that emerge will be more comfortable voicing their opinions through song. There are a few people now who voice their opinions but there needs to be more especially more women who are able to empower other women.         

Blog 9

Alessandra Bisconti                                                                                                     Blog 9

Missy Elliot vs. Nikki Minaj

            Missy and Nikki are two artists that lie on opposite ends of the spectrum of hip hop music. Both performers execute the music in different forms of expression. It is up to the individual whether or not they want to comply with what appeals to society. Society will latch onto anything superficial. However, they latch on in both negative and positive ways. In Nikki’s case, there is constant backlash from critics if you are overexposed it insinuates a sexual connotation. However for artists like Missy, being covered up leads to negative comments alluding to your gender preference.

            In the article “Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott and Nicki Minaj: Fashionistin’ Black Female Sexuality in Hip-Hop Culture—Girl Power or Overpowered?” Missy is described as “Elliott, who underwent a shift in image when she lost a significant amount of weight, did not use her slimmer figure to move to a more sexualized image. Rather, she continues to rely on close-ups of her face interspersed with some choreography . . . [and suggests that] this type of female perspective portrays female fantasies of the overthrow of male domination and the forming of alliances among women.” Shows what type of artist she is. This is more respectable in my opinion. Hip hop is supposed to be a forum where individual expression is dominant over everything. I admire Missy for her focus and dedication to the art of music, rather than the image.
            In Missy’s music video, she is fully covered. Her jumpsuit is not skimpy or revealing in any manner. When the group presented this video to the class in our discussion, I was immediately taken back. It was a struggle for me to decipher which person dancing in the video was the main musician. Missy blended in with the background dancers who were all soulfully living through the music. It is pretty sad that today our instinct detects the singer by her lack of clothes and sexual movements. Now, Missy who is emphasizing her vocals and choreography gets shot down for her lack of femininity.
            Nikki Minaj has shaped her music into a style that makes her unique. Some musicians like Nikki put on another identity when performing their music. Her video Anaconda is an extreme representation of her musician side. Nikki exudes her expression through body movement and exposure. Most see this as scandalous and extremists may even go as far as to calling her slutty for the Anaconda video. However, Nikki feels confidence in this form of expression. Ultimately it is up to the individual to portray music the way they choose. However, it is inevitable no mater what forum they choose, artists will experience backlash regardless.

Both Nikki Minaj and Missy Elliot are extremely talented musicians that receive constant attention in the media. In the spotlight, no matter how different both may be, they each represent women empowerment sufficiently. Both singers are criticized for opposite reasons, so there is no winning in the world. Who cares what type of artist you are at this point. If there is going to be backlash no matter what, then express yourself freely!

Anaconda's Feminist Message

Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" created controversy before the song or the video came out. Before the lyrics, before the jungle themes and banana cutting, and Minaj's almost iconic lap dance with Drake - there was her butt. Similar to the shot heard around the world, Nicki Minaj's single cover for Anaconda featuring an in-your-face view of her butt started a long debate for feminists that would continue to debate on long after even the video would come out. Feminists are still trying to decide on the age-old question of music videos: Is this really empowering? A large portion of people are quick to jump to the answer of no - after all, how can a video of half naked women in a steamy environment, twerking and grinding, be considered sexually freeing? Is the male gaze truly not involved in this video, much less this song? Once you get past the (very much intended) shock of this video to a deeper understanding than what appears to be at face value (or rather "ass value"?) you'll find that the answers to these questions are yes. Nicki Minaj's sexual autonomy is raw, socially taboo, and unapologetically a "F You' to respectability politics especially held close within feminist groups - so much so that everything about Anaconda makes this feminist.

Minaj's message started with her buns proudly on display of her NSFW cover art, and sparked conversation of her respectability and her body (often tying the two together in one). The criticism was intense and quick to come - and larger portions of it were coming from "concerned parents" who were afraid of their younger children viewing the images and internalizing them. Nicki was called on to think of some old age golden times when women practiced "respect" for their bodies. Among the leader of these conversations was a man named Chuck Creekmur who had said, "As a man, I can appreciate the virtues of your perfect posterior. The dad is not a happy camper, particularly now that his lil girl is transitioning into a young lady." It's not hard to pick out a few things wrong here with this argument, but it's not hard to see his blatant sexualization and repugnance towards her body. While his concern for his daughter is understandable for Creekmur to have concern for the impact sexualized imagery may have on his younger daughter, it's also not Nicki Minaj's job to cover up and keep her image away from children all for the sake of paternal misogynistic men. There are plenty of things out in the media for adults' entertainment, and Nicki can be said to be one of those with her performance persona. And yes, music is everywhere, but so are rated M TV shows, explicit video games, and movies targeted to adults that children are shown almost every single day in the media and advertising. And when children accidentally (or purposefully in the case of some very curious children) end up seeing images of Nicki Minaj or hear her lyrics, or even any other sexualized form of media there is nothing for a parent to do in this culture except for involve their children in some important talks about their bodies and the bodies they see in the media, how they act, and what that means for them.

