Ashley Judd criticizes hip hop music/culture

orejon4 said:
The only thing rap does is make it more direct and obvious, but all of popular culture exploits women. 'Hot For Teacher' by Van Halen? 'Rocket In My Pocket'? 'Black Girls' by the Rolling Stones? 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC/DC? The only difference is the more vulgar expression of certain rap artists (I won't honor them with the title 'hip-hop' which they clearly don't deserve) which is culled directly from the most oppressed subset of the black community. I agree with her about the subjugation of women feeding poverty (i.e. women's lack of participation in the workforce due to sexism, etc), but she is WRONG in attributing causality to hip hop as an art form. Her critique needs to be much broader.
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Keep kicking that knowledge kid.
 
I think she's right, rap/hip-hop for the most part is just gargabe... Also, singing vulgar, profanity-laced lyrics is not my idea of music, sorry, just my opinion.
To those saying rock can also be exploitative, all you have to do is ask yourself how many rock videos have naked women or sex as the main subject, just compare the lyrical content.
 
empyrium said:
I think she's right, rap/hip-hop for the most part is just gargabe... Also, singing vulgar, profanity-laced lyrics is not my idea of music, sorry, just my opinion.
To those saying rock can also be exploitative, all you have to do is ask yourself how many rock videos have naked women or sex as the main subject, just compare the lyrical content.
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A shit ton. Look at how provactive pop has become. Half naked girls always talking about sex yet they're not credited with the downfall of females. It's because rappers are black for the most part. A great example of racism in the music world was a radio station out here in NY (K-Rock) only played rock and roll music no exceptions. Well no exceptions until Eminem came out and they were playing "Name Is", "I Am", and "Lose Yourself" in heavy rotation. Even when 50 had his role playing game billboards wouldn't advertise it because he had a gun in his hand on the cover but they have no problem advertising Grand Theft Auto or better yet any action movie has two machine guns but rappers have to be branded with social responsibility? That's such hypocritcal bullshit.
 
MrFantastic said:
A shit ton. Look at how provactive pop has become. Half naked girls always talking about sex yet they're not credited with the downfall of females. It's because rappers are black for the most part. A great example of racism in the music world was a radio station out here in NY (K-Rock) only played rock and roll music no exceptions. Well no exceptions until Eminem came out and they were playing "Name Is", "I Am", and "Lose Yourself" in heavy rotation. Even when 50 had his role playing game billboards wouldn't advertise it because he had a gun in his hand on the cover but they have no problem advertising Grand Theft Auto or better yet any action movie has two machine guns but rappers have to be branded with social responsibility? That's such hypocritcal bullshit.
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No one is saying rappers should be branded with any kind of social responsibility, people do what they want to, music won't change the way people act unless they're already predisposed to such behavior, I'm just saying is UNDENIABLE that Rap is pretty much useless culture, the racism excuse is invalid, no one criticizes Blues or Jazz, people should just call a spade a spade, most of the lyrical content in Rap is horrid.
 
I dont even understand why she has a book. We need to know she was sexually abused? Why? I think she overvalues her selfworth and how interested others are in her opinion. She should keep more things to herself.
 
empyrium said:
No one is saying rappers should be branded with any kind of social responsibility, people do what they want to, music won't change the way people act unless they're already predisposed to such behavior, I'm just saying is UNDENIABLE that rap is pretty much useless culture, the racism excuse is invalid, no one criticizes Blues or Jazz, people should just call a spade a spade, most of the lyrical content in rap is horrid.
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As opposed to what? The mindless horseshit lyrics in todays pop. And here's something no one ever considers, when rap/hip hop wasn't as commercial the lyrics were far more profound and way more descriptive. It's only when it started to be marketed to white teens that it went down hill.
Rap/hip hop has always been social commentary so this definitely a case where art describes life not the other way around. All music today is poppy and over indulgent but the music dominated by black folk is always the one to get thrown under the bus.
 
JordanC said:
I dont even understand why she has a book. We need to know she was sexually abused? Why? I think she overvalues her selfworth and how interested others are in her opinion. She should keep more things to herself.
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They're all overly self invovled jackasses. Its not enough to be rich but they also want to be pitied. Frickin disgusting.
 
orejon4 said:
The only thing rap does is make it more direct and obvious, but all of popular culture exploits women. 'Hot For Teacher' by Van Halen? 'Rocket In My Pocket'? 'Black Girls' by the Rolling Stones? 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC/DC? The only difference is the more vulgar expression of certain rap artists (I won't honor them with the title 'hip-hop' which they clearly don't deserve) which is culled directly from the most oppressed subset of the black community. I agree with her about the subjugation of women feeding poverty (i.e. women's lack of participation in the workforce due to sexism, etc), but she is WRONG in attributing causality to hip hop as an art form. Her critique needs to be much broader.
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You can pull out this song here or that group that and I never suggested that rock was the bastion of peace, tranquility, and respect for women. But to suggest that rock is "just like rap" is wrong. With regards to what her critique should or should be, who are we to say? She was spot on in her characterization. Spot on.

People always use "a lot of" to refute or support just about anything and believe that should stand.

- Kentucky has a problem with its school system - a lot of states have problem with their school system
- Fords have problems with automatic shifting - a lot of of cars have problems with automatic shifting
- Canon has a problem with its low light sensor - a lot of of cameras have problems with their low light sensor

.....so?

.....and?

and she didn't say "only" rap must exploits women. She didn't say "only" rap music has this type of subject matter. But anyone making a real comparison between rap music and rock with regards to its violent tones and the exploitation of women really isn't paying attention.
 
