Jean Kilbourne, a media specialist, raises an interesting point in one of her lectures when she states, “The average American is exposed to 3000 advertisements per day. Yet, everyone in America still feels personally exempt from the media. They say, “I don’t pay attention to ads. I just tune them out. They have no effect on me.”” She later states most of the people who have said this to her were wearing Gap™ tee-shirts. Whether people realize it or not, there is a direct correlation between the media and an individual’s identity. Along with products, the media also sells values, views, images, and concepts of normalcy. The media tells us who we are and who we should be. Unfortunately, many times the media tells us things that have a major negative impact on individual and collective identity. Without the media, we would see a positive shift in the way people view themselves as individuals and as a collective. From Beethoven, to the rap artists of today, music has developed from classical masterpieces to garbage that glorifies negative behaviour. Rap, or gangster rap as it is commonly known, is a form of music that glamorizes thug life. This glamorization is destroying our communities and urban centers. Youth especially are influenced by this because they start to see the lifestyle described in rap as expensive cars, gorgeous women, and jewellery. The media tells them about these things but conveniently leaves out the fact a rap stars lifestyle is actually about drugs, violence, gangs, crime, and the objectification of women. If youth knew that most rap stars are actually prison inmates or living off welfare, they probably would not be so keen on adapting rap culture and would focus on getting an education instead. The media d... ... middle of paper ... ...27/hiphops_negative_impact_on_kids.html?cat=9. Last accessed 5 December 2009. Tamika Morrison. (2007). Hip-Hop vs. America. Available: http:// http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/393422/hiphop_vs_america_pg2_pg2.html?cat=9. Last accessed 5 December 2009. Documentaries Watched: Jean Kilbourne . (2002). Killing Us Softly 3: Advertsing's Image of Women . Available: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/killing-us-softly-3/. Last accessed 5 December 2009. Jean Kilbourne. (2000). Spin the Bottle Preview . Available: http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=210&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/Item_Preview.html. Last accessed 5 December 2009. Jean Kilbourne. (2002). Pack of Lies Preview. Available: http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=306&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/Item_Preview.html. Last accessed 5 December 2009.
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Show MoreJhally, S., In Kilbourne, J., Rabinovitz, D., & Media Education Foundation. (2010). Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women.
This article is titled “Rap music is harmful to African American communities” and is written by E. Faye Williams. Williams is a chairwoman of the National Congress of Black Women (NCBW). The national congress of black women is a non-profit organization dedicated to the educational, political, economic, and cultural development of African American women and their families. Williams’s article “Rap music is harmful to African American communities” makes her qualified and a credible source to be writing on this question: If rap music and other media is harming the African American community? In her article, she states her side of the argument of how rap music and media are indeed harming the African American community, using the context, and reasoning,
Killing Us Softly IV is a film that discusses the effects of how women are portrayed through advertisement. Jean Kilbourne, looks deeper into the relationship between the women in advertisement and our society’s acceptance of sexual harassment and assault of women. The video also discusses the social and economic consequences of the media’s depictions of women today.
In a article “Rap Music's Psychological Effects”, written by Suite 101, studies were conducted to assess how listening to hip hop effected teenagers and young adults, and found that overall, that listening to rap music does not cause aggressive or deviant behavior. Instead hip-hop music did cause violent actions, particularly abuse against women. Additionally, those who watched either violent or non-violent hip-hop videos were more inclined to express materialistic attitudes and favors, potentially acquiring possessions through crime. Studies also found th...
The second article, “Commercialization of the Rap Music Youth Subculture” by M. Elizabeth Blair, expresses the point of the use of rap music to sell a product even though advertisers know nothing of the subculture....
64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016” (National). This number will rise as the rap industry continues to prosper. Today’s rap is affecting people all over the world. Rap artists today hide their songs’ actual meanings. Men and women are targeted in rap songs. Drugs are talked about in the song’s and go hand in hand with the making of songs. Many children and teens are unconsciously being affected by rap and it will turn into more than that.
