Racism In Kanye West's 'Monster'

Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups which determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others. Artist like Kanye West, feel it is socially acceptable to use derogatory terms towards different demographics while others view this disrespectful. One example of racism can be found in Kanye West’s music video “Monster” which thoroughly expresses racial views in todays society that reserves and displays the differences between inferior and superior groups. Throughout West’s music video, he uses offensive lyrics, and disturbing scenes to show

He does this to create an aggressive reaction from the white audience, causing them to think upon their actions and show society a prevalent issue today. Throughout West’s music video, offensive lyrics, and disturbing scenes are used to show the viewer the dominance of men. West characterizes women to either be dead, insane, or vulnerable to the actions of men. A scene portrays West up against a caged off area, while women are reaching through to touch his body, singing, “I’m a motherfucking monster” (West ). As West is describing himself as a “monster”, he is showing the viewer the traditional views of how society sees men to be more “powerful” than women. West is using these women to illustrate reaching towards gender equality in society. West is portraying how women tend to be viewed to please the needs of a male once they come home from their occupation, and this is displayed when West states “I put the pussy in a sarcophagus now she claiming that I bruise her esophagus” (West ). West conveys that men see women for pleasure, and that they are just a “stay at home mom” waiting to do whatever the male desires. Women struggle with this idea in society due to the power men contain not only in strength, but with dominance as

In the video, the roles of society seem to be reversed as compared to what is traditionally viewed. West is referring to the early ages of our country in which the African American race were enslaved to the Caucasians. This is seen in completely opposite light in West’s video, as all of the Caucasians are in reversed roles with the African-Americans. As Kanye West being a popular icon in the music industry, both whites and blacks are a lump sum of his audience which creates for him to have a larger impact of the common thoughts on racism regarding both groups. Most individuals find themselves very moved by the video as it puts them into a slight state of shock seeing this prominence of reverse racism in our culture today. This goes along in turn with the title of the song being “Monster”, as West is depicting the whites as being monsters toward the black race, and him attempting to put a change on that. Through the use of the vivid and extremely graphic images, West’s music video, forces the viewer into thinking about society and the roles that racism has played both hundreds of years ago and today. West uses scenes in which white individuals are portrayed to be dead, or controlled by the African American race. “A white male is being dragged across the floor by an African American, showing the reverse dominancy regarding race, while in the very next scene the whites are