I just got a press release from Vanderbilt University:
Tracy Sharpley-Whiting, director of the Program in African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University, is set to testify Tuesday, Sept. 25, in Washington before the Congressional Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce on the topic of “From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images.”
Sharpley-Whiting wrote Pimps Up, Ho's Down, a very good book about misogyny in hip hop culture. A link to my article on her and the book is in the list to the right--"The Bitch Ho Problem." Sharpley-Whiting has a very thoughtful feminist take on the issue. She's uncompromising in her condemnation of sexism and sexual violence, but she loves music, she respects hip-hop, and she doesn't demonize anybody. I attended one of the Rap Sessions events that toured college campuses, and I thought the level of discourse on the subject was impressive, both from the panel and from the students who attended.
So why does it make me cringe a little to read that she's about to testify before Congress? I guess I should be glad to see someone so smart and so unabashedly feminist getting a hearing anywhere, but I just hate the idea of this issue being worked over in Washington. When politicians get the opportunity to posture on race, gender and "values" all at one go, there's no way any of the nuance of the issue can survive. And the possibility of legislation designed to protect us from nasty pop culture makes me queasy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
It seems a fine line to walk sometimes between freedom of artistic expression, and the perpetuation of racial and/or sexist stereotypes. As a feminist, it's difficult for me to appreciate a lot of rap lyrics (or for that matter, rock lyrics)...although I definitely appreciate the artistry involved. (Case in point, Eminem, who I feel is a brilliant poet but who has spewed some foul things about women). The whole testifying in D.C. thing makes me nervous too. The government is hardly an acceptable compass for morality, much less art.
Hear, hear.
We DO have constitutional rights.
"The government is hardly an acceptable compass for morality, much less art."
How well you put it, Mary. Chaya, I hope you're right.
I think the guys on this committee decided to call Ms. Sharpley-Whiting after seeing her picture.
Well, she is easy on the eyes--but then how come the networks didn't put any of her testimony on the tube? I guess smart beautiful women are just too damn scary.
They are scary. But anyone who knows what's good likes that.
Post a Comment