Friday, February 23, 2007
CNN scapegoating
Note I sent to CNN regarding their Paula Zahn special titled "Hip-Hop: Art or Poison?"
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/21/pzn.01.html
The title of the segment made me angry inside, but actually watching it made me super irritated.
"Why is hip-hop being singled out for violent images and degradation of women? Why don't we ask the same questions of rock? Why isn't death-metal being targeted as being violent? What about degrading images of women in Playboy, Victoria's Secret, or CNN's very own Sports Illustrated magazine? In fact, if you look through a magazine like Vogue, most of the high-fashion ads show women in very passive, sexual positions. Yet, I can't imagine seeing Isaack Mizrahi or Donna Karen being asked these same questions. If there is one thing to be learned from this its that the degradation of women and violence somehow sells in this country. Its sad and disturbing. There is no reason to single out a single art form for this. As a respected news organization, I feel that CNN should move beyond this type of racially-biased scapegoating. "
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/21/pzn.01.html
The title of the segment made me angry inside, but actually watching it made me super irritated.
"Why is hip-hop being singled out for violent images and degradation of women? Why don't we ask the same questions of rock? Why isn't death-metal being targeted as being violent? What about degrading images of women in Playboy, Victoria's Secret, or CNN's very own Sports Illustrated magazine? In fact, if you look through a magazine like Vogue, most of the high-fashion ads show women in very passive, sexual positions. Yet, I can't imagine seeing Isaack Mizrahi or Donna Karen being asked these same questions. If there is one thing to be learned from this its that the degradation of women and violence somehow sells in this country. Its sad and disturbing. There is no reason to single out a single art form for this. As a respected news organization, I feel that CNN should move beyond this type of racially-biased scapegoating. "
# posted by S @ 7:10 AM 
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Ok, so I read the transcript and I didn't get the impression that they were singling out hip-hop as the worst thing that has ever happened to women and the only thing that's going wrong in society to get so offended by it.
The questions regarding violence are, indeed, brought up on rock/metal. Remember the post-Columbine fiasco with Marilyn Manson? And while, truth be told, I don't take much offense with the content of Playboy, SI, etc (hey c'mon now, I'm their target audience!!), feminists have long been condemning them. As for the designers and how they portray women - hasn't the uproar against using "size-0" models been gaining more and more steam?
In summary... I took a different angle with the article; not as something that was isolating hip-hop as the only thing that's damaging the psyche of our youth, but just that it does. Surely you agree that "smack that till you get sore", "girl you looks (sic) good, won't you back that ass up" and "suck on my lollipop" are neither examples of fine lyrics nor are they overly respectful of women.
-GD
The questions regarding violence are, indeed, brought up on rock/metal. Remember the post-Columbine fiasco with Marilyn Manson? And while, truth be told, I don't take much offense with the content of Playboy, SI, etc (hey c'mon now, I'm their target audience!!), feminists have long been condemning them. As for the designers and how they portray women - hasn't the uproar against using "size-0" models been gaining more and more steam?
In summary... I took a different angle with the article; not as something that was isolating hip-hop as the only thing that's damaging the psyche of our youth, but just that it does. Surely you agree that "smack that till you get sore", "girl you looks (sic) good, won't you back that ass up" and "suck on my lollipop" are neither examples of fine lyrics nor are they overly respectful of women.
-GD
# posted by 
: 7:38 AM
: 7:38 AM
I disagree a bit with your analysis. While designs may pose models in passive positions, they do not in my opinion degrade them. I certainly haven't seen a Mizrahi or Karan add I found to be offensive.
Hip-hop artists like '50 Cent' and Ludacris write lyrics that if you really listen to them are downright offensive and violent. I mean the entire Massacre albumn is totally mysogonistic.
If the military is trying to make a show like '24' take responsibility for its torture scenes, I think the hip-hop industry should surely own up to its own failings...
Hip-hop artists like '50 Cent' and Ludacris write lyrics that if you really listen to them are downright offensive and violent. I mean the entire Massacre albumn is totally mysogonistic.
If the military is trying to make a show like '24' take responsibility for its torture scenes, I think the hip-hop industry should surely own up to its own failings...
I don't think the hip-hop industry has any obligation to be tasteful or respectful. They are just people who are trying to sell music. The same goes for rock/metal/playboy whatever.. most of these things have degrading messages, but I respect their freedom of speech and eralize and people should never treat any of these entities as role models. However, what does irritate me is the constant attack on "black culture" to the exclusion of other cultures. For instance, the hip-hop ethos basically sells the NBA, and yet NBA players get fined when they dress in fashionable hip-hop attire. Apparently they have to look like they're selling stocks on wallstreet to be respectable. I find it inherently racist or at the very least condescending.
Also, this blogger summarizes what I mean by passive and sexual poses that women shown in fashion magazines.
http://sourduck.blogspot.com/2005/09/retraining-eye-women-as-depicted-in.html
I can cite more authoritative source on that as well, but the reason that you may not be aware of it is because society as a whole does not harp on it. Therefore I find the bias to be primarily cultural. Its something like, its not the substance of degrading women that these people are finding so bothersome (otherwise they'd be just as bothered by these other things), its the style.
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http://sourduck.blogspot.com/2005/09/retraining-eye-women-as-depicted-in.html
I can cite more authoritative source on that as well, but the reason that you may not be aware of it is because society as a whole does not harp on it. Therefore I find the bias to be primarily cultural. Its something like, its not the substance of degrading women that these people are finding so bothersome (otherwise they'd be just as bothered by these other things), its the style.
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