Hip-Hop and Don Imus - Your Thoughts?
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of days you've probably heard about radio host Don Imus' racist and sexist remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. For the uninitiated, Imus recently referred to the Rutgers team as "nappy headed hos" (and we're not talking about gardening tools) and later apologized for the statement. Unsurprisingly, hip-hop and black culture have been singled out by the likes of Paula Zahn (CNN's Out in the Open anchor) and Don Imus himself for inventing and perpetuating the phrase that came out of the shock jock's mouth. Sure, hip-hop has its own inexcusable problems with misogyny but that doesn't justify racist remarks from anyone in 2007. Besides, sexism and racism have both been in existence long before hip-hop was conceived.
So, here's my question: What is responsible for misogyny in today's society?
Vote by clicking on one of the following responses:
- Hip-Hop - Yes, hip-hop is largely responsible for misogyny. Ban it!
- Music - Women are overly sexualized in all music genres.
- Movies - Women are often objectified in movies.
- Family Values - Moral values learned at home influences attitude towards opposite sex.
- Television - 20 hours of TV programming a day will do that to you.
- Who cares? - Hip-hop is dead anyway.
- Other (Specify in the comment section)
View Poll Results
Comments
This has nothing to do with music, tv or what have you. This is a core family problem evident worldwide. Not specific to one race or another, everyone knows certain black people can be just as racist as whites today and vice versa. Its pure ignorance and only time and education can fix it.
Lou Dobss would disagree with you.
im going to be a total arse and say ALL of them, just society in general, with women feeling they need to look good all the time by wearing very little, men being perverts, and all forms of media looking to exploit this by sexing up their newspapers, tv shows, films or wateva.
im going to be a total arse and say ALL of them, apart from hip hop being dead.
society in general, with women feeling they need to look good all the time by wearing very little, men being perverts, and all forms of media looking to exploit this by sexing up their newspapers, tv shows, films or wateva.
and hip hop can neva be dead with artists such as brother ali, talib kweli and common still alive.
I think to link what Imus said with hip-hop is retarded. Using that logic, I could say that we can blame Larry Flynt and Hugh Hefner for the negative lyrics directed at women in rap music, because of the negative images of women in their magazines.
Does that make any sense?
Not at all. Hip-hop was introduced into the discussion so Imus can have a shield to hide behind, and nothing more.
It’s not like it’s a secret that the national media will bash hip-hop every chance they get.
It starts within our community. As long as we are using these terms as pet names those out side the community will feel empowered to use them as well.
Maybe hes just a bitch ass racist
No. The Don Imus thing has nothing to do with Hip Hop. Total apples and oranges. TO expect a nationally syndicated talk show host that includes frequent appearances by presidential candidates and hold them up to the same decency standards as rappers is intellectualy lazy and just a convenient way for the media to redirect and spin this back into black America’s face.
Imus and hip hop do not differ that much. Both are vulcar and uncalled for. My 15 year old son has never even heard of Imus, but he knows all the fithy lyrics of hip hop. And I DO MEAN FILTHY! As anyone saying the two have nothing in common ever sat down and listened to an unedited rap CD? I listened this morning and within 1 minuite into the song the F word was used 4 times, the N word was used 6 times and they were rapping about a women’s P Get real and grow up. Rap is way more influncing to our children than Imus. Who is Imus anyway? Our kids don’t listen to him. Stop making excuses for RAP. Our children are the ones we need to learn that rasicm and remarks are wrong. How can we, if the young guys in the rap community won’t try to tone down their own racisim. I know, I hear what the youth of america is saying or rapping. It is no more excusable than Imus.
it starts with one to influence others to feel a certain way. so thoughts can be expressed on all planes of life whether you live on the street or a big shot high up in a building
Well, Imus is now gone. He can’t hide behind hip-hop any longer, if that was, indeed, his intention.
As a person of color, Henry, how do you feel about hip hop and racism/misogyny? An even better question is, what will you – as someone who wites about this culture – do about racism/misogyny in hip hop now?
Society in general, is basically not supportive of women, especially African American women and Imus response speaks to that. I noticed people are screaming what about freedom of speech? Well, what about freedom of speech? There’s is no freedom if you are saying things to belittle and put-down a race or a person you are enslaving them.
Gangsta rap is a cultural programming weapon devised to mass degenerate african americans into becoming the stereotypes Nazi propagandist defined jews as. It’s a brinwashing method to cause acceptance of prison values and motivate blacks to chemically enslave each other for petty profit. It has rendered the KKK obsolete as blacks now define themselves and each other as ni@@@@s and exterminate themselves. Hittler is Rolling In Hiz Grave, Laughing Hiz A@@ Off.
