Music Lyrics and Gender Roles

1298 Words3 Pages

Common expectations seem to indicate gender roles on every individual. The males will play their part in being masculine while the females act an as object. There are several ways one can see how gender roles are played. A way is through hip-hop and rap music in the black community. Joan Morgan, an African American feminist and hip-hop and rap music fan, shows us how gender roles are being played in her community through music. Since Morgan is a feminist, she voices her opinion on the way black men treat black women in her article, “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos.” Morgan states her argument that black men write lyrics ranting about black women to give a self-reflection. The males feel oppressed and express it through music. There are many reasons a male can feel oppressed, whereas one reason is becoming masculine. Michael Kimmel, a sociologist professor at Stony Brook University and the author of “‘Bros Before Hos’: The Guy Code” states that guys tries their best to show that they are manly. To clarify on how the men portray their oppression is to sing of misogyny and self-hatred in disguised hatred toward women. Men expressing their oppression through music tie the guy code of acting masculine and Morgan’s view of men feeling oppressed. Morgan describes black men express their oppression by objectifying black women sexually in music. Jean Kilbourne, the author of “‘Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence” and an activist on advertisement based on public health problems and violence against women agrees with Morgan on women being sexually identified. Kilbourne and Morgan connect to Kimmel by showing how males are seen to be masculine and females are soft and emotional. Morgan’s claims, in “From Fly-Girls to Bi... ... middle of paper ... ...sic is music. The lyrics being sung in the music are a way to receive fans and make profit. Lyrics are not expressing a male’s oppression or how they feel. If lyrics are showing how an artist feels then why are there lyrics on sale for artists to buy? Works Cited Morgan, Joan. “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos” Simon & Schuster (T). (1999): Web. 17 Feb. 2014 Kilbourne, Jean. “‘Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence” Free Press. (2000): Web. 27 Feb. 2014 Kimmel, Michael. “‘Bros Before Hos’: The Guy Code” New York: Harper. (2008): Web. 27 Feb. 2014 Patten, Eileen, and Kim Parker. "Women in the U.S. Military: Growing Share, Distinctive Profile." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. N.p., 22 Dec. 2001. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .

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