Assume: The “Ass” of “U” & “Me”.

(Robert) Masseo Davis
April/ 13/ 2008
Seth Parker
English 112 assignment #3

Assume: The “Ass” of “U” & “Me”.

There is something to be said about the social consciences of a thing. In regards to the masses, it would seem that individuals are intelligent but groups of people are stupid. Be it political, religious, art related or mere unspoken social behavioral attitudes, it’s the executive decision produced by the masses that seem to indicate the way we respond, act, and even think. It’s these assumptions about the many facets of our lives that tend to trap entire demographics of people into what would presumably be cultural differences. In a sense the assumptions we make toward one another as groups are the product of shards of scattered information that then are vaguely shared, thusly producing a general consensus that is often incorrect, far too general to even acknowledge or it keeps individuals from occupying there own opinion.
Bell Hooks essay Sexism and Misogyny: Who take the Rap? on the surface is a discussion about the sexism and hatred towards women portrayed in “gangsta rap.” Hooks, however does not point the finger solely at the artists themselves, but at the cooperate system that helps maintain such a successful tradition amongst performers. More specifically The “White-supremacist capitalist patriarchy” and the “white dominated mass media” are at the center of her discussion regarding misogyny and sexism as portrayed in gangsta rap. However under her rough feminist exterior Hooks, also manages to expose the social views of the masses.
It is generally the case that when asked about sexism in reference to this generations pop culture, that Hip hop and gangsta rap are demonized for illustrating women as objects for black men to use; this, hooks says, generally is the end of the discussion and that the artists of such music are to blame for the misogyny in theses pieces, generally black men. In turn, assuming that is all there is to be said about gansta rap, it is inherently reasonable to point the finger at artists of this specific genre of music- again, primarily black men.

“To see gangsta rap as a reflection of dominate values in our culture rather than as an aberrant “pathological” standpoint does not mean that a rigorous feminist critique of sexism and misogyny expressed in this music is not needed. Without a doubt black males, young and old, must be held politically accountable for their sexism. Yet this critique must always be contextualized or we risk making it appear that the behaviors this thing supports and condones –rape, male violence against women, etc.-is a black male thing.”
(bell hooks, Sexism and Misogny: Who takes the Rap?, pg 416)

There are more factors to the situation, more influences, and many other ways to view gangsta rap, that don’t rationalize the way rap artists illustrate sexist situations, but rather expose other forms of social assumptions and institutions that are also to blame for sexism in the music industry.
The interesting thing is the argument illustrated by Hooks is not completely ground breaking. On an individual level, it has been argued that black artists are not the only people to blame for the sexism in rap music. It’s not necessarily innovative to sight the consumers, and the corporate music producers that are both primarily composed of white men. What is intriguing about the situation then is that though this is almost common knowledge that it still stands as the general view on who is to blame for the artistic choices/ aspects of the work.
Byron Hurt, director of the film Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, set out on a mission similar to bell hooks, in his film. Hurt, discusses the cultural influences on Hip- Hop artists, in regards to both the misogynistic, and representational aspects regarding manhood and masculinity. The film talks about the culture of hip-hop through an anthropological lens, focusing on things such as manhood and mans desire for power. He paints a picture where hip-hops misogynistic qualities are merely part of a vicious cycle where black male artists are convinced/ programmed like robots to illustrate these violent and sexists situations, while “70% of mainstream Hip-Hip is consumed by young white-men. “ It’s an art form/ genre of music that like all other art forms is influenced by, and influence the world around it.

“Hip- Hop Culture is not separate from the rest of American culture, objectified female bodies, those images are everywhere… The real negative thing about music videos and advertisements, is that is the only way women are presented.”
-Sut Jhallly, founder of the Media Education Foundation.

In Hurt’s film he indirectly acknowledges the assumptions of the general publics views on hip-hop in regards to the misogynistic, and violent qualities by calling people out. Through interviews with hip-hop and rap artists, black listeners, white listeners male and female, aspiring artists, and record executives, Hurt exposes his viewers to the how these scapegoats work as a hegemony, that in turn power what he calls a “vicious cycle” of assumptions. When asked, how do you feel about rap artists calling women bitches and hoe’s, a young black women answered “It’s not directed to you personally, It’s just what they say, if you don’t take offense to it, and sex sells.” But it does. Hurt follows by using the counter example; what if George Bush said a speech claiming that all black people were niggers, what justice would we people of color (in that order) be to claim that he wasn’t talking about us. It’s the mentality of “it could never or it won’t ever happen to me” (which is an assumption) that allows the hegemony to stand, because we dismiss it, like some sick and twisted inside joke. (Bryon Hurt. “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes”)
The film proceeds to discuss and illustrate how rap artists have to maintain a kind of duel personality, where they play a part acting out what they feel the public wants to see, and hear, as well as stay true to who they are and their own private morals which they assume the general public doesn’t care to know about.

“We have trusted the media and the corporations to define what hip-hop is…back in the day when it first came out if “ABC” did a story on hip-hop you’d be like I know they bull shitin’, but now you see it on the news, you see it on “BET”…It’s because they call themselves hip-hop now. It’s like now “HOT 97” is where hip-hop lives, you know, and we hear that, and we don’t understand that it’s owned by some corporation that doesn’t have anything to do with hip-hop, We just tryin’ to cash in.”
-Talib Kweli.

