My Mock Trial team recently had a discussion regarding the tradition of selecting a team song, which is usually used as a justification for blowing out the van stereos and jamming together crazily. When I heard the support for the song "Hotline Bling" by Drake, I looked up the lyrics to check for redeeming qualities and uplifting language, as I attend a conservative, Christian college. Instead, I found this video. My peers, Christian college students, most if not all raised in the church, were promoting a song clearly sexually objectifying women to be a repeated bonding experience. Later, I realized that not only was “Hotline Bling” popular with my friends, but it was no less than number two on the charts, right under Adele’s “Hello.” Further digging revealed that three of the top five songs, including “Hotline Bling,” had this painfully obvious, pervasive, and derogatory theme. The other two were “Sorry” by Justin Bieber and “The Hills” by The Weekend. I hope to convince you through a brief analysis of today’s popular songs and accompanying music videos specifically that the objectification of women is not just a term used by feminist activists, but rather a very tangible reality that is reflected in pop culture.
Many people begin to feel defensive when this topic gets brought up because they feel as if I am attacking their morality or claiming they approve of the message the song is communicating. I wish i had a dime for every time I heard the reasoning, "I just like the beat." But that is exactly my point. The music distracts from the ugly truth behind the message of the song. I encourage you to watch today's music videos - with discretion - and see for yourselves what is really being sold. Read the lyrics outside of the music and analyze what they mean.
“These days all I do is wonder if you bendin’ over backwards for someone else. Wonder if you’re rollin’ backwards for someone else. Doin’ things I taught you, gettin’ nasty for someone else…” (Drake)
Some say that the women in these videos are promoting their independence in their choice to dress and dance provocatively. The women in Justin Bieber’s video for “Sorry” embody this well. But even watching the first 20 seconds reveals the sexual objectification going on. Just watch the hands, and you'll see what I mean. Are they motioning toward achievements or abilities? No. These girls put their hands only where they will draw attention to their physically sexual areas.
It would be unfair to ask you to consider the sexual objectification of women a problem in pop culture today if I only talked about male music artists. The truth of the matter is, men are not the only musicians taking advantage of how sex sells. “Booty,” by Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea, and “Anaconda,” by Nicki Minaj, are two prime examples of how women subscribe to this societal theme as well. As to that independence argument, the main issue with it is that it assumes only the intent of the women matters, ignoring the effects these videos have on viewers. Research is linking sexual objectification to eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem, and future sexually-related issues in girls. Statistics also show that 53 percent of 13-year-old American females are self-conscious about their bodies, and the number grows to 78 percent by age 17, just four years later. Justin Coulson, a writer for The Daily Telegraph, said, "These women might be masquerading as empowered femininity, but what are they selling?...The message is incessant. Our boys grow up believing girls are really only here to be a boy’s ‘new thang.’”
My goal is not to make you feel bad about yourself for watching these videos or listening to this music. My goal is to convince you that the objectification of women is a real thing that has real effects. Plato once said, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."
Is this the moral law we should be promoting? If so, we should reevaluate our definition and source of morality.
