The Negative Portrayal of Women in Music and the Media

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Misogyny is defined as the hate or dislike for women or girls. The act can be presented in many ways such as violence against women, sexual objectification of women, and sexual discrimination. Misogyny is often a principal foundation for the persecution of females in male-dominated societies. Misogyny is certainly alive in America and in entertainment all around the world. Women are represented negatively in many songs and videos, because men believe it is okay to use words like “b*tch” and “h*” to refer to a female; and in other words treat them as objects. This problem is not only prevalent in rap music, it is also present in genres such as metal, hard rock, and even country music. Subsequently, the Rap/Hip-Hop genre catches most of the back lash. Why? Well, people tend to overlook the fact that Rap/Hip-Hop is composed of more lyrical content. The Hip-Hop genre also reaches a much wider audience. Misogyny is even prevalent in the daily lives of many people, in our justice systems and even the movies we watch. There may be a rigid dichotomy between each sector, but the effect on youth is the same.

“Sexy B*tch” by dance-pop artist David Guetta peaked in the Bill Board Hot 100 as his first hit in the United States. The song is composed of lyrics such as, “The way that booty movin’, I can’t take no more, have to stop what I’m doin’ so I can pull up close, I’m tryna find the words to describe this girl, without being disrespectful, D*mn, girl, D*mn, you’re a sexy b*tch, a sexy b*tch, …”. This generation of young women have only been exposed to music with lyrics as such, for such a long period of time; that will become the view they have of themselves or women practically. This generation of young women and men believe conducting th...

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... models or video vixens on television; imagine how she feels? Or what she thinks. Seeing those images constantly, imprinting this picture in her mind of what she’s “supposed” to look like.

Works Cited

Guidicelli, Claire. "The Representation of Women in Hiphop and Rap Videos." Web log post.Word Press. Claire Guidicelli, 21 Oct. 2012. Web.

Taylor, Diane. "Girls Stand Up to Hip Hop." N.p., n.d. Web.

"Negative Portrayal of Women in Rap Music." Web log post. Blogspot. Nicole Flyer, 18 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Misogyny Is Killing My Generation." Thenation.com. Kevin Xiong, 2 Dec. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.

"Misogyny Runs so Deep in This Society, It Is Even Used against Abused Children." Theguardian.com. Polly Toynbee, 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. .

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