Throughout the semester, prompts based on class readings, screenings, lectures, and discussions will be posted on this blog. Responses will be graded on their level of critical thinking, pertinence, engagement with class texts, and grammar/spelling/proofing/
length. Be sure to read the prompt carefully and fully engage with the content of the class materials. At the bottom of your response, type your FIRST NAME and the FIRST INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME (e.g. Claudia Z.).
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Week Fourteen: Response 14.2
What correlations are made between gangsta rap, white
male fans, misogyny, and rejection in Katz’s chapter “Race and Culture”?
In the chapter “Race and Culture” Katz conveys the ways that whiteness is often rendered invisible in popular media. When a white person creates an act of violence, they are dignified and justified for their actions. Their actions are attributed to generational problems, mental illness, bullying, extreme loneliness, etc. On the other hand, when men of color engage in violent crimes, their race is made the focus that requires examination. Katz relates this reality to gangsta rap music. As he notes, when people criticize the misogynistic and homophobic themes in rap music, it is often in a “thinly disguised racial subtext.” Meanwhile white goes unexamined and not many people ask “what is it about gangsta rap that is so popular among white males? It is therefore pertinent to explore not only what misogyny in gangsta rap says about black masculinity but also what the genres popularity among white consumers says about white masculinity. Lyrics in gangsta rap express anger and contempt for women and degrade women sexually as disposable objects that are only good for penetrating and then throwing out. Katz ponders on how some men previously believed that women had the power to reject men sexually but with the rise of accessibility of porn culture, boys and men now have the access to women’s bodies instantly online that they can pay for. This increased accessibility has contributed to rape culture and increased the sense of entitlement over women. The boys/men that crave both intimacy and validation for their heterosexual manhood in real life can then feel hostility toward women/girls if they cannot receive this validation from them (example: experiencing rejection). Additionally, men/boys do not seek comfort and validation from other men because they are policed into being stoic and cannot communicate their feelings/emotions at the fear of being labeled sissy, unmanly, and gay. Gangsta rap then provides an outlet to diffuse those frustrations by putting women down and perpetuating pop cultural messages that encourage contempt and violence over women.
The origins of gangsta rap in the black community was to uplift and empower. Jackson Katz points out that gangsta rap is now produced by by white male record label owners who sell black gangsta rap to largely white male audience. There is an emphasis on misogyny and homophobia (bitches and hoes). The commonality between the black rap artists and the white male fans is misogyny. It is also possible that many of them do not feel any particular anger towards women, but nonetheless, take on the misogynistic front in response to pressure on them to act “hard” as a means of gaining respect and establishing their “manhood.” In order to maintain the hard poses that earn the respect of other gangstas, men have to affect a cool distance and never acknowledge vulnerable emotions like caring, affection and tenderness. One reason why some men’s anger toward women is expressed as sexual degradation is that they feel women possess a fundamental power over men- the power to reject them sexually. Young guys want real girls/women to desire them sexually and also long for emotional and physical intimacy. They also seek this intimacy from girls as a means to validate their heterosexual manhood. In the real world men less control over women rejecting them; however through the song men can reject women and regain their “Power”. Another point brought up in class discussion is that white males may be even more interested in gangsta rap because they can live out violence against women stereotypically seen in black men through their song. When boys and men cannot achieve this intimacy and validation, their unrequited desire can often turn to hostility. Masculinity is so fragile that rejection sends men into a spiral and they often become angry and violent. If they do not act on their emotions physically they can play it out through a song as I stated before. The song helps them regain power. Elexus T.
Jackson Katz correlates gangsta rap with white male fans because gansta rap, produced by white male record labels, is largely sold to white fans. Rap emphasizes on misogyny, and misogyny is a commonality between black rap artists and white male fans. White men may have possibly grew up with misogyny the way black men have. Rap appeals to white males because the music allows them to reject women and regain power through the songs; however, in the real world, men possess less control over women rejecting them. Another perspective that Katz offers on the correlation between gansta rap, white men, and misogyny is Robin D. G. Kelley’s 1996 essay. Kelly argues rap provides white, middle-class teenagers an “imaginary alternative to suburban boredom”, and the ghetto is like a fantasy and place of adventure. Even though Kelley’s thoughts are insightful, Katz also states that the essay does not offer much into why sexism appeals to white males. Katz also explains that white men may become more misogynistic because they are pressured to “act hard” to establish their “manhood.” To misogynists, being a man means belittling or degrading women. At the same time, while white men enjoy rap, they tend to perceive themselves as nonracial or racially neutral. Therefore, white men may not feel any guilt for liking rap the way that they do because they internally separate themselves from other races. Gangsta rap and the misogyny expressed in the music could also be a backlash against feminism in where women are fighting to achieve equality with men. Katz uses Eminem, a famous white male rapper, as an example of this correlation. Eminem’s popularity is based on the misogyny and self-victimization expressed in his music. Eminem’s white male fans identify with the music, which further reinforces problematic gender expectations such as male aggression. Though Eminem is white, his whiteness gives other white men more reason to identify with the violent and abusive messages in the music.
