Research Problem

My research analyzes misogyny in hip hop and the effect it has on women’s self image, as well as how the culture influences young male and females. Hip-hop culture has a huge effect on the way people speak, act and dress due to the fact that the media is highly influential. People of all ages listen to the lyrics and watch music videos, therefore it is easy for people to mimic what they see and hear. I analyzed how women react and feel about the misogynistic traditions in hop hop culture. It is evident that there is an influence on young males and females, my goal was to explore if the female audience views video vixens as role models or if they use them an example of how not to dress and act. The purpose of this study is to explore how young women are affected by the over sexualization and negative representation of females in hip hop culture. This study will analyze how the culture influences how young women view themselves, as well as if the women relate positively or negatively to the fashion and behaviour in hip hop culture.

Research Questions

Do these women view the females shown as role models or do they use them as an example of what not to replicate?

Does hip-hop have an influence on how young women act, speak and dress?

Do video vixens promote surgery and encourage how the female body should look?

Method

For this study I have decided to conduct qualitative research. Structured, in-depth interviews will work best for this study, because I was able to gain a better understanding of if misogynistic culture has an affect on young women. How women are affected is a sensitive topic and I need to make sure that all participants doing the interviews are aware of the questions and if they feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues. Creating a consent form for each participant to sign will be most appropriate. I conducted twenty interviews from the ages 18-25.

During the interviews I showed three hip-hop videos and then asked the women a series of questions. The videos presented were:

• Best On Earth by Russ
• Candy Shop by 50 Cent
• Taste by Tyga

Example: Anonymous Interview Answers

1. Do you listen to hop-hop as well as watch the music videos? - Yes, often.
2. What are the top three subjects observed when watching hip-hop videos? - Women, Money, and Partying.
3. What comes to mind when you I say "women and hip-hop" ? - I think of praise, and women being put on a higher pedestal. I think of dominance, creativeness, and being strong willed because they are seen as confident mostly because of the verbiage, the provocative appearance, and being in competition with other rappers. Being taken advantage of also comes to mind in terms of pay, or credit especially because most of the industry is dominated by men.
4. What perception do you have of these women in these videos? -I think of booty shaking, strippers, lots of provocative dancing and sensual acts being performed in front of/towards men.
5. Why do you think male artists have/want these women in their videos? -Because it makes them appear more in control, and being praised by many beautiful women all at once is a confidence booster, its all for show.
6. Did you ever want to be in these videos? - I would not be against it if I was given the opportunity, because at the end of the day it is all for fun, and a major sales tactic for the artist and production team.
7. Do you find yourself dressing or acting similarly? - Sometimes, depends on the situation or mood. If I am going out to a party or event, I would say my taste in fashion is similar
8. In your opinion does hip-hop have a big influence on people’s behaviours? Why? Negative or positive? -Yes I believe so, however, depending on your morals and beliefs it can be perceived as negative and positive. As for me, I believe that it does give major influence to people’s behaviour because of the attention and clout that all major artists are getting and I believe there are people in the world that would love to experience that “lifestyle”.
9. Does seeing women in these videos make you feel belittled or empowered? - Definitely empowered, it takes a lot to act a certain way in front of many viewers, men, production teams, and cameras aside from their “regular” or “normal” behaviour. It shows confidence in my opinion.
10. Can you be a feminist and listen to hip-hop music? - Depending on what and how strong your beliefs are...I’m sure it is possible.
11. How does hearing these discriminatory lyrics make you feel? - When I hear these lyrics I do find it wrong however it doesn't personally effect me and does not make me want to not listen

Analysis

Hip hop culture has become a phenomenon that has come from “ghetto” areas to becoming worldwide. The hip-hop culture is a very successful genre in music, however this global phenomenon has normalized the sexualization and misogyistic view of women. The misogyny in hip-hop is very persuasive and has a direct influence on young women and men. My study demonstrated how the industry is responsible for creating negative depictions of women. The problem is not the videos, it is the messages behind the meaning of the lyrics and content that they give to viewers. Females being included in the video is not the issue either, but it is the reality that the women are being sexualized and objectified. Music videos and other media photos are a means for men and women to learn what is "normal" in society. When viewers watch, especially young viewers, they are getting a sense on how to treat one another. I held in-depth interviews with a sample of individuals who suggested that hip-hop music is their preferred genre. I also interviewed individuals that do not necessarily listen to hip-hop, and gained an outsider's perspective. Along with interviews I also analyzed the song lyrics of 50 hip-hop songs and found that the themes of dishonour towards women and Objectification were very prominent. Describing words such as "hoe" and "bitch" were commonly used to address women. These themes explicitly impact women's role and rights within society, and ultimately hinder/ build barriers to an honest discussion among women in hip-hop.