It is widely believed that “the Rap industry is dominated by artists' who mostly dedicate their lyrics to either violence, drugs, or sex” (brightkite.com). While some rap songs fit this stereotype, a large amount of songs include emotional narratives that can often explain a situation someone is going through. According to the National Music Bureau, “65% [of listeners of rap] live in run-down homes, or impoverished areas, usually being inner cities” (brightkite.com). In addition, “teens are drawn to the fantasies of wealth, glamour, and sex appeal in rap videos”(Livestrong.com); since the majority of rap fans are living in inner cities, they are able to use rap songs to escape their realities and dream of a better life. This also allows for “rap [to offer] a creative outlet and a way to connect with peers” (Livestrong.com). This only proves that rap is beneficial despite the foul language or inappropriate topics because it allows teens to escape their possibly rough lives and fantasize about a place where life is full of exhilarating events and astonishing amounts of
Today our society is bursting at the seams with violence. There is fighting in other countries like Kosovo, shootings in schools, and violence on television. In my opinion, though, nothing has a greater effect on the youth of America than rap music. However, this isn’t a new issue, there has been violence in rap music for years. Such as, gang violence, references to drive-by shootings and homicides in songs. Since this is such a broad topic I will explore the violent side and history of the industry, the lyrics, as well as the artists.
If you were to ask someone how music has changed their lives, most people would say they listen to music all the time. People listen to music at the gym, shopping, in the car almost everywhere. A lot will say that music is relatable, it’s a way of art, music has saved people’s lives. However, if you were to ask people about rap music specifically, they would probably say it’s violent, gory, or say they don’t like it. Did you know that since rap music became popular violent crimes have declined? The rap movement has a positive change on society because it exposes the hardships of discrimination, rappers have been known to give back to their communities, and most rappers send a positive message to the youth.
Music can be reflection of our life experience. Each genre of music invokes different emotions and reactions in it's listeners. Rap has become a very popular genre in today's society. Is today “Gangster rap” and rappers exploiting society, introducing drugs and instigating violence? In the mid-1980s Gangster rap came to be portray images of violence, guns, gangs, drugs, and sexism. By the 1990s rap music became a major part of the industry and topped the charts. As people begin to operate different things; different music was engendered and that contributed to the variety of music that we have today. This is one of the many things that makes America different but is astringently under looked by everyone. There are many types of different raps
From the 2pacs of the world to the Ludacris’s, rap has rapidly transitioned into the music industry in the past twenty-five years to become a global art form for many around the globe. However, much like every other form of music, rap has listeners who don’t approve of it, therefore accusing the genre of causing violent-oriented influence on the youth. This is where Eminem would be introduced to the topic; Eminem is one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by many magazines, Selling more than 80 million albums and over 120 million singles worldwide. Being as well renowned as he is, he works as a clear-cut example of many other artists who are accused of being an influence for violence for the youth. Music much like everything else could be altered towards the bad however, it depends on what you take from it; even the youth should have a certain sense of differentiation, which in this case is being able to take the positive from rap.
People are surrounded by music every day of their lives. They hear it in their homes, on the radio on their way to work; some people have even caught themselves humming the tune of their favorite song to themselves. But how many people actually listen and not just hear the music they are listening to? Teens in particular don’t realize the message behind the music they are quoting the lyrics to, or the effect it has on them. In today’s culture where rap music has become increasingly popular, many teens aren’t realizing what they are listening to. A lot of teens would argue that the music they listen to has no effect on them, but they are wrong. Rap music, especially, has had a major impact on teenagers in today’s society.
4) Kilbourne, Jean. Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women. Dir. Sut Jhally. DVD. Media Education Foundation, 2000.
Imagine our youth all over the country being exposed to this explicit kind of language. There is no need to imagine, because it is already happening. Ever since the rise of Rap and Hip Hop music, teens have been turning to them to help solve their problems. However these kinds of music can be very destructive to teens. It is not the youth’s fault; it is the content that the music contains. Although Rap and Hip Hop music can be a force for good, they can also have an extremely negative impact on the attitudes and behaviors of our youth.
The media are an important part of our lives for many reasons. Primarily, they help to keep us informed about current affairs, both in the world at large and on the home front. The media are a central part of our lives. Think about how much time we spend being ‘exposed’ to their product’s everyday and how many different ways it can be used. Everyday, we use the media for information and perhaps less willingly, we also accept the media as a source of persuasion, most notably through advertising.