Gangsta rap originated as a response to social injustice and police brutality. Gangsta rap was born out of the black community and it's struggles with law enforcement but the aggressiveness and masculinity associated with lyrics struck a chord with white males. The overt demeaning of women throughout the lyrics referring to them as bitches and hoes as well as the visual depictions of video girls helped solidify rap's white male audience. The demeaning language used to describe women helped white male's escape the rejection of females by taking away the one power they deemed women have, the power to decide if they will have sex with you. For white males, rap was an escape from suburban boredom and the ultimate satisfaction of turning women into sexual objects and removing any agency women have. The introduction of Eminem, a white male rapper, capitalized on the industry's misogyny but not only demeaning women but promoting violence (including murder) against women. Rap and hip hop created the ultimate fantasy world where all women were sex toys and could never and would never reject you. If you, as a white male, were to disagree or speak out against the misogyny in rap music you would be ostracized because degrading women is the name of the game. The availability of porn and endless internet access to women's bodies also created a sense of ownership over women's bodies that there was not previously. As white men who succumb to misogyny, they are also forced to be aggressive and emotionless, letting aggressive demeaning lyrics become the perfect outlet for pent up emotions that most men have. The culture of misogyny in white men and the ease in which society allows them to channel their anger and pent up rage into violence against women gave room for rap the become the source in which they could combat rejection, frustration, and reassure their manliness.
The mainstream rap music market now consists of white male record label owners selling black gansta rap to largely white fans. White men still hold the power and profit of the musical expression of black rappers. Often times, black gangsta rap features themes of violence against women, violence with other blacks, drugs, alcohol, and other problems that face us as a society, especially in low-income communities of color. This is a prime example of how white men profit from the perpetuation of violence against women and stereotypes of people of color. Oddly enough, the majority of the consumers of this music is white boys and men. Katz answers the question as to what rappers and fans have in common: it has to do with sexism. Rappers and white male fans share the commonality of misogyny, or contempt for women. Men in real life do not always have the power, control, and dominance over women that they feel they want or need to have to be deemed as men. Men can often feel rejected in this way. To reclaim this pseudo masculinity, men can sing along to a song that bashes women. Men are quick to take out any contempt they feel for women through musical expression and engagement. It is so incredibly normal to turn on the radio and mindlessly (or mindfully) sing along to songs about “bitches and hoes” or other slurs towards women. Eminem has especially powerful lyrics describing homicidal violence towards women, even his own mother. This is what people sing along to. Women in songs take the beating and the blame for any blow to fragile masculinity. With an infectious beat, artist’s celebrity and “street credibility,” and lyrics under the protection of “free speech,” violence against women slips through the loopholes of musicality and seeps into our culture, deeply affecting us all.
Before White men started to buy rap label records, rap was inspiring music to the black community. Rap music was bringing social movements in the black community to fight for justice inequality and against police brutality in their neighborhoods. Rap was the only way white men and other people would listen to their injustices. The goal was to inspire and uplift people to unite and fight against the inequalities in the criminal justice system. White men started to buy their record labels and it changed the whole perception of rap. Now rap is not the way it used to inspired people. It went from social justice to misogyny. Rap exposes young boys and people to sex, drugs, and rape culture towards women. White men supports this type of rap because they feel powerful and have dominance over women. They feel like they have entered the manhood by degrading women. Men love to feel like they have control and authority over women. Rap talks about how women should be treated and how it makes them more than a man to use them for sex. This type of music influences their sexual behavior and aggressiveness towards women. Boys are taught not to show any emotional emotions but more physical emotions to become a man. Rap influences men to engage in sexual practices that degrades woman and contributes to rape culture. White men buy more rap songs and the more they support, it will never change their perceptions. When white men engage in violence, they are never punished for their crimes and do not feel shame because rap is influencing their behavior. For example, Eminem is the best rap singer who promotes rape, sex, drugs, and violence. Many white men are influenced by this rapper. White men want to be like him. Rap exposes misogyny and rape culture without any restrictions. White men still are making more money off rap genre, it is using black rappers to support misogyny. - Denise M
In the “Race and Culture” chapter of Katz’s book, the correlations between gangsta rap, white male fans, misogyny and rejection has to first do with the fact that a majority of the listeners of “gangsta rap” are white male teengagers/kids. They grow up listening to the lyrics and they think that that way of life is ideal, and they want that for themselves. They try to copy the misogynistic lyrics within the music, and bring it into their daily lives. They may also think that women have a sexual power over them, the power to decline their sexual advances. These males think that having a female “significant” other will give them some sort of power and ownership over women. Also, these males might feel the need to prove their masculinity by attempting to have power over women, and this leads to misogyny. They also feel the need to prove how tough they are to other males, and this is also tied into them feeling the need to overpower women, because they feel that women have power over them. Males feeling the need to prove themselves to other males may also lead to an uprising of harmful actions when a group of these certain males get together. A male may appear to be one person when not around other males, but turn into a completely different person when they are. It is as if they are all sheep in a herd, and with no leader, chaos erupts.
Katz’s made the correlation between gangster rap genre and white, male fans through how the white, male fans identify with the misogynist lyrics and uses it as an outlet for their anger towards females. The reason this music genre is so popular with white males specifically is because of the hierarchy within our patriarchal society. Naturally, being a male places you ahead of females in a patriarchal society, and white males have been primarily the dominant ethnic group within the male gender. Therefore, an individual with these two traits would believe that they are privileged within society to be at the top and acquire anything they want, such as females. This kind of irrational justification have produced the term ‘white privilege’ or ‘male privilege’ in society.
