Out of Character

Earlier today I was at Borders perusing through the magazines with a good friend and I stumbled upon the feminist magazine entitled bitch. I had read this magazine before, but not on a regular basis. I decided to pick it up and have a look. Its interesting that a feminist magazine uses the derogatory term for female and in a sense reclaims it and makes it something positive or at least... useful.

Generally it is uncharacteristic of me to pay attention to gender issues. Not to say that I care not at all, but I do not really care enough to think about them on a daily basis, or really frequently at all. It just does not concern me that much.

I found myself lately however contemplating gender roles regarding sexual relationships and thus found myself compelled to read this article in bitch magazine entitled, "After an orgasmless generation, was 2009 the year hip hop reinvented sex? (or at least noticed that two people can get off during it?)."

The article discusses how rap and hip hop music has historically portrayed women as sex objects and merely receptacles. The beginning of the article quotes, "Bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks lick on these nuts and such the dick, and get the fuck out after you're done. Girl your legs keep shakin' you know I'm proud lookin' in your lovely face scream my name, you do it so loud."

Generally, I'm all about gender roles...like they don't bother me terribly as they do some women. But something about sexual inequality really frankly ticks me off. Because I think all too often, this sexual inequality can morph into sexual violence and I do think that is an issue worth addressing.

The article leaves you with:

Ideally, treating women respectfully shouldn't have to be a conscious business decision, but

in an industry that's selling first and foremost, an image, this particular one-- women getting off and men wanting them to-- is a big step forward. Like the more misogynist music before it, the recent bump in songs about doing right by the ladies sets up a self- reinforcing paradigm of what men should want and what women should get.

Absolutely...

The way african american music culture has treated women has always troubled me. And I'm happy to see some changes.

But for now, I'll get back in the kitchen and do something cooking and cleaning.