Between my senior year of high school up until now, I almost completely stopped speaking out about this topic. It’s because around that time, I had friends who were actually too tired of hearing me preach my criticisms of the music industry and their favorite mainstream artists. I had to learn to stay quiet, and stop bothering people with the same argument, especially those who considered my criticisms offensive. However, considering that our president-elect is renowned for his sexism, vile language towards women, and misdemeanor physically towards them, and the surprising number of people who are comfortable with this, it is time to speak out on this topic once more. The music industry, by far, is the biggest culprit of the objectification of women and portraying them as sexual objects.
Music is an art. It can be anything and everything, an expression of one’s soul, thoughts, pain and suffering, happiness and bliss; the list is endless, if there was ever a list to begin with. To an extent it’s entertainment, sure. Attending concerts can be exciting and fun, listening to it on the bus is a good pastime, and collecting and listening to vinyl can be a genuine passion. But at its root, it’s someone’s everything put on paper and transformed into an experience. The issue is that this is far from the case, especially in most mainstream music. A lot of hits on the radio, and the theme present in a lot of popular genres are about money, drugs, partying, and of course women. As a matter a fact, women in the industry often objectify themselves.
Let’s consider the song, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke. This song was a big hit on the radio for months on, end, but how many people listened to what he was saying? How many people went to see the unrated version of this song’s music video that was dominated by naked women being treated as literal animals to be played with? How many people did all those things and continued to listen and support the artist? “Tried to domesticate you/But you’re an animal/Baby, it’s in your nature/Just let me liberate you.” This is what the objectification of women sounds like. His music video is what it looks like. Its acceptance, incredible rise to the become No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and months of repeated playing on public radios where anyone of any age, gender, race or orientation can listen freely is proof that rape culture is truly engraved in our culture.
Nicki Minaj's notorious hit single, “Anaconda”, is magnificent piece that actually manages to combine both sexism and racism all into one 4 minute compilation of sound. Quoting Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” the song combines an equal amount of objectification towards women, claiming that specific parts of their body is what makes them desirable to a man and promotes the use of her body as a means to get what she needs. The music video has been repeatedly mocked for intensity and explicit behavior, yet it was still popular, regularly listened to, and supported by a colossal audience, whether they realized they were supporting it or not. Moreover, black women are often discriminated against or described by referring to their buttocks and breasts, a renowned body stereotype, both of which are heavily emphasized in the song’s music video and lyrics.
The fact of the matter is that no matter how many times Minaj claims to represent black women and be combatting the racist idea that a black woman cannot sexualize her body the way a white woman can without criticism, she doesn’t understand that two wrongs does not equal a right. First of all, it’s incredibly difficult to preach respect for women as she has attempted to when she objectifies herself purposely. Secondly, the idea of artificially enhancing your body features and proceeding to do the same or more intense sexual dances or poses that a white woman might do in the name of combatting racist double standards is a nice idea, but neither should be accepted; this is not an attack on Nicki. This is speaking out against all artists who choose to put body type and sexual desirability on a pedestal and then claim that they represent women. That is exactly what leads many laymen listeners, viewers or fans to believe that these behaviors are okay and that women are indeed things to be enjoyed. Thirdly, the way Minaj chooses to enhance her body, display and use it publicly is in itself racist, referring to pre-civil war era stereotypes of black women.
Of course Minaj is not alone in these hypocritical efforts. The mighty Beyonce is just as guilty. Her song "Partition,” is a perfect example of this. “Take all of me/I just wanna be the girl you like, girl you like/The kinda girl you like/Is right here with me.” The lyrics again give light to the idea that a woman is a desirable, sexual being that is meant to be enjoyed. Her video is similar to what was discussed before; if you take a closer look, it focuses heavily on Beyonce’s breasts and buttocks as well, leaving a not so faint hint of racism in its trail once you are aware of this stereotype.
Miley Cyrus is another major culprit of objectifying her own gender. In all seriousness, I understand her desire to outgrow the Hannah Montana stage in her life. She is an adult and in a new phase in her life; she has every right to move forward. What’s ironic is that she ended up becoming less mature; to be more specific, her live performances are absolutely vile. Her choice of clothing, if any at all is a sexualizing as it gets, and the moves she enacts are explicitly sexual, but is an attempt at self-growth to her understanding. This especially unique because unlike Robin Thicke, a white male promoting rape culture and objectification, and Minaj and Beyonce, African-American women who promote objectification with the addition of racism, Miley is a white woman who actively does the same. She is a defining example of using sex, her body, and questionable entertainment as a means of success, all while delivering that women are sexual toys and that such behavior is appropriate.
After listing several unique examples, there are a few things to address. Do all people who listen to this music objectify women or support it? Absolutely not, but I do believe they should be aware of it and not support it because it feeds that idea. Does making music about these themes, or having women posing or dancing in such a manner automatically make it objectification? Not necessarily. The larger issue is that these were just a few examples in an industry infested with music proud to present women in such a manner, often referring to them with vulgar language and displaying them sexually. No matter who writes it or from what genre it comes from, this is not something that people should support. I can understand creating catchy music using these themes in a playful, innocent manner, but it is so widespread that it just isn’t the case.
There have also been fans who have proclaimed their love for these women artists because they demonstrate women’s power. To be upfront, I am not a woman and do not claim to represent anyone. Everyone can interpret this music in a different manner, but I approach it knowing that women are objectified, mistreated, and misrepresented on a daily basis in our society. I approach it aware of stereotypes and racism that are present in our culture. I approach it with an understanding that this isn’t an isolated issue, that sex sells and fuels this industry, and that it is often masked with the façade of entertainment and fun. I take it very seriously, and will criticize almost anything that represents these negative values, because if no one does, it will always persist. I suggest we all do the same to rebuild a tainted industry and promote a culture that treats people of both genders and any race equally.