But when faced with the harsh rejection of reality, such as being deemed undesirable by females, the white male begins to produce anger and negative emotions as a reaction. This anger and contemptment is targeted towards females. The misogynist lyrics of gangster rap is then used by white males as an outlet towards women. They identify with the misogynist message in order to objectify women and reassure them that they still have the superior position within society.
This shift of responsibility from the social industries that propagate these ideas of white, male privilege to the female gender is the cause for the popularity of misogynist music for this demographic group. The same industry is likely help produce this genre of misogyny in order to keep the white male demographic to continue blaming females for their root of hatred and failure in society. Identifying the misplaced blame females are receiving just because they are not conforming to social standards that they should be putting white males on a pedestal as sexually desirable objects due to their demographic is the first step we need to make in order to progress as a whole.
Katz’s analysis of gangsta rap starts with minority black rap artists writing music about the discrimination and police brutality in the poor neighborhoods where they were raised. This led into lyrics about gun violence, drug use and the misogyny of women. As this music becomes more and more popular, more white male producers gain profit from the songs these artists create. Katz criticizes how rappers, working their way out of poverty and creating music to inspire those that are still living in rough conditions, are only benefiting the privileged white producers that make huge profits off their songs. While they are trying to work toward equality, they are only feeding into the national conglomerates that maintain the corporate greed of the nation. These gangsta rap songs have also gained a huge following by young white boys. Katz speculates that middle and upper-middle class white suburban boys crave the excitement and danger that the lyrics and music videos illustrate. This creates an entire culture that idolizes crime, drugs and violence against women. This cycle begins with Hollywood mob movies like, “Scarface” that young black boys idolize and inspire them to incorporate that into their music. Then white and Asian boys idolize the rap music that depicts women as nothing more than a hoe that you can manipulate however you please. This fandom makes misogyny of women normalized. Katz notes that if an artist would write lyrics talking about a certain race, in the way the rap music speaks about women, the nation would be outraged and there would be riots in the streets, but for some reason it is okay to talk about women in that way. Much of what is written about women in a derogatory way is due rejection. Many lyrics are written about ex-girlfriends and they are made to be the villain that is a stupid bitch for leaving him. This repetition of demeaning women that reject them makes boys more entitled about who should love them.
In Katz’s chapter titled “Race and Culture,” he examines the interesting dynamic between gangsta rap, white male fans, misogyny, and rejection. Although rap was originally a channel through which black people could practice consciousness raising and talk about political issues, it quickly became clear to white-owned record labels that music about sexism and violence would sell more. In fact, this type of content was also able to connect quite well to white male fans of rap music. Throughout the chapter, Katz attempts to provide an explanation for this phenomenon. According to Katz, the ways in which men relate to violent and misogynistic lyrics stems from a belief of entitlement to women. Men and boys are often socialized to believe that they deserve more power than women, and have the right to women’s bodies. However, when they find out this isn’t the case, they can respond negatively. According to Katz, adolescent boys feel the only power girls have over them, is their power to reject them sexually. While they can make up for this through pornography to some extent, it often does not compare to actual intimacy. What follows, is a cycle in which men are rejected, and adopt an “I hate you for not wanting me” attitude towards women. Because of this, some men are able to fantasize about “rejecting” women and regaining their power through rap music. Within the lyrics, they are able to use women sexually, and then dispose of them after they are done. This explains why men of all races are consuming misogynistic music at such an alarming rate. The violence and homophobia that is also in the lyrics further feed into this fantasy that the listener is hyper masculine, straight, and doesn’t need validation from women. Overall, white men are able to relate to gangsta rap through fantasizing about rejecting and disposing of women, therefore creating a larger demand for gangsta rap, and reducing the amount of rap with the purpose of consciousness raising.
Jackson Katz writes in his chapter ‘Race and Culture’ about the connection between gangsta rap, white male fans, misogyny, and rejection. Katz begins by explaining that this genre of music was created to spread awareness of police brutality and racial profiling. But today, gangsta rap is full of misogyny, anti-gay messages, black on black violence, and hyper masculine posturing. This creates a caricature of black culture that is then packaged and sold to white male fans who account for most of raps consumers. Moreover, most of the major record companies are owned by white men that produce and distribute the music and make enormous profits from rap. Katz believes that the majority of rap consumers are white suburban males because for many of these young men, gangsta rap provides an imaginary alternative to suburban boredom. They see the ghetto as a place of adventure with unconstrained violence and erotic fantasy that they can enter and experience vicariously and voyeuristically through gangsta rap and the music videos. However, Katz also states that millennials have grown up with gangsta rap and have become somewhat numb to the messages conveyed like misogyny. Because demeaning women feels normal, it has become a common tool used by young men to assert their manhood, and gain respect amongst their male peers. This demand in the white market for misogynistic lyrics, says a lot about white masculinity and the relations between the sexes in white culture. Another reason Katz gives for the popularity of rap is rejection. A lot of men believe that women possess a fundamental power over men, that they can reject them sexually. This is often why men’s anger towards women is expressed as sexual degradation, and gangsta rap is a popular medium in which to hurt women as payback for those perceived slights. The wide-spread acceptance of misogyny in rap is an ongoing societal backlash against the economic, social, and political equality women have gained with men.
