Hip Hop

I thought the article by Tara Parker-Pope was interesting. But I disagree with her on the point that sexually explicit lyrics didn't encourage sexual behavior that much. I do agree that peer pressure has a lot to do with it, but I think that the music helps to encourage that behavior in the groups which then effects the individuals of that group. I don't know if that made sense - Let me say it another way - Yes, peer pressure is what gets teens to have sex, but the hip hop music effects the way the group as a whole acts and thinks about sex.

My Project

I was thinking about doing a compare/contrast study in the full-page ads in a men's magazine and a women's magazine. I will pick the top magazine in a top poll from each gender. I think that it is strange the way that women's magazines have somewhat similar ads even though it is aimed at woman and not men. I think that this might be interesting. Does this sound good? Any suggestions?

Music Videos :(

I don't watch music videos much...so I don't really ever think of them. But watching that show in class the other day was very enlightening and the guy talking made it pretty funny. It's sick to see some of that stuff. What's even worse is that while we just turn our head in disgust, others (perhaps young, impressionable kids) look to those videos as lifestyles that they would like to have. The way that women are depicted is not only demeaning and disrespectful...it's just down right not reality. Like a girl in class mentioned, some of those guys are out-of-shape and ugly but yet have these beautiful women dancing around them. I laughed out loud when the man talking in that show was describing the women of the "music video world" saying things like ***they just party all the time...on the beach, on a boat, having pillow fights, or just at a bar- how they are always looking for a guy to have sex with...and it didn't matter what guy, just a guy - how they just like to hang around these guys wearing almost nothing.*** Apparently these girls have no goals of their own and no brains as well. The crappy part is that I don't know many girls like that....all the girls I know well have goals for their lives, respect for themselves and would NEVER do what those girls do. It also made me sad to hear that normally those women don't even get paid for being in the videos. To me, it just shows what our society has come to. Presenting themselves as a brainless piece of flesh just so some horny guys can lust after them and possibly get them into bed, so that they can brag to their girlfriends who are into the same kind of life as them and it makes them feel good about themselves. I know I'm ranting, I'm really not trying to say bad things about the people themselves (guys or girls)....I'm just really upset at what a desensitized culture we live in. If these images are always being thrown at someone everyday, they start to stick. That's how stereotypes stick. If you always hear that black folks steal, you start to look at them that way. Or that blonde's are dumb...you assume they are. Well, since everywhere we look, women are in shape, wearing little to nothing, eager to please, second to man's wishes, smart but not too smart, concerned with their appearance, will jump into bed without even being asked, and many more....that's how they start to be viewed...and sadly some of the time, that who they start to become (like the girls will to dance in the music videos for free).