The Blame Game: Hip-hop, Misogyny and Generations of Degrading Women

After witnessing a few debates between 20-somethings and baby-boomers on whether hip-hop is misogynistic or degrading to women, I realized that the two generations will never agree.

Both parties really only hold interest in pointing fingers and dumping blame.

Let’s not pretend that these issues are new and that they are the fault of the “hip-hop generation.” That’s a sad cop-out.

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This generation just happens to exaggerate the ignorance that already exists in society and existed upon their birth and may even be the reason they were conceived.

My parents’ generation is wrong for blaming children they created and raised, while my generation is wrong for not taking power and control over the situation.

But you can’t expect children to make knowledgeable decisions when your own example is poor.

The fact of the matter is, in every genre of music, every generation, and every society known to man, women have been objectified and abused.

Rap is no different, but like with most things, anything done by men of color — even in hopes of bettering themselves, gets put under a microscope.

If we really want to play the blame game, let’s blame every-damn-body !

Blame Parents

Blame parents for being suckers and chickens when it comes to accepting their position and power as parents; you are your child’s first social interaction.

The constant blaming of today’s media is no different than the ban and regulation of comic books in 1954 because they allegedly “made children violent.”

It is also no different than the church denouncing Ray Charles , a drug addict and womanizer who put explicit lyrics to gospel music.

If I recall correctly, our parents and/or grandparents had no issues with shaking their asses to his music.

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Parents have always, and will always blame the media (or anyone but themselves) for the actions of their children, ie: “These cookies make my child fat,” “This song makes my son grab girls’ behinds,” “This open pond is why my 3-year-old drowned while I was in the house and on the phone,” or “That song made my son shoot his classmates.”

Wrong . You are enabling your obese child and should be charged with child abuse, your son is a deviant in need of discipline, a phone call was more important than your toddler, and your son was crying out for help from you long before that song or the shooting.

I grew up watching the same movies, hearing the same music, seeing the same music videos and was exposed to enough violence, yet I have, nor have I ever had aspirations of being a serial murderer or “video whore.”

So why is the media to blame when parents have for so long refused to stop endorsing the content and/or teach their gullible little off-spring the difference between Hollywood and reality?

Blame Women

Blame women because just as Black Americans are accused of using racism and slavery as a “crutch,” women play the “oppression card” too.

We cite all of the moronic, illegal, inhumane, and disgusting things that men have done to women throughout civilization and fail to admit our role in accepting and perpetuating the abuse.

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We socialize our young girls into being baby carrying, maids-for-matrimony, thoughtless property.

All over the world, women and girls are subjected to genital mutilation and slavery often at the willingness or insistence of their own mothers .

As for hip-hop and America, I wonder what would happen if women stopped attending these degrading video shoots. What if we stopped buying these records and tuning into these radio stations?

The men with all the power wouldn’t seem so powerful after-all. If the audience leaves, will the media now be forced to change?

While there is plenty to be said about the role of men in perpetual degradation of women , women are the core of all societies.

Without women, societies would not thrive and in a society where the women are not healthy, the result is the same.

It is critical that young women today take advantage of the power they’ve always had and continue to possess, but it is crucial that older women take a moment from their self-obsesseions to finish laying the groundwork .

We are bitching about the lyrical content of rap songs toward women, but we’re really not attacking the issue: the mind-set that “women are nothing more than bitches and sluts.”

What good are clean lyrics when men still see us as property to be conquered. Why are these these opinionated old hags not reaching out to these “video hoes” and getting them connected to people who can help them launch their real dreams and pursuits?

Another unavoidable fact is that within the Black race, women are not willing to reach out to each other until they’ve been victimized.

You see few, if any, meetings held to uplift young Black women but you sure see plenty aimed at pointing blame on young Black men.

The blame game will have to end for progress to become the topic of discussion. Are you ready to progress yet?

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