Gangsta rap started as a hyper masculine, misogynist fad. Rappers make music about hurting women and not caring about or respecting them and how all they do is is have sex and scam men for money. Katz considers rap music an industry where whites profit off racism and sex-ism and the white consumers enjoy the music. Instead of putting the blame solely on blacks, he directs it towards American culture. Boys grow up with the problematic music already be-ing popular and they cannot reasonably be expected to figure out the harm of the music on their own. Even out of the few that might see a problem with it most of them would remain silent about to avoid having their masculinity and sexuality questioned.
Misogynistic and sexist music was remains popular in music because they have always been social norms in American culture. As a result, the biggest consumers of the women bashing rap music is actually white males. The majority of white males feel entitled to women’s body and resent the power that women have to reject them. For them, listening to and singing along with rap music helps them feel better about themselves and express their ill feelings towards women.
Gangster rap is has been and still remains a product that reinforces negative racial stereotypes. Powerful rich white rich producers use their record labels to line their pockets and at the same time poison the minds of the next generation. Young white people listening to it helps teach them that black people are violent thugs and that women are mischievous sex objects at the same time. This negative stereotype reinforcement that is embraced by people of all color has a negative effect on blacks as well as whites. Both the black kids and the white kids grow up thinking that blacks are supposed to be violent and women are the enemy.
In a culture where male domination lies invisible, benefiting rich, white men, Katz draws a correlation between Rap, rejection and misogyny. Rap, whose origins are based on social empowerment and consciousness raising, think NWA’s ‘Fuck tha police’, becomes altered when it enters the white capitalist system. Throughout history, whites have monetized black music, from Blues to R&B. It was no different with Rap music, which today is the most popular form of music in the world. When the popularity of Rap began to spread, it was time to capitalize. Because most of the content didn’t relate to whites, as it discussed social marginalization, the marrying factor had to be something else. When artist began writing lyrics that included misogyny and homophobia, record sales exploded, with the primary consumers being whites. Katz draws a correlation that many of the gangster rappers were imitating white figures they saw in films and TV, such as the Godfather and Scarface. Whites in essence were imitating individuals who were imitating another dominant media portrayal of male bravado. White owners are in essence perpetuating lyrics that highlights black on black crime, which is, again, primarily sold to a white audience. The commonality of black rappers and white consumers is linked by misogyny and homophobia, which is never talked about in mainstream media. White consumers are able to reject women, which is unlike reality where women can say no. A prime example of this homophobic, misogynistic rap is recorded and performed by Eminem who records primarily based on these subjects. His primary targets throughout his career have been his mother and ex-wife. Because of the marginalization of black artists, music has provided an outlet to voice their perspectives. Much of this involves the degrading of women in order to reaffirm one masculinity.
Jackson Katz’s theory is that gangsta rap glorifications are in direct correlation of the values and ideals in the society we live in. He first analyzes what gangsta rap is saying. We mostly hear cruel and women hating lyrics in a majority of these songs. He also writes about what these lyrics are teaching or preaching about. They are teaching boys and men to demean black women while reinforcing the sense to dominate and control them, it encourages this sense of misplaced anger. Not only does this enforce the will to degrade women but it also encourages some stereotypes of black men, one stereotype being “brutal beasts”. We also see a lot of black on black violence and the glorification of brutality. The irony comes from the fact that white men run most of the major record companies that profit from the stereotypes, racism, and objectification of women in rap music without ever being held accountable for it. Instead the blame or finger gets pointed at the black men singing or rapping about female objectification and the degradation of women. White men do not question the misogyny in rap because it is something they deem as normal as they grew up most of their lives hearing it. It is seen as a means to gain respect and be “cool”. They retrieve this status as they mimic the speech and the style of what they see and hear in rap music. It also becomes a sort of fantasy for them as they begin to believe that “ghetto” is a place of adventure and of desire. Jackson also mentions how because of porn culture we see this change in how these men seek to obtain power from rejecting women in a sexual way. Because when boys are rejected often more times than not aggression and hostility comes into play.
Katz explains the history of rap music, how it was originally created by black people with the intention of social empowerment and consciousness raising of police brutality and racial profiling. When rap started to gain its popularity, it entered into white capitalist market which allowed white record owners to make giant profit off of black rap music. The more it gained its popularity, the theme it preached started to shift to misogyny, homophobia, and contempt of women. These messages ultimately normalized misogyny, sexism and violence towards women. Katz correlates big white fan base of gangsta rap to the boredom of white males who lives in suburban. By relating gangsta rap to adventurous and violence fantasy, it masks the inhumanity of what gangsta rap is promoting. Katz also explains that gangsta rap promotes manliness equals to misogyny. Belittling women’s feelings is a way for men to gain power and acknowledged by his peers. Another correlation Katz makes is relationship between gangsta rap and rejection. In the society that values hyper-masculinity, the number of how many women a man slept with determines how manly the man is. But when a woman rejects to get with a man, he feels as if he lost part of his power. This being said, when men hear/see the lyrics with violence towards women, it is a way for them to express anger and a revenge without actually hurting her. The popularity of gangsta rap is a reaffirming example of men's desire to gain power and control through misogyny and violence.
