When it comes to feminism, looking at the messages constantly being sent by the media is important. The media delivers thousands of gendered messages every day--about what is expected of men vs. women and about which gender is more valued. In assessing media messages and campaigning for media literacy, the most obvious areas of discussion are TV, movies, and ads. Radio, however, is also fair game and I believe it needs to be examined for its affect on how listeners' view male and female roles in society, and for how certain hit songs can objectify and demean women as much as any advertisement can.
Radio stations, namely the Top 40 stations, dish out the latest musical hits. They range from club to hip hop to the pop-country of Taylor Swift. Growing up, it was usually the Top 40 station that I listened to on the way to and from school. Over the years my iPod was a welcome replacement to radio, but every now and then I tune in.
Some of the most popular songs of the summer have been, in my opinion, some of the worst in terms of female objectification and misogyny. I'll begin with the most recent example, which I only just heard for the first time yesterday.
New Boyz: Better With The Lights Off
I chose the version with lyrics to showcase just how misogynistic these words actually are. The title in and of itself worries me, because it is obviously stating that even though the girl may be beautiful (as the first lyrics suggest), she still looks better to him when he literally can't see her as well.
I don't know what pisses me off more: the fact they're sending a message that women look better with the lights off or the fact they have the audacity to say "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but..."
To ask a woman "not to take it the wrong way" is to negate any feelings of anger the woman may feel and to shame her into feeling guilty. Because, if she's taking it the wrong way, then she isn't having the acceptable reaction to his words: submission and acceptance.
Later in the song, the men state "I just wanna see you with the lights off. Every guy wanna know how it is, to clap off the lights and turn Khloe to Kim."
At this point in the song, it is clear the reason men want to have sex with these women in the dark is so they can play into their own fantasies. Forget the woman who's there, participating in the act with him. With no lights on, he can feel free to imagine that he's with any woman he wants--not her. This is a classic example of objectification. By stripping this woman of her identity by turning out the lights, he has turned her into nothing more than a sexual object that is there for his pleasure.
When girls and women hear this on the radio, the message is clear: even good looks don't matter because in the end, you'll never compare to his fantasy...and you better just accept that.
Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West: ET
If you haven't guessed it yet, this is the one I'm talking about when I say "rape narrative." I think the song came out some time late spring, because I know I was driving to school when I listened to it the first time...and nearly had a heart attack.
Not even the catchy beats of the song can disguise the message for me. Right off the bat she says that victimization is something she wants, putting stock in the theory that women actually want to be raped:
kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me,
infect me with your lovin'
fill me with your poison
Take me, ta-ta-take me,
Wanna be a victim,
Ready for abduction.
And, it gets worse. Kanye West makes it worse.
Pockets on Shrek, Rockets on deck
Tell me what's next, alien sex
I'ma disrobe you,than I'mma probe you
See I abducted you, so I tell ya what to do
I tell ya what to do, what to do, what to do
The fact that this song is even allowed to play over the radio at all times of the day and night is amazing to me, since it clearly uses the words "alien sex"...and probing.
These lyrics are filled with phallic imagery that is clearly talking about penetration and ejaculation (or in Katy Perry's words, "poison"). When he says the words "I'mma disrobe you then I'mma a probe you," it sounds aggressive and it refers to an aggressive sexual act that has nothing to do with love or sex--it has to do with power. The power struggle in this instance is conveyed through the lyrics "see I abducted you so I tell you what to do." The controlling nature of those words truly disturbs me.
So what's the message? What are children and adults learning from this one? They learn that sex and love are poisonous, and therefore any sex act that involves struggle and victimization is, actually, a "sexy" one. Everyone loves being lavished by a stranger who wants to control them--thanks so much for sharing that, Katy and Kanye.
Rihanna: S & M
This one has had the most staying power over the summer. Compared to the other two, I'm not as offended by this song, but I do still have issue with it. Mainly, I just don't believe that Rihanna is as in to S & M as she makes it sound in the song. By singing about how she likes to take part in sexual acts of violence and degradation (without making me believe its true) she is objectifying herself. She is saying she likes violent sexual contact in order to titilate the listener and make them believe she can easily play the role of a victim. In the music video, she at one point is dressed like a child while tied up and trying to escape, which fetishizes children.
These three songs are the most obvious examples from the recent months. But, there are so many more. Any time I turn on the radio the songs I hear are most often about drinking and/or sex. They send messages, like TV and advertising, that women are sexual objects to be used and then tossed aside.
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