The interesting thing about the film is it still holds it self at the surface of the issue, plausibly because Hurt feels that opening the discussion is a baby step to a bigger problem, or because he to failed to openly acknowledge the magnitude of the current social situation. It’s one thing to talk about a collaboration of issues such as sexism and misogyny or manhood and sexism, but it’s the assumptions that we the people make that are the driving forces behind this vicious cycle. Both Hooks, and Hurt reference social assumptions, but then continue to talk about specifics that ultimately are products of assumptions.
Hooks, expresses incidences within her essay where people made assumptions about her, and that when they later realized that their assumptions were false they then were disappointed. Ultimately it could be said that theses radio Dj’s who were hoping to get a heated banter with hooks, made an assumption about the kind of person she was because she calls herself a feminist, and because they desired the argument. If we were to generalize this scenario it could be argued that, we under the umbrella of mass social context make assumptions because we desire something, our assumptions are a means to an end. Gangsta rap artists assume that making music that illustrates violence and sexist attitude is the only way to be successful. We the general public, assume based on the lyrics of gangsta rap composed by primarily black male artists that misogyny is in a “black male thing.” They then can rule themselves out with a “clear” example of what demographic of people can, and will take the fall for this little thing known as misogyny. Radio D.J’s assumed they are going to get into a heated banter with Hooks, because she identifies herself as a feminist, in hopes of perhaps raising their ratings. Hooks assumes that gangster rap is ultimately the product and even a window into the moral/ intensions of the white power hierarchy, known as “capitalist patriarchy.”
We as a people need to examine the many assumptions that we impose on others, which in turn govern our now natural, and social behaviors/ beliefs. It’s a shame because based on the idea that assumptions are a means to an end, many if not all of our assumptions can in a way be morally validated. Gangster rap artists under the impression that portraying a sexist lifestyle, is the only way to success in the music industry, is understandable if you consider the act a means in which to accomplish their desire to be successful. We have no right to hold their actions as demonizing, when put into those contexts; the same goes for the radio D.j’s who desire higher ratings/ more listeners. In regards to the general public, consumers, and those that hooks calls the “white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy”, I believe that it is safe to say that we believe that sexism and misogyny are of a negative nature, and if you could be persuaded that their reasoning for attempting to pointing the finger at a group of people was to keep from being themselves a people of negative nature, then it almost seems validated, sick and cowardly, but understandable. The product of our assumptions is a vicious cycle where we can hide our faults, and imperfections behind a social glass of half truths, and vague information. Assumptions are the parents of the elephant in the living room that nobody wants to talk about. The solution however is first and foremost like with any addiction to sincerely admit that there is a problem and try as hard as we have to keep this hegemony, in our attempts to cleanse ourselves from it.
Bell Hooks essay, is not only a discussion about how we as a people must reevaluate the way we identify/ recognize sexism and misogyny in what is known as gangsta rap. The paper also stands as a window into common social behavioral trait/ act of the masses, our group assumptions. It has at least led one reader to consider the mass awareness of things and the assumptions made on and directed toward different groups of people, could be said as a means to rationalize our imperfections, an a way to not have to deal with them, when we really need to. It not only demonizes the group of people who thusly take the fall for a human trait of negative nature, but it demonizes us as well for pointing the finger when we know that we are as much to blame as they are. It’s one of those civil social wars that has been fought for so long that we don’t even know why we are fighting, and we don’t even recognize it as a battle-it’s normal.

[Mos Def]
Yo, I'm sure that everbody out listenin agree
That everything you see ain't really how it be
A lot of jokers out runnin in place, chasin the style
Be a lot goin on beneath the empty smile
Most cats in my area be lovin the hysteria
Synthesized surface conceals the interior
America, land of opportunity, mirages and camoflauges
More than usually -- speakin loudly, sayin nothin
You confusin me, you losin me
Your game is twisted, want me enlisted -- in your usary
Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly
Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception
Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the lookin glass
Walkin the street, wonderin who they be lookin past
Lookin gassed with them imported designer shades on
Stars shine bright, but the light -- rarely stays on
Same song, just remixed, different arrangement
Put you on a yacht but they won't call it a slaveship
Strangeness, you don't control this, you barely hold this
Screamin brand new, when they just sanitized the old shit
Suppose it's, just another clever Jedi mind trick
That they been runnin across stars through all the time with
I find it's distressin, there's never no in-between
We either niggaz or Kings
We either bitches or Queens
The deadly ritual seems immersed, in the perverse
Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts
Long barrel automatics released in short bursts
The length of black life is treated with short worth
Get yours first, them other niggaz secondary
That type of illin that be fillin up the cemetary
This life is temporary but the soul is eternal
Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you
Not strong, only aggressive, cause the power ain't directed
That's why, we are subjected to the will of the oppressive
Not free, we only licensed
Not live, we just excitin
Cause the captors.. own the masters.. to what we writin
Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained
Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage, it's just a game
Not good, but well behaved cause the ca-me-ra survey
most of the things that we think, do, or say
We chasin after death just to call ourselves brave
But everyday, next man meet with the grave
I give a damn if any fam' recall my legacy
I'm tryin to live life in the sight of God's memory
Like that y'all

[Mos Def]
A lot of people don't understand the true criteria of things
Can't just accept the appearance
Have to get the true essence

[Talib Kweli]
They ain't lookin around

[M.D.] Not strong
[T.K.] Only aggressive
[M.D.] Not free
[T.K.] We only licensed
[M.D.] Not compassioniate, only polite
[T.K.] Now who the nicest?
[M.D.] Not good but well behaved
[T.K.] Chasin after death
so we can call ourselves brave?
[M.D.] Still livin like mental slaves
[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin you look twice
[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin you look twice
[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin you look twice
[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin you look twice
(Mos Def & Talib Kweli “Theives in the Night)