In the chapter “Race and Culture” Katz conveys the ways that whiteness is often rendered invisible in popular media. When a white person creates an act of violence, they are dignified and justified for their actions. Their actions are attributed to generational problems, mental illness, bullying, extreme loneliness, etc. On the other hand, when men of color engage in violent crimes, their race is made the focus that requires examination. Katz relates this reality to gangsta rap music. As he notes, when people criticize the misogynistic and homophobic themes in rap music, it is often in a “thinly disguised racial subtext.” Meanwhile white goes unexamined and not many people ask “what is it about gangsta rap that is so popular among white males? It is therefore pertinent to explore not only what misogyny in gangsta rap says about black masculinity but also what the genres popularity among white consumers says about white masculinity.
ReplyDeleteLyrics in gangsta rap express anger and contempt for women and degrade women sexually as disposable objects that are only good for penetrating and then throwing out. Katz ponders on how some men previously believed that women had the power to reject men sexually but with the rise of accessibility of porn culture, boys and men now have the access to women’s bodies instantly online that they can pay for. This increased accessibility has contributed to rape culture and increased the sense of entitlement over women. The boys/men that crave both intimacy and validation for their heterosexual manhood in real life can then feel hostility toward women/girls if they cannot receive this validation from them (example: experiencing rejection). Additionally, men/boys do not seek comfort and validation from other men because they are policed into being stoic and cannot communicate their feelings/emotions at the fear of being labeled sissy, unmanly, and gay. Gangsta rap then provides an outlet to diffuse those frustrations by putting women down and perpetuating pop cultural messages that encourage contempt and violence over women.
Natalie Y
The origins of gangsta rap in the black community was to uplift and empower. Jackson Katz points out that gangsta rap is now produced by by white male record label owners who sell black gangsta rap to largely white male audience. There is an emphasis on misogyny and homophobia (bitches and hoes). The commonality between the black rap artists and the white male fans is misogyny. It is also possible that many of them do not feel any particular anger towards women, but nonetheless, take on the misogynistic front in response to pressure on them to act “hard” as a means of gaining respect and establishing their “manhood.” In order to maintain the hard poses that earn the respect of other gangstas, men have to affect a cool distance and never acknowledge vulnerable emotions like caring, affection and tenderness. One reason why some men’s anger toward women is expressed as sexual degradation is that they feel women possess a fundamental power over men- the power to reject them sexually. Young guys want real girls/women to desire them sexually and also long for emotional and physical intimacy. They also seek this intimacy from girls as a means to validate their heterosexual manhood. In the real world men less control over women rejecting them; however through the song men can reject women and regain their “Power”. Another point brought up in class discussion is that white males may be even more interested in gangsta rap because they can live out violence against women stereotypically seen in black men through their song. When boys and men cannot achieve this intimacy and validation, their unrequited desire can often turn to hostility. Masculinity is so fragile that rejection sends men into a spiral and they often become angry and violent. If they do not act on their emotions physically they can play it out through a song as I stated before. The song helps them regain power.
ReplyDeleteElexus T.
Jackson Katz correlates gangsta rap with white male fans because gansta rap, produced by white male record labels, is largely sold to white fans. Rap emphasizes on misogyny, and misogyny is a commonality between black rap artists and white male fans. White men may have possibly grew up with misogyny the way black men have. Rap appeals to white males because the music allows them to reject women and regain power through the songs; however, in the real world, men possess less control over women rejecting them.
ReplyDeleteAnother perspective that Katz offers on the correlation between gansta rap, white men, and misogyny is Robin D. G. Kelley’s 1996 essay. Kelly argues rap provides white, middle-class teenagers an “imaginary alternative to suburban boredom”, and the ghetto is like a fantasy and place of adventure. Even though Kelley’s thoughts are insightful, Katz also states that the essay does not offer much into why sexism appeals to white males.
Katz also explains that white men may become more misogynistic because they are pressured to “act hard” to establish their “manhood.” To misogynists, being a man means belittling or degrading women. At the same time, while white men enjoy rap, they tend to perceive themselves as nonracial or racially neutral. Therefore, white men may not feel any guilt for liking rap the way that they do because they internally separate themselves from other races. Gangsta rap and the misogyny expressed in the music could also be a backlash against feminism in where women are fighting to achieve equality with men.
Katz uses Eminem, a famous white male rapper, as an example of this correlation. Eminem’s popularity is based on the misogyny and self-victimization expressed in his music. Eminem’s white male fans identify with the music, which further reinforces problematic gender expectations such as male aggression. Though Eminem is white, his whiteness gives other white men more reason to identify with the violent and abusive messages in the music.
Beatriz L.
