My Eureka moment came earlier this week while I was in the shower! I had my ipod on shuffle and the song "Baby Got Back" came on. Normally, I would just sing and dance in the shower, although my 7 year old happened to wake up and come in the bathroom. With lyrics like, "I like big butts and I can not lie, You other brothers can't deny, That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist And a round thing in your face You get sprung, wanna pull out your tough' Cause you notice that butt was stuffed, Deep in the jeans she's wearing I'm hooked and I can't stop staring Oh baby, I wanna get with you And take your picture My homeboys tried to warn me But that butt you got makes me so horny" (Sir Mix A Lot). This was always a song that came on the radio when I was growing up and I just sang along and laughed. My friends and I always teased each other with the intro.
Maybe it's taking this class, which is forcing our brains to analyze everything, or my 7 year old daughter being present, but I could not believe how inappropriate the words were. The entire song is completely demeaning to women. Of course this song has a good beat and a catchy chorus. I can't imagine how many boys and men went around singing and dancing to this song, especially in clubs, and how many girls and women just laughed and went along with it. It's songs and lyrics like these, played on the radio, in bars and clubs, etc. that make it "okay" for men to talk about "women" and degrade them like this. Especially being a mother, I'll be sure to pay attention to what my children are listening to. While it's easy to get caught up in the beat and chorus of a song, it's important to understand what is being said before you walk around singing a song, especially one that is demeaning you!!
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI love your post! I completely agree- we all need to be a little more aware of what we are listening to. Even if we are not totally aware of things- these lyrics are entirely inappropriate. I go through phases where I don't really care and just listen to whatever, as you said, has a good beat and is fun... but when I do start to pay attention... sometimes its just downright disturbing what I have happily been listening to and accepting as appropriate. I think that until we start setting higher standards for ourselves- in how we are spoken to, in what we listen to, in how we speak... we cannot really expect men to make a change in how they choose to treat us. Why would a boyfriend or husband see there is a problem with speaking or behaving in a disrespectful way when we support "artists or musicians" who are blatantly disrespectful. I am happy for you that you will be paying attention to what you daughter hears since she will definitely look to you for what is good or bad and what she should be expecting from the future men in her life. Thanks for the great post!
My response to Irene's blog:
ReplyDeleteHello Irene,
I was raised with Christian values; however, I was blessed to have parents supportive of everything I do. It seems a bit odd that your family wants you to pursue the highest education, yet ultimately get married, have children and stay at home. Now-a-days, I say women can have it all. Unfortunately, I did things a little backwards. I intended to go straight to college after HS; however, I had my son at 18 (went to business school)and entered the corporate world and got married at 20. I now have 3 children, work full-time and go to school part-time. Especially with the difficulty of managing home, work and school life, if it is your intent to pursue higher education, I recommend you do it prior to having children. Perhaps you can find a job that will pay for your Masters and pursue. Even if you end up being a "stay-at-home mom", your children aren't young forever and you'll have some work experience and your education should you decide to pursue another job once your children are older. Of course your family's input is important, although ultimately you're the one that has to live the life you've chosen. Therefore, I recommend you evaluate what is important to you and make your decisions based on that. I always feel there is a happy medium and hopefully you'll find yours! Br, Nicole