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MrFantastic said:
As opposed to what? The mindless horseshit lyrics in todays pop. And here's something no one ever considers, when rap/hip hop wasn't as commercial the lyrics were far more profound and way more descriptive. It's only when it started to be marketed to white teens that it went down hill.
Rap/hip hop has always been social commentary so this definitely a case where art describes life not the other way around. All music today is poppy and over indulgent but the music dominated by black folk is always the one to get thrown under the bus.
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I don't watch MTV or listen to pop music but from what I know pop music may be stupid but it's not obsene or violent like much of the Rap scene, I don't think racism has anything to do with it, that's your problem, you see racism in everything, nothing associated with black people can EVER be criticized.
 
empyrium said:
I don't watch MTV or listen to pop music but from what I know pop music may be stupid but it's not obsene or violent like much of the Rap scene, I don't think racism has anything to do with it, that's your problem, you see racism in everything, nothing associated with black people can EVER be criticized.
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I don't mind that black people get criticized but its so grossly disproportionate how can I not say something. First of all pop is very obsene and I agree it is violent but rap is the only genre of entertainment where the entertainer is held accountable for their portrayl of violence. It's thinly veiled racism because no one says shit to Britney Spears they just buy their 11 year olds holter tops and mini skirts. No is making a big stink about the Expendables or the A Team where they're killing people by the dozens but putting it in a song is bad? Why?
 
empyrium said:
I don't watch MTV or listen to pop music but from what I know pop music may be stupid but it's not obsene or violent like much of the Rap scene, I don't think racism has anything to do with it, that's your problem, you see racism in everything, nothing associated with black people can EVER be criticized.
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anyone making the comparison of rap music to pop or rock and the subject matter of its lyrics isn't paying attention.

In the broader sense th AMERICA culture objectivities women....for fuck sake this site objectifies women.
 
Ymra said:
anyone making the comparison of rap music to pop or rock and the subject matter of its lyrics isn't paying attention.

In the broader sense th AMERICA culture objectivities women....for fuck sake this site objectifies women.
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Are we objectifying women if they're compliant? Especially if they're profiting from it. Women in this country are far from being victims. In fact there are far more jobs for women without educations then there are for men and the recession finally just started hitting the female sector of the job force. In my opinion women in this country have it better than everyone else with exception of rich white privileged men of course.
 
MrFantastic said:
I don't mind that black people get criticized but its so grossly disproportionate how can I not say something. First of all pop is very obsene and I agree it is violent but rap is the only genre of entertainment where the entertainer is held accountable for their portrayl of violence. It's thinly veiled racism because no one says shit to Britney Spears they just buy their 11 year olds holter tops and mini skirts. No is making a big stink about the Expendables or the A Team where they're killing people by the dozens but putting it in a song is bad? Why?
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That's the thing, when you see Britney Spears you see a harmless sexy girl, when you see a rap video you see a bunch of filthy-mouthed thug-looking pimps surrounded by cigars and whores, it's the intention and vulgarity of it, the latter is a lot more threatening to parents.
I don't like Britney Spears (heck, I can't stand pop music) but there is no reasonable comparison between Britney Spears and rap music.
 
MrFantastic said:
Are we objectifying women if they're compliant? Especially if they're profiting from it. Women in this country are far from being victims. In fact there are far more jobs for women without educations then there are for men and the recession finally just started hitting the female sector of the job force. In my opinion women in this country have it better than everyone else with exception of rich white privileged men of course.
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Yes...you can still objectify a woman even if she doesn't complain about it.
and jobs, education....(etc). All that is an aside to what we are talking about.

...we can "what if" any topic and add on and add too.
 
By the way, Brazilian Rap is even more violent, American Rap is music for kids compared to Brazilian Rap, it's not obscene like American rap but it's truly violent and even associated with organized crime groups in some cases, some rapper here was even investigated by police because of one of his videos.
 
MrFantastic said:
no one says shit to Britney Spears they just buy their 11 year olds holter tops and mini skirts.
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Huh? Dude. I think you say this because you don't listen to this type of music, but you are 100% wrong on this. Especially when Britney started to change her on stage persona from "Britney" so "Blackout" and "Circus" there was even protest to start boycotting Britney Spears because young girls iodized her and many parents believed she was too sexy for kids. Same goes for Miley Cyrus.


MrFantastic said:
No is making a big stink about the Expendables or the A Team where they're killing people by the dozens but putting it in a song is bad? Why?
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Yes...you are wrong again. The outcry from not just violent movies but video games as been a part of the political process for a long time. Just not one is paying attention. Whenever the subject matter of rap comes up the knee jerk response "must be racism" that makes it news.
 
MrFantastic said:
Are we objectifying women if they're compliant? Especially if they're profiting from it. Women in this country are far from being victims. In fact there are far more jobs for women without educations then there are for men and the recession finally just started hitting the female sector of the job force. In my opinion women in this country have it better than everyone else with exception of rich white privileged men of course.
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That's something we can agree on, women complain and complain but they always have it easier.
 
Ymra said:
Huh? Dude. I think you say this because you don't listen to this type of music, but you are 100% wrong on this. Especially when Britney started to change her on stage persona from "Britney" so "Blackout" and "Circus" there was even protest to start boycotting Britney Spears because young girls iodized her and many parents believed she was too sexy for kids. Same goes for Miley Cyrus.



Yes...you are wrong again. The outcry from not just violent movies but video games as been a part of the political process for a long time. Just not one is paying attention. Whenever the subject matter of rap comes up the knee jerk response "must be racism" that makes it news.
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The big difference between rap and movies is that rappers are held accountable for their form of entertainment. No one is walking around thinking that Arnold has an ak47 in the trunk of his hummer(which he might. He LOVES guns) but people expect Lil Wayne to. You might not like rap old man because its not what you're use to but I don't think its fair the way they demonize it.
 
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