Gangsta rap originated as a response to social injustice and police brutality. Gangsta rap was born out of the black community and it's struggles with law enforcement but the aggressiveness and masculinity associated with lyrics struck a chord with white males. The overt demeaning of women throughout the lyrics referring to them as bitches and hoes as well as the visual depictions of video girls helped solidify rap's white male audience. The demeaning language used to describe women helped white male's escape the rejection of females by taking away the one power they deemed women have, the power to decide if they will have sex with you. For white males, rap was an escape from suburban boredom and the ultimate satisfaction of turning women into sexual objects and removing any agency women have. The introduction of Eminem, a white male rapper, capitalized on the industry's misogyny but not only demeaning women but promoting violence (including murder) against women. Rap and hip hop created the ultimate fantasy world where all women were sex toys and could never and would never reject you. If you, as a white male, were to disagree or speak out against the misogyny in rap music you would be ostracized because degrading women is the name of the game. The availability of porn and endless internet access to women's bodies also created a sense of ownership over women's bodies that there was not previously. As white men who succumb to misogyny, they are also forced to be aggressive and emotionless, letting aggressive demeaning lyrics become the perfect outlet for pent up emotions that most men have. The culture of misogyny in white men and the ease in which society allows them to channel their anger and pent up rage into violence against women gave room for rap the become the source in which they could combat rejection, frustration, and reassure their manliness.
ReplyDeleteMegan J
The mainstream rap music market now consists of white male record label owners selling black gansta rap to largely white fans. White men still hold the power and profit of the musical expression of black rappers. Often times, black gangsta rap features themes of violence against women, violence with other blacks, drugs, alcohol, and other problems that face us as a society, especially in low-income communities of color. This is a prime example of how white men profit from the perpetuation of violence against women and stereotypes of people of color. Oddly enough, the majority of the consumers of this music is white boys and men. Katz answers the question as to what rappers and fans have in common: it has to do with sexism. Rappers and white male fans share the commonality of misogyny, or contempt for women. Men in real life do not always have the power, control, and dominance over women that they feel they want or need to have to be deemed as men. Men can often feel rejected in this way. To reclaim this pseudo masculinity, men can sing along to a song that bashes women. Men are quick to take out any contempt they feel for women through musical expression and engagement. It is so incredibly normal to turn on the radio and mindlessly (or mindfully) sing along to songs about “bitches and hoes” or other slurs towards women. Eminem has especially powerful lyrics describing homicidal violence towards women, even his own mother. This is what people sing along to. Women in songs take the beating and the blame for any blow to fragile masculinity. With an infectious beat, artist’s celebrity and “street credibility,” and lyrics under the protection of “free speech,” violence against women slips through the loopholes of musicality and seeps into our culture, deeply affecting us all.
ReplyDeleteClaire P.
Before White men started to buy rap label records, rap was inspiring music to the black community. Rap music was bringing social movements in the black community to fight for justice inequality and against police brutality in their neighborhoods. Rap was the only way white men and other people would listen to their injustices. The goal was to inspire and uplift people to unite and fight against the inequalities in the criminal justice system. White men started to buy their record labels and it changed the whole perception of rap. Now rap is not the way it used to inspired people. It went from social justice to misogyny. Rap exposes young boys and people to sex, drugs, and rape culture towards women. White men supports this type of rap because they feel powerful and have dominance over women. They feel like they have entered the manhood by degrading women.
ReplyDeleteMen love to feel like they have control and authority over women. Rap talks about how women should be treated and how it makes them more than a man to use them for sex. This type of music influences their sexual behavior and aggressiveness towards women. Boys are taught not to show any emotional emotions but more physical emotions to become a man. Rap influences men to engage in sexual practices that degrades woman and contributes to rape culture. White men buy more rap songs and the more they support, it will never change their perceptions. When white men engage in violence, they are never punished for their crimes and do not feel shame because rap is influencing their behavior. For example, Eminem is the best rap singer who promotes rape, sex, drugs, and violence. Many white men are influenced by this rapper. White men want to be like him. Rap exposes misogyny and rape culture without any restrictions. White men still are making more money off rap genre, it is using black rappers to support misogyny.
- Denise M
In the “Race and Culture” chapter of Katz’s book, the correlations between gangsta rap, white male fans, misogyny and rejection has to first do with the fact that a majority of the listeners of “gangsta rap” are white male teengagers/kids. They grow up listening to the lyrics and they think that that way of life is ideal, and they want that for themselves. They try to copy the misogynistic lyrics within the music, and bring it into their daily lives. They may also think that women have a sexual power over them, the power to decline their sexual advances. These males think that having a female “significant” other will give them some sort of power and ownership over women. Also, these males might feel the need to prove their masculinity by attempting to have power over women, and this leads to misogyny. They also feel the need to prove how tough they are to other males, and this is also tied into them feeling the need to overpower women, because they feel that women have power over them. Males feeling the need to prove themselves to other males may also lead to an uprising of harmful actions when a group of these certain males get together. A male may appear to be one person when not around other males, but turn into a completely different person when they are. It is as if they are all sheep in a herd, and with no leader, chaos erupts.
ReplyDelete-Lorena C.
Katz’s made the correlation between gangster rap genre and white, male fans through how the white, male fans identify with the misogynist lyrics and uses it as an outlet for their anger towards females. The reason this music genre is so popular with white males specifically is because of the hierarchy within our patriarchal society. Naturally, being a male places you ahead of females in a patriarchal society, and white males have been primarily the dominant ethnic group within the male gender. Therefore, an individual with these two traits would believe that they are privileged within society to be at the top and acquire anything they want, such as females. This kind of irrational justification have produced the term ‘white privilege’ or ‘male privilege’ in society.
