(Trigger alert)
"The power of whiteness lies in a set of discursive techniques, including exomination, that is the power not be named; naturalization, through which whiteness establishes itself as the norm by defining 'others' and not itself; and universalization, where whiteness alone can make sense of a problem and its understanding becomes THE understanding." (John Gabriel, Whitewash)
Seems like there's a lot of blaming lately. A lot of pointing fingers and a lot of selective memory.
I don't listen to hip hop/rap/r n b ...
I never have. I was certain that I was a little white-boy until I hit puberty - so as a result I still listen to a lot of angry white male alt-rock (which I've been trying to change slowly). Also growing up in small white towns most of my life - it was standard to listen to hard rock vs.
'black music'.
So when all these politicians, these media people talk about evil misogyny in 'black music' they seemingly forget the sadistic, cruel, violent misogyny in white boy music - so here's just a sample of what white male supremacist culture comes up with on the top 40 charts, again and again and again. Feel free to add your own obvious examples in the comments.
Also - Make sure to check out and especially her archives, she genders a lot of albums, album art work and lyrics! Yay for Sour Duck!
System of a Down - Sugar:
My girl, you know, she lashes out at me sometimes,
And I just kick her, and then she's O.
K. ,she's O.K.
(sugar)
Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing:
I am, I am, I am
I said I wanna get next to you
I said I gonna get close to you
...
.I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress..
...
You wouldn't want me have to hurt you too, hurt you too?
I know you want what's on my mind
I know you like what's on my mind
I know it eats you up inside
Jet - Cold Hard Bitch:
Gonna take her home cause she's over romancing
Don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans alright!
Cold hard bitch [right, cause talking is all that bad right, she isn't a bitch once she puts out!
if she doesn't she's a cold hard bitch. Bitches n hoes?]
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
you let me violate you
you let me desecrate you
you let me penetrate you
you let me complicate you
[Yo byatch it's all your FAULT]
i want to fuck you like an animal
i want to feel you from the inside
Disturbed - Sickness
I dont need this shit you stupid sadistic abusive fucking whore
would you like to see how it feels mommy here it comes get ready to DIE
[the song is about abuse, but if this was Alanis singing this how many white men would be up in arms about an angry violent young woman?
]
Nickelback - Figured You Out
I like your pants around your feet
And I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
[bitches n hoes culture? No?]
And I love the way you pass the check
And I love the good times that you wreck
And I love your lack of self-respect
While you passed out on the deck
I love my hands around your neck
[he takes a turn in this song where it's all sweet and then gets all emotionally violent later]
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Suck My Kiss :
Give to me sweet sacred bliss
Your mouth was made to suck my kiss [what's your kiss?
??]
Added - the worst ever lyrics IMO (I shudder whenever I hear this song):
She Wants Revenge - Tear You ApartI want to hold you close
Soft breasts, beating heart
As I whisper in your ear
I want to f*cking tear you apart
Custom - Hey Mister (Banned in the US - but a HUGE hit in Canada):
I can't lie I have to tell the truth
Man to man mister it's a total spoof
Your daughter's a freak
Your daughter's a pro
When I'm done with her
She'll do one of your bros
I hope I'll never have a daughter
Oh and lets not forget the grand old daddies of misogyny:
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
Ah brown sugar how come you taste so good
(a-ha) brown sugar, just like a black girl should
A-huh.
[a-huh indeed, did you mean sexually available for your pleasure?]
Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
Its down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what shes told
Down to me, the change has come
Shes under my thumb
Ah, ah, say its alright
Under my thumb
Shes the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world
Or the 'genre-crossing' white male rapper Eminem (loved equally by rockers and rappers! Oooh yay):
Cleanin out my closet
maybe I was just a couple of months, my faggot father
must have had his pantie's up in a bunch, cause he split,
.
...
...
...
shit I did was take them bullets out of that gun, cause id'a killed 'em, shit I would have shot
Kim and him both, it's my life, i'd like to welcome y'all to the Eminem show...
And before Eminem there was of course the 'genre-crossers' the Beastie Boys, Girls:
Girls - to do the dishes
Girls - to clean up my room
Girls - to do the laundry
Girls - and in the bathroom
Girls - that's all I really want is girls
Then there is the seemingly 'fair-and-balanced' sexist song, i.e. men and women are both derided but of course women are always given the 'worse' situation and subject to 'worse' stereotypes/harsher language - 'gold diggin hoes':
Good Charlotte - Girls and Boys:
She'll get what she wants
If she's willing to please
His type of girl
Always comes with a fee
Hey, now, there's nothing for free
Girls don't like boys, girls like cars and money
Boys will laugh at girls when they're not funny
And these girls like these boys like these boys like these girls
The girls with the bodies like boys with Ferraris
Girls don't like boys, girls like cars and money
Offspring - Get a Job:
My friend's got a girlfriend
Man he hates that bitch
He tells me every day
He says "man I really gotta lose my chick
In the worst kind of way"
She sits on her ass
He works his hands to the bone
To give her money every payday
But she wants more dinero just to stay at home
I guess all his money, well it isn't enough
To keep her bill collectors at bay
I guess all his money, well it isn't enough
Cause that girl's got expensive taste
[this continues for a few more verses and then they have ONE measily paragraph devoted to a male]
My friend's got a boyfriend, man she hates that dick [and that's just as offensive as 'bitch']
She tells me every day
He wants more dinero just to stay at home
.
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I don't care to listen to 'justifications' about or the freedom of 'lyrical interpretations' so don't waste your breath telling me I'm wrong in my 'interpretation', I won't be bothering with such comments, just so you know in advance. We all know who the universal intellegentsia is and who defines 'creativity'.
..so spare me.
On a related note, typing in misogyny in music - I only came across with a similar viewpoint. Everything else was about misogyny in rap..
. seems like academics should be doing a better job, tsk tsk tsk. Violence is structural - and there's plenty of that violence embedded in music by white rockers too.
ETA: This violence is not just embedded in the lyrics but in rock "culture" too. The obvious being the 'sexual exploits' of rock 'gods'.
A post by Lonergrl, re .
A really, old post by . (the only two other things I could find when I typed "rock and misogyny in google).
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