College Times

Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Daily Buzz

Media Credit: MCT Photos

According to a recent study from North Carolina State University, rap music is linked to sexism. Well you don't say! Why golly gee I never woulda thunk. Then again, I guess I don't do much of that considering I'm a woman. I'm just another one of those "bitches (that) ain't shit but hoes and tricks," right Dr. Dre? I mean all I really am is a pretty little plaything since "you're only into having sex (and) ain't into making love" you P.I.M.P., you. I'm just one of those "hoes (you've got) in different area codes" like Ludacris says, and all I do is nod my head and do as they say when guys like Snoop Dogg yell at me, "bitch please, get down on your motherfuckin' knees."

It's easy to see why women would feel discriminated against by male rap artists who make millions off misogyny and making them feel inferior.

Here's the thing: although the study linked sexism to rap music, the authors of the study, Dr. Michael Cobb, assistant professor of political science, and Dr. Bill Boettcher, associate professor of political science, said that the connection between rap and sexism is not likely to be a direct cause-and-effect.

Students unaware of the purpose of the study were assigned to either not listen to any music, listen to rap music with non-sexist lyrics ("Sabotage" by Beastie Boys) or listen to rap music with explicitly sexist lyrics ("Kill You "by Eminem). Cobb and Boettcher discovered sexism existed whether the students weren't listening to any music at all or they were listening to non-sexist or sexist rap music.

This led the two men to conclude, "It's unlikely that hearing lyrics in a song creates attitudes that did not previously exist. Instead, rap music, fairly or unfairly, has become associated with misogyny, and even minimal exposure to it can automatically activate these mental associations and increase their application at least temporarily."

Okay, we all know we've come a long way, baby, but according to the study we still have a long way to go - with or without rap music. But I think it's a little hard to make progress if rap artists are spoon-feeding our youth derogatory terms such as hoe and whore.

I have a 9-year-old kid that I nanny for asking me to show him how to find Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat Dance" lyrics so he can memorize the infamous chorus "Super Man Dat Hoe" and recite it to his third grade buddies at recess. What am I supposed to say, "Soulja Boy's not talking about Clark Kent, honey. He's talking about a man ejaculating on a woman's back and throwing a blanket on top of her to make it look like a cape?"

Continued...

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