What do you think? Do I need to actively boycott these things or is it enough to raise social consciousness? I know it would be really difficult to stop listening to artists that I enjoy that also perpetuate negative stereotypes of women. Do you think I should feel bad about it or is it just part of our society that I should make others aware of?
Friday, February 24, 2012
My Role in Pop Culture
Our
class discussion this week really got me thinking about pop culture and our
acceptance of a lot of offensive things. Many songs, TV shows and movies
perpetuate stereotypes about women and continue their oppression. Rap songs
objectify a women's body. Reality TV shows about housewives confirm stereotypes
about women as being petty and shallow. Obviously these ideas are prevalent
throughout pop culture so they are almost inescapable. Many of the things I
enjoy are not beneficial for the liberation of women. I enjoy shows like the
Real Housewives on Bravo and listen to artists like Rihanna and Lil Wayne.
Therefore, I am part of the system that is continuing these ideas. Obviously I
enjoy other things that are not negative towards women as well, and I like many
artists that do not objectify women or TV shows that have strong female
characters, but it is hard to escape that. Often times, this makes me feel bad
because I am contributing to the problem. Do I need to stop buying Rihanna's
albums because she lets herself get objectified? Should I continue to support
Beyonce because some of her songs have feminist ideas incorporated? I struggle
with how much my abstinence from watching these reality shows or buying these
albums would really make a difference. If people who are educated about
feminist ideas were to boycott these things, would it really change society? I
don't think that it will. Even without my support, these ideas will be
perpetuated. I think what is more important is to focus on consciousness. If
people are aware of the way women are represented in pop culture and we
continue to analyze these ideas, people will be more critical of what is going
on around them. And for myself, if I like a song that is negative towards women
but I am conscious of the ideas it is perpetuating, is that enough to keep me
immune to the messages?
What do you think? Do I need to actively boycott these things or is it enough to raise social consciousness? I know it would be really difficult to stop listening to artists that I enjoy that also perpetuate negative stereotypes of women. Do you think I should feel bad about it or is it just part of our society that I should make others aware of?
What do you think? Do I need to actively boycott these things or is it enough to raise social consciousness? I know it would be really difficult to stop listening to artists that I enjoy that also perpetuate negative stereotypes of women. Do you think I should feel bad about it or is it just part of our society that I should make others aware of?
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That is an interesting question. Unfortunately, the demand for this kind of material is high; therefore, it is unlikely that a boycott by all so-called "feminists" would do anything to stem the deluge of sexist material. I would guess that the more you tend to study this material the more informative that it can be. It would be too simplistic just to turn off the set every time a scantily clad women comes onto the screen. Again, this is not the standard for objectification. The female figure can be celebrated without there being any cultural backlash. But, music videos are designed to garner attention for an upcoming song. It is unlikely that these videos are really truly celebrating the female figure. It is more likely that the nearly nude woman, or women, on the screen are there to attract the gaze of men. That is the music business it would seem. Should you feel guilty about watching them? Of course not. You might feel guilty about making these videos, if you were someone responsible for doing so. You can simultaneously enjoy something and be critical of it. That is what I think you should try to do. Just be mindful of exactly what is going on in these videos and maybe bring it up when you have an audience.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Michelle! I think this is a topic almost all of us struggle with. We can see the problem, but we struggle with what to do with the problem. Will our support to change pop culture make an impact at all? Much like yourself I can think of several songs that I really enjoy but portray negative messages towards women. I do not think that we need to necessarily stop listening to them, but perhaps we need to change our mindset about them. I think that there is some responsibility in helping to explain the message towards others who listen to the songs or watch the videos. It is frustrating to think about though. My question is why can't artists see the problem and the perpetuation of negative feelings towards women and stop the problem at the source?
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting problem, and I definitely identify. The other day I had a conversation with someone about how I can't listen to Lil Wayne or pretty much anything on the radio without chastising myself but my gym playlist is full of misogyny and I sing along constantly. For me, it's an issue but one that I'm aware of. Mostly it bothers me that my young cousins hear this music and don't have any way to process it the way that those of us in this class or in conversations about sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, etc. do. I'm so used to it that I have to remind myself constantly to change the station when I'm babysitting or make a special playlist. We talked in class about how Katy Perry and company are marketed to young girls. Young boys get hit with different things, but both groups are exposed very early on to these ideas. It's a cycle that begins so early in life, and it's difficult even to try and protect a new generation from our massive issues. When their baby was born, Jay Z promised to stop saying bitch out of respect to her. Jay Z also has a mother and a wife and many other women in his life. What does it say that his daughter was the drive to do that? Is it enough? What is enough?
ReplyDeleteI think you raise some interesting questions. On the one hand, I don't think that simply turning off the radio when a song that objectifies women comes on will be that effective. On the other hand, if you were to take the consciousness raising approach, tell me about the potential harm of the song, and continue to sing along with it, I would probably look at you like you were crazy (or hypocritical). Because of this, I understand your dilemma, but I think you bring up another important idea in suggesting that you have a certain level of immunity to the message of the song.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to suggest that our psyches are impenetrable, but at this point in our lives, we are able to recognize certain things. We know that treating women like objects is wrong, so we actively try not to do it. We have all assumedly reached the point in our lives where we can recognize that the fantasy (or whatever you want to call it) that is perpetuated in pop culture is not real.
With that said, I do think it is still important to educate those around us, especially those who have not yet realized the flaws in the images we consume. I don't want my little sisters to let anyone call them bitches, or my nephews to think that women are disposable, as it is often suggested. For them, I'll change the station. I think that engaging in these types of discussions certainly helps. As long as we continue to pay attention to what we consume, I don't see why we should feel bad for any of it.
Frankly, protesting certain things that have so much force behind them, and all the companies in charge pushing them (such as certain artists or shows such as Jersey Shore), will do nothing to stop them. When the parties that control the spread and production of such things are monopolized nothing can be done except to raise social consciousness to the point where it directly effects their profit and makes them take notice of it. But until it reaches the point of enough social awareness to start a movement, I dont think turning off the radio or changing the channel will do much, as they are still getting paid the same until the production is directly influenced.
ReplyDelete