In Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun,” he raps the following:
“I know the pussy’s mine, I’ma fuck a couple more times/ And then I’m through with it, there’s nothing else to do with it/Pass it to the homie, now you hit it/ ‘Cause she ain’t nuthin but a bitch to me/ And y’all know, that bitches ain’t shit to me.”
While we are unnerved and angered by these lyrics, we are aware that many others are not as unsettled. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by the apathy about misogyny in the music industry and beyond.
“Bitch” and “woman” have been used interchangeably for most of our adolescence, and it’s hard to find a genre of popular music that doesn’t include songs that denigrate women.
So consider the following exercise: re-read the aforementioned Snoop Dogg lyrics; however, this time, replace the words “bitches” and “bitch” with other social groups. Then observe how you respond.
For example, what happens if you replace “bitches” with “Jews?”
Or if you substitute “bitches” with “blacks?”
How about “gays?” “Asians?” “Muslims?”
Does anything change about your reaction?
In the recent dialogue that has ensued regarding Spring Fling performers, we’ve received a variety of responses.
Many have acknowledged problems with mainstream music lyrics, but countered that they only listen to the songs for their beats. To this, we raise the question: would we listen more closely to the lyrics if derogatory statements were being directed towards one of these other groups rather than women? Why do we turn a collective deaf ear when it comes to hateful, violent speech about women?
Others have risen to the defense of mainstream music for its entertainment value. To this, we ask: Why have we allowed oppressive social behaviors to define entertainment? Why have we allowed media conglomerations to reduce our entertainment options to limited stereotypes which aspiring artists then feel the need to mimic in order to get record deals? And why have we given such an industry our support — either through outright spending of our tuition and personal savings or through apathetic lack of contestation?
Still others have argued that while they do not support much of mainstream music, the industry provides limited options. In response, we ask: why are we only looking to the mainstream? As consumers in a capitalist society, we vote with our dollars — the music we download and the concerts we attend inform the music industry of the kind of music that we want to hear. In the documentary Beyond Beats and Rhymes, Chuck D. of Public Enemy gives his take on how consumer demand shifted the nature of the hip-hop industry: “When you sell two million NWA [albums] as opposed to one million [Public Enemy albums] you’re going to go from ‘Fight the Power’ to ‘Gin and Juice.’”
As members of a Web 2.0 society, we have the opportunity to reject the mainstream. With online forums like YouTube and MySpace, we have access to more options than ever — we can support artists who give us good beats and lyrics that are not overtly misogynistic, homophobic or racist.
The controversy sparked by Snoop Dogg’s upcoming performance gives us all an opportunity to consider the nature of the music industry that we support. How can we use the power of our dollars and the power of our voices to demand a different kind of industry?
We hope that students will take the time, moving forward, to share their opinions with the Social Planning and Events Committee in their annual survey to ensure that the money invested in the Spring Fling concert helps support artists who are both entertaining and socially conscious. SPEC will never be able to cater to everyone’s needs; however, our collective voices can provide suggestions of artists who better reflect Penn’s commitment to fostering an environment where diverse opinions are valued.
We have the power to shape the future and the right to voice concern with the present. Tomorrow night, enjoy taking part in a Penn tradition, but ask yourselves whether you really want to sing along with Snoop:
“Slap you with my paw, all across your jaw/ Break fool on these bitches while I’m breakin’ the law/ You come up in my room, look bitches you takin’ it off.”
College seniors Lindsay Eierman, Brian Kroener and Tim Pian, Wharton junior Jacqueline Ward, Wharton freshman Morgan Humphrey, College junior Rachel Cohen, and College and Wharton sophomore Besan Abu-Joudeh authored this column, and they are all supporters of the petition calling for revising SPEC’s criteria for selecting Spring Fling performers. Contact Eierman at eierman@sas.upenn.edu.