The slut shaming of Minaj's body also showcased a largely ingrained idea of a curvy black woman falling along a ‘seductress’ trope that is specifically put off to the side for women of color. Shown off as the "bad girl", Minaj is alluring to men purely for the shape of her body but also backhandedly shamed for that ability. Even worse yet Minaj's curves do not go hand in hand with the newfound movement of curves equating for beauty as white women often get to experience, but rather an exoticification that is both fetishized and racist. It is important to note that the fetishization is not only just going along with the racism "hand in hand", but rather the two are intertwined in a way where the racism Minaj faces is fetishized and the fetishization she faces is racist.

On the topic of her lyrics, what better way to get across a message of "I do what I want for myself" than taking samples of Baby Got Back - the quintessential rap that showcases the paradigmatic of both race and gender - and add a feminist punch to it? In the original version Sir Mix-a-Lot is in control of the situation and his 'anaconda' gets to decide if he wants any or none. Her refers to his penis as being a predatory animal, and as he so eloquently puts it, "I just can't help it, I'm acting like an animal", and in the classic lyrics often repeated "my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hun.” He - the male is in control. And the male makes that very clear through the video of being surrounded by girls shaking their asses to and for him.

Nicki Minaj manages to do a complete 360 and instead make the song about the power a big butt can really have on men instead. Women have the power in their assets (quite literally) to control men, and the joke is on the men for truly being the real animals for easily caving in to it. She tears down the hypersexualization of black women's rears and throws the notion that they belong to men straight out of the window.

"Come through and f*** 'em in my automobile

Let him eat it with his grills,

He keep telling me to chill

He keep telling me it's real, that he love my sex appeal

Because he don't like 'em boney, he want something he can grab

So I pulled up in the Jag, Mayweather with the jab..."

In the first part of the chorus she reminds us exactly who is in control of her - her own self. Everything he does she lets happen, and constantly he's telling her this is "real" and that she is appreciated for the sex appeal (similar to how men constantly croon about being in love with some big booty girls but then equate it to love), and then his realness is shown as being that he just doesn't like skinny girls. The rest is fairly explanatory (pull up in the car and punch his big-butt-fetishizing self right where it hurts - his ego).

Within the video the most memorable moment is seeing the only man as merely a prop in her video. Yes Nicki is giving him a lap dance, but his hovering hands tell all – Nicki is allowing him to watch but she is in control and he can not touch her. Even if Drake is enjoying himself, Nicki is not dancing for his enjoyment. That statement can even be easily applied as a blanket statement to any male gaze following after Nicki, Nicki’s sexuality is purely of her own self-rule.

Women in Hip-Hop Blog Post 8

Gina Lagrotteria

March 27,2015

Blog Post #8

Women in Hip Hop

            Hip-hop music has always been a place for many to express themselves and their ideas. There are many women in hip-hop that are positive role models and send positive messages through it. Three of the ones that were discussed in class this week were Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé and Miss Elliot. Each of them are their own unique person and show their positivity in different ways but they all show qualities of a positive role models.

            Nicki Minaj is someone that is popular in today’s society. She is known for her controversial outfits and her booty that is shown in her music video. Her music videos are highly sexualized, as she is barely clothed in them. One of her most controversial music videos is to her song Anaconda.  She still continues to send a positive message though as lately she has toned down her outfits in public, and when she is not being shown in music videos. She wanted to tone down her outfits as she said that she did not want little girls that looked up to her to think that everything has to be sexualized and you have to dress in a sexual way. She did not want to set that impression for generations to come and I respect her for that.

            Beyoncé is another role model that is highly respected in society. Not only is her music have powerful meaning behind it but her actions do also. She is someone that is not afraid to show her true self. She is someone that represents feminism and the different classes of society. Her music videos are not made to be highly sexualized, she is just showing her true self and showing that it is okay to be comfortable in your own skin. In the article “Check on it” Beyoncé, Southern Booty and Black Femininities in Music Video it states ““Beyoncé is a key figure for contemporary feminist media studies because she represents the production of celebrity, gender politics presently defined by hip hop and the complex negotiations of self image and sexuality for young women coming of age during post feminism.”(36) Beyoncé’s nickname is the  “Queen” because of the positive influence she leaves in society.

            The third hip-hop artist that was discussed was Miss Elliot. She is not as well known to people know a days as she was popular years ago. Her music videos are not what you would typically see as a music video now a days. In her music video, she did not wear skimpy clothes, she actually fully clothed in baggy clothes. Her music video focused more on the lyrics on the song and the dancing rather than the clothing and body type shown in the video. Her positive message that she sent was that it is not all about how you dress or the body shape you have, you can be comfortable in your own skin no matter what type of clothing that you wear. Missy Elliot got a lot of backlash for the way she dressed in her music video, and got questioned many times if she was a lesbian because she wore baggy clothes. She never let the media change the way she dressed though and that is one of the many positive qualities about her.

            All three of these women of hip-hop are different but they all have one thing in common, they each show positive qualities of a role model. They each have an impact on hip hop in some way. Hip hop is not the same as it used to be as it more focused on the music which had more powerful messages to them rather than the sexualized music videos.