I feel more sorry for that wife of his more than anybody (Dierdre, or whatever her name is.) I was reading someplace on the Internet only today that she was supposed to be on a tour to promote a new book called “Green this!”, and they had to call the whole thing off because of “enormous pressure”…. so that was kind of sad.
the really interesting thing is that Don Imus has been offending people for years, (just about anybody, really), and now he finally got called to the carpet on it and got fired. I thought the whole thing was nothing but a tempest in a teapot. it’s not like he said something that nobody’s ever heard of before. ’nuff said!!
Im not the biggest fan of hip hop myself,but the problems in this country have nothing to do with music,movies,video games.Its because of a complete breakdown of parental responsibilty.Its the parents that need to instill a sense of moral values at an early age.And I think another problem is,parents dont do that early enough any more.Kids mature at an earlier age than they used to.So they need to have moral guidance almost from the time they can walk.And it doesnt help when the parents have no sense of moral values,which could be the fault of the previous generation.
Black leaders need to wake up to the fact that the main problem facing blacks is the negative attitude promoted by their “icons” toward education. Any black kid who excels in school is looked upon as a sellout. Thugs and “gangstas” are looked upon as heroes.
Any educated, hard-working black person is treated with respect and equality in society today. That is why there was such an outcry from the white community over Imus’s words. If his words were directed at a gangsta rap artist there would have been a ring of truth and no outcry.
When Jackson and Sharpton make as much noise about that education problem as they do when an isolated white radio shock jock makes a disparaging comment about a team of female athletes, I’ll start to give them some credit. Until then, get outta my face, frauds.
And Sharpton, people are still waiting for YOUR apology for the Tawana Brawley fiasco, and for inciting the riot that left a Jewish teenager dead in Brooklyn.
How about it?
Your country is so f*cked up and you don’t even realise it. You talk about ‘African Americans’ when you should be saying “Americans”. The fact you differentiate between people there is highlighting the fact that ‘African Americans’ actually means ‘BLACK’. Why don’t you get this??? No other country in the world uses this type of description when referring to their own native population.
Until you stop this ridiculous kow-towing you will never grow up as a nation. You still behave as children where you all get upset with a bit of name-calling. You are a laughing stock in the rest of the world. We cannot believe that there is such a stink over such a purile remark. Treat as it was – an ignorant, juvenile comment – nothing more. Then, perhaps, you might begin to live in a grown up world!
Then again, perhaps you like living in your sand pit!
I dont think Don Imus really meant all of Hip Hop, but, you must admit some hip hop lyrics can get pretty bad, just like a lot of other types of music. What DOn Imus said was pretty bad, I must admit. But I think the whole thing was taken waaaayy too far. He is a shock Jock, and has been for 35 years, just like Opie And Anthony, and Howard Stern. I really dont’ beleive he should have been fired over it and the girls at Rutgers didn’t deserve that at all, but, I had a hard time believing that it ruined their lives. Don should not have been fired. Apologize, and we all move on. Just my opinion.
I have to agree with the ones that say all really play a part in this. Society needs to wake up and start respecting ourselves, not go backwards in regards to equality and I mean that in all races!!!!
You can put me squarely in the “all of the above” category, too. Both Don Imus’ comment and Ludacris’ sometimes less than ideal lyrics are symptoms of institutional sexism, which has been a reality for 50,000 years. That doesn’t excuse their behavior, of course, but to quote the great philosopher Billy Joel, they didn’t start the fire.
Cheers,
TH
If Imas had rapped those three words, would it have then been art, and he would not be jobless now?
I have been black/African American all my life. However, that does not make me a spokesperson for other black folks.
I do believe Rap/Hip Hop is sexist, and Hefner and Flint are promoting sexism. However, we are responsible for our own behavior and the behavior of our children.
As a parent, it is my responsibility to shield my children from disease, and other things in society that are harmful.
You may have noticed that there is a trend in America that is sad and frightening. Some members of our society get a kick out of watching other folks being degraded, whether it is Springer, Idol or music.
Hopefully, this recent breakthrough will reverse this trend, and it is about time.
I’m just amazed that people can’t figure out that every artist has their own message and voice, and that hip hop is the medium.
Then again, anything outside the selective reasoning that “some rappers have misogynist lyrics, and therefore all rap must be banned” would likely rock their world. It’s easier to believe you’re right than believe there are rappers with positive messages.
I swear, if I had the money, I’d send all those hater bloggers and media outlets a gift basket with DANGERDOOM: The Mouse and the Mask, a couple Common albums, Lupe’s Food and Liquor, and Kanye’s albums. Just to rock their world with some good, fun albums.
Then again, parents could stop blaming everything under the sun for their kids’ behavior and, you know, start being parents.