ReplyDeleteBut when faced with the harsh rejection of reality, such as being deemed undesirable by females, the white male begins to produce anger and negative emotions as a reaction. This anger and contemptment is targeted towards females. The misogynist lyrics of gangster rap is then used by white males as an outlet towards women. They identify with the misogynist message in order to objectify women and reassure them that they still have the superior position within society.
This shift of responsibility from the social industries that propagate these ideas of white, male privilege to the female gender is the cause for the popularity of misogynist music for this demographic group. The same industry is likely help produce this genre of misogyny in order to keep the white male demographic to continue blaming females for their root of hatred and failure in society. Identifying the misplaced blame females are receiving just because they are not conforming to social standards that they should be putting white males on a pedestal as sexually desirable objects due to their demographic is the first step we need to make in order to progress as a whole.
Tommy L.
Katz’s analysis of gangsta rap starts with minority black rap artists writing music about the discrimination and police brutality in the poor neighborhoods where they were raised. This led into lyrics about gun violence, drug use and the misogyny of women. As this music becomes more and more popular, more white male producers gain profit from the songs these artists create. Katz criticizes how rappers, working their way out of poverty and creating music to inspire those that are still living in rough conditions, are only benefiting the privileged white producers that make huge profits off their songs. While they are trying to work toward equality, they are only feeding into the national conglomerates that maintain the corporate greed of the nation.
ReplyDeleteThese gangsta rap songs have also gained a huge following by young white boys. Katz speculates that middle and upper-middle class white suburban boys crave the excitement and danger that the lyrics and music videos illustrate. This creates an entire culture that idolizes crime, drugs and violence against women. This cycle begins with Hollywood mob movies like, “Scarface” that young black boys idolize and inspire them to incorporate that into their music. Then white and Asian boys idolize the rap music that depicts women as nothing more than a hoe that you can manipulate however you please. This fandom makes misogyny of women normalized. Katz notes that if an artist would write lyrics talking about a certain race, in the way the rap music speaks about women, the nation would be outraged and there would be riots in the streets, but for some reason it is okay to talk about women in that way.
Much of what is written about women in a derogatory way is due rejection. Many lyrics are written about ex-girlfriends and they are made to be the villain that is a stupid bitch for leaving him. This repetition of demeaning women that reject them makes boys more entitled about who should love them.
Amelia M.
In Katz’s chapter titled “Race and Culture,” he examines the interesting dynamic between gangsta rap, white male fans, misogyny, and rejection. Although rap was originally a channel through which black people could practice consciousness raising and talk about political issues, it quickly became clear to white-owned record labels that music about sexism and violence would sell more. In fact, this type of content was also able to connect quite well to white male fans of rap music.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the chapter, Katz attempts to provide an explanation for this phenomenon. According to Katz, the ways in which men relate to violent and misogynistic lyrics stems from a belief of entitlement to women. Men and boys are often socialized to believe that they deserve more power than women, and have the right to women’s bodies. However, when they find out this isn’t the case, they can respond negatively. According to Katz, adolescent boys feel the only power girls have over them, is their power to reject them sexually. While they can make up for this through pornography to some extent, it often does not compare to actual intimacy. What follows, is a cycle in which men are rejected, and adopt an “I hate you for not wanting me” attitude towards women. Because of this, some men are able to fantasize about “rejecting” women and regaining their power through rap music. Within the lyrics, they are able to use women sexually, and then dispose of them after they are done. This explains why men of all races are consuming misogynistic music at such an alarming rate. The violence and homophobia that is also in the lyrics further feed into this fantasy that the listener is hyper masculine, straight, and doesn’t need validation from women.
Overall, white men are able to relate to gangsta rap through fantasizing about rejecting and disposing of women, therefore creating a larger demand for gangsta rap, and reducing the amount of rap with the purpose of consciousness raising.
Claire C.
Jackson Katz writes in his chapter ‘Race and Culture’ about the connection between gangsta rap, white male fans, misogyny, and rejection. Katz begins by explaining that this genre of music was created to spread awareness of police brutality and racial profiling. But today, gangsta rap is full of misogyny, anti-gay messages, black on black violence, and hyper masculine posturing. This creates a caricature of black culture that is then packaged and sold to white male fans who account for most of raps consumers. Moreover, most of the major record companies are owned by white men that produce and distribute the music and make enormous profits from rap. Katz believes that the majority of rap consumers are white suburban males because for many of these young men, gangsta rap provides an imaginary alternative to suburban boredom. They see the ghetto as a place of adventure with unconstrained violence and erotic fantasy that they can enter and experience vicariously and voyeuristically through gangsta rap and the music videos. However, Katz also states that millennials have grown up with gangsta rap and have become somewhat numb to the messages conveyed like misogyny. Because demeaning women feels normal, it has become a common tool used by young men to assert their manhood, and gain respect amongst their male peers. This demand in the white market for misogynistic lyrics, says a lot about white masculinity and the relations between the sexes in white culture. Another reason Katz gives for the popularity of rap is rejection. A lot of men believe that women possess a fundamental power over men, that they can reject them sexually. This is often why men’s anger towards women is expressed as sexual degradation, and gangsta rap is a popular medium in which to hurt women as payback for those perceived slights. The wide-spread acceptance of misogyny in rap is an ongoing societal backlash against the economic, social, and political equality women have gained with men.
ReplyDeleteEllen N.
