Girls, Do Not, Rule the World

[windinthemaples]

I found this through one of my childhood friends on Facebook. It's a pretty fantastic video, if you have a couple minutes.

Comments

[neva-butterfly.livejournal.com]

I just wrote out and deleted a brief history of rap and how Dre has retracted and apologized for most of everything he ever said when he was with NWA, much to my chagrin, as I will still "say it with authority." And how Jay-Z simply ripped Ice-T's hook and put it in a song about "keepin' it real" in the face of racial profiling... But I'm sure you don't really need to read 15 paragraphs on the topic.

Thanks for posting it, certainly interesting.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I would *totally* read 15 paragraphs on the topic. I, admittedly, love rap and R&B and very rarely have anyone besides my husband to talk about it with. My pagan circles gravitate more towards New Age, World, and sorta witchy singer/songwriters. ;D

[neva-butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I get that woman doing the video wanted to use a popular song to bring some attention to some very serious issues.

Sometimes I think it's kind of a bandwagon people jump on to criticize sexism and violence and other bad values in rap, but then kind of disregard how those things are pervasive throughout music, movies and tv of all types, if less blatant they're certainly as damaging.

I also find much of Beyonce's music deeply offensive, but I recognize that it's pop music and in her own weird way she's attmepting to promote a model of women who stand up for themselves and take care of themselves... But then again I find Twilight both deeply offensive and also highly disturbing, so my threshhold might be a little low.

But writing a ton about rap would have missed this young woman's point, which is important, even if I would quibble a bit with her stats, but what can you do....

[aerialmelodies.livejournal.com]

Very interesting. It is true when we stop to think about it: We say that Oprah or Beyonce or (insert woman in a powerful position here) is a strong woman in power while chanting "Girl Power!" and getting all up in the face of men, yet there's no message about equality there. I don't want to "rule the world" or make men feel inferior; most of my closest friends locally are male. We treat each other the same, though in some cases I do have to defend women as equals, and herein lies the issue. No one should have to defend something that isn't gender-based anyway (whomever said "women don't burp" has never been in our condo burping contest clearly LOL) and this song doesn't address any of that.

Also, half the lyrics make little to no sense to me in the first place. She might as well have been spewing Elvish at me and I'd understand it all the same. ;)