I am not really shocked at the outcome of this poll, but that’s the world we live in now. I think people often times see what they want to see. People who have no idea how to define the word Hip-Hop, are all of a sudden experts and know that is the cause for everything wrong with American youth today.
Imus has a right to express his opinion and his sense of humor… And Al Sharpton has a right to express his distaste for it.
But for us to go from Imus to Hip-Hop and ignore everything else, makes one suspicious of the true motives of those claiming to protect the youth of America.
By the way I heard President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheyney are joining the ban of music, because it is destroying Iraq right about now.
I agree that some rap lyrics often cross the line but is hip hop the main reason Imus made the comments. Or did he make them because he felt like making them. I dont think hip hop gets its fair shake a lot of times (due to its own artists) because it was not started using hos and b*****es. It is a form of expression just like any other genre of music. I think it is very irresponsible to blame hip hop for every vulgarity that is used. How about all the magazines you see in the bookstore that have half-nude women on the covers but have nothing to do with hip hop. I am not defending hip hop because a lot of it is indefensible but I think if we really want to teach children how to portray women we should teach them ourselves and not depend on music,movies and magazines to do it for us.
Oh yeah and for the record, I do think we should start holding some rappers’ responsible for the things they say but we should not blame them totally.
To say that the remarks made by Don Imus have nothing to do with hip hop is just stupid. Any idiot can see the obvious comparison. If you put the phrase “nappy headed hoes” behind a hot beat, it sounds no different from what Young Joc or 50 cent would spit on a record. The only obvious difference is that Imus is White and they are not. Not only does Imus need to be punished, but many of these so called rappers in the industry today. The lyrics are trash, and they don’t help anyone to progress, but rather regress. And to them that say that Don Imus shouldn’t be punished because of free speech in the constitution, let some radio personality call you or your momma a bitch ass hoe. We’ll see how many of you will scream out free speech then.
*peace*
What happened to free speach?
The problem is male privilege and greed;
specificly white male privilege. Race and gender are being exploited for profit. It is male privilege that allows brothers to go along with this explotation under the pretense of it being an expression of our sexuality.
It would appear from the actions taken last week that Imus himself is responsible; at least K. Olberman would have one think so. I have never seen rats run from a sinking ship as rapidly as they did last week. I would hope that Don I. updated his list of true and blue friends while he had nothing to do this past Monday early A.M.
Don I. we’ll miss you ’til you return in whatever format. You were guilty of misspeaking, but the punishment certainly did not fit the crime. JMHO.
Hip Hop- Ship Hop. Hip hop had nothing to do with what Imus said, it’s just an excuse he is using to try and take the pressure off of him. He is a racist who made that clear on a public radio station with thousands of listeners including children. If you don’t like hip hop then don’t but the album, but when your enjoying a nice basketball game the last thing you expect to hear is raist vulger comments , by a person who laughs after saying these things. He’s not sorry for what he said, he’s sorry he got in trouble for it. But good.
It has nothing to do with Hip Hop, rappers didn’t tell him to say that, he said it himself,and we all have the freedom of speech if that is how some people wan’t to talk then they can talk like that, and if you don’t like the way they talk then don’t listen to it!
How could hip-hop be at fault…when misogyny has been around for thousands of years?!
Does it contribute to the problem, yes.
But what about porno videos and magazines
What about the belief by many that “women are inferior to men?!”
Where are the voices of white women regarding the abuse they experience?
Most seem to prefer to stay silent to portect the family name…while being pummeled every other night.
More women are killed from domestic violence than those killed by auto accidents, muggings, robbery, etc….combined.
So if most white males are NOT listening to hip-hop, how could hip-hop be the cause?
What Don Imus said was terrible, and caused the women much pain. Although Don Imus had a point in saying what he sais about Hip Hop using degrading words (which it does) Don Imus is a grown man and can not use Hip Hop as an excuse for what he said. He needed to be held accountable for his words, which he was. And now it is time for Hip Hop to take a step back, look at itself and realize that it is time for change. The world is getting worse and worse, and it is time for the new generation to come up with Black leaders who are ready to change America.
Hip Hop is always taking the blame for an entire society’s problems. The govt. in general has always opposed hip hop and this is no different. Misogyny is in all kinds of entertainment and media, including the news.
Although hiphop artists aren’t particularly responsible for the specific event the example they set leaves the door wide open for such events to occur. As long as similar words are pouring out of rappers mouths & blasting on their records they (or ANYONE who encourages them) can not become offended. Using words in the production of musiic taht shares the same media & cause the same effect, but create a differnt result, is unfair & inappropriate.
eros-amatoriali teens
erezioni
Men. Men are responsible for misogyny, not the different representations they create. Stop fighting shadows!
other how bout imus is a racist ass bitch, n nigga if i see his ass in da streetz, ima fuk him up