Gangsta rap started as a hyper masculine, misogynist fad. Rappers make music about hurting women and not caring about or respecting them and how all they do is is have sex and scam men for money. Katz considers rap music an industry where whites profit off racism and sex-ism and the white consumers enjoy the music. Instead of putting the blame solely on blacks, he directs it towards American culture. Boys grow up with the problematic music already be-ing popular and they cannot reasonably be expected to figure out the harm of the music on their own. Even out of the few that might see a problem with it most of them would remain silent about to avoid having their masculinity and sexuality questioned.
ReplyDeleteMisogynistic and sexist music was remains popular in music because they have always been social norms in American culture. As a result, the biggest consumers of the women bashing rap music is actually white males. The majority of white males feel entitled to women’s body and resent the power that women have to reject them. For them, listening to and singing along with rap music helps them feel better about themselves and express their ill feelings towards women.
Gangster rap is has been and still remains a product that reinforces negative racial stereotypes. Powerful rich white rich producers use their record labels to line their pockets and at the same time poison the minds of the next generation. Young white people listening to it helps teach them that black people are violent thugs and that women are mischievous sex objects at the same time. This negative stereotype reinforcement that is embraced by people of all color has a negative effect on blacks as well as whites. Both the black kids and the white kids grow up thinking that blacks are supposed to be violent and women are the enemy.
Nikko A.
In a culture where male domination lies invisible, benefiting rich, white men, Katz draws a correlation between Rap, rejection and misogyny. Rap, whose origins are based on social empowerment and consciousness raising, think NWA’s ‘Fuck tha police’, becomes altered when it enters the white capitalist system. Throughout history, whites have monetized black music, from Blues to R&B. It was no different with Rap music, which today is the most popular form of music in the world. When the popularity of Rap began to spread, it was time to capitalize. Because most of the content didn’t relate to whites, as it discussed social marginalization, the marrying factor had to be something else. When artist began writing lyrics that included misogyny and homophobia, record sales exploded, with the primary consumers being whites. Katz draws a correlation that many of the gangster rappers were imitating white figures they saw in films and TV, such as the Godfather and Scarface. Whites in essence were imitating individuals who were imitating another dominant media portrayal of male bravado. White owners are in essence perpetuating lyrics that highlights black on black crime, which is, again, primarily sold to a white audience. The commonality of black rappers and white consumers is linked by misogyny and homophobia, which is never talked about in mainstream media. White consumers are able to reject women, which is unlike reality where women can say no. A prime example of this homophobic, misogynistic rap is recorded and performed by Eminem who records primarily based on these subjects. His primary targets throughout his career have been his mother and ex-wife. Because of the marginalization of black artists, music has provided an outlet to voice their perspectives. Much of this involves the degrading of women in order to reaffirm one masculinity.
ReplyDeleteLevi S.
Jackson Katz’s theory is that gangsta rap glorifications are in direct correlation of the values and ideals in the society we live in. He first analyzes what gangsta rap is saying. We mostly hear cruel and women hating lyrics in a majority of these songs. He also writes about what these lyrics are teaching or preaching about. They are teaching boys and men to demean black women while reinforcing the sense to dominate and control them, it encourages this sense of misplaced anger. Not only does this enforce the will to degrade women but it also encourages some stereotypes of black men, one stereotype being “brutal beasts”. We also see a lot of black on black violence and the glorification of brutality. The irony comes from the fact that white men run most of the major record companies that profit from the stereotypes, racism, and objectification of women in rap music without ever being held accountable for it. Instead the blame or finger gets pointed at the black men singing or rapping about female objectification and the degradation of women. White men do not question the misogyny in rap because it is something they deem as normal as they grew up most of their lives hearing it. It is seen as a means to gain respect and be “cool”. They retrieve this status as they mimic the speech and the style of what they see and hear in rap music. It also becomes a sort of fantasy for them as they begin to believe that “ghetto” is a place of adventure and of desire. Jackson also mentions how because of porn culture we see this change in how these men seek to obtain power from rejecting women in a sexual way. Because when boys are rejected often more times than not aggression and hostility comes into play.
ReplyDeleteMaria R.
Katz explains the history of rap music, how it was originally created by black people with the intention of social empowerment and consciousness raising of police brutality and racial profiling. When rap started to gain its popularity, it entered into white capitalist market which allowed white record owners to make giant profit off of black rap music. The more it gained its popularity, the theme it preached started to shift to misogyny, homophobia, and contempt of women. These messages ultimately normalized misogyny, sexism and violence towards women. Katz correlates big white fan base of gangsta rap to the boredom of white males who lives in suburban. By relating gangsta rap to adventurous and violence fantasy, it masks the inhumanity of what gangsta rap is promoting. Katz also explains that gangsta rap promotes manliness equals to misogyny. Belittling women’s feelings is a way for men to gain power and acknowledged by his peers. Another correlation Katz makes is relationship between gangsta rap and rejection. In the society that values hyper-masculinity, the number of how many women a man slept with determines how manly the man is. But when a woman rejects to get with a man, he feels as if he lost part of his power. This being said, when men hear/see the lyrics with violence towards women, it is a way for them to express anger and a revenge without actually hurting her. The popularity of gangsta rap is a reaffirming example of men's desire to gain power and control through misogyny and violence.
ReplyDeleteJudy L.