Enlightened Sexism in today’s hip hop culture.

Well after indulging in the reading by Susan Douglas’s Enlightened Sexism I thought of so many females that have been objectified using hip hop videos.  Enlightened sexism is the response, deliberate or not, to the perceived threat of a new gender regime (Douglas p.9).  Douglas herself points out all too many rap videos require thong-clad women to shake their booties while climbing all over the strutting, self-satisfied men (Douglas p.8).  I will leave a link for a video that shows enlighten sexism and some objectification, of women.  Douglas rejects enlighten sexism as being post feminist.  She states that enlightened sexism is a manufactured process that is produced week in and week out, by the media (Douglas p.10).  While enlightened sexism seems to support women’s equality, it is dedicated to the undoing of feminism.  She states enlighten sexism takes the gains of the women movement as a given, and then uses them as permission to resurrect retrograde images of girls and women as sex objects, still defined by their appearance and their biological destiny (Douglas p. 10).  Well, I agree with Douglas, but I watch the hip hop videos anyways.  I have chosen a video by Wale titled my pyt, which stands for pretty young thing.  The video does have some explicit language but bear with me here.  The video is directed by Colin Tilley; I think Tilley does a great job as a director, he balances enlighten sexism, objectification and what still can be deemed tasteful in a sense.  These producers are pushing the envelope and at the same time not allowing the men of the video to do much touching or grouping of these various lovely women.  In a way, the women are still handled in a respectful manner they deserve.  I feel if you take women out of certain situations, mean their objectification level changes, for example, if you take the women of the video that have swimming suits on and transplant them to the beach where everyone is wearing swimming suits then the situation becomes different.  I won’t break down the whole video, but understand that women’s objectification's rise and lowers based on their dress code and where they are and what they are doing.  In conclusion, I stand on the side of Douglas’s post feminist argument but still fell enlightened sexism is here to stay in this hyper sexual culture.  If you look at some of Beyoncé’s and Rhianna outfits they scream provocative at times and this dress code can be seen across all music genres, this video highlights that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMGqYrWclvs


Susan Douglas feels many producers insist that mass media are simply mirrors, reflecting reality, whatever that is.  She says "whenever you hear this mirror metaphor, I urge you smash it, because if the media are mirrors they are fun house mirrors"(Douglas p.18).

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRGzlvOuigc

Douglas, Susan Jeanne. The Rise of Enlightened Sexism. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2010. 8-18. Print.

My Pyt. Dir. Collin Tilley. Perf. Wale and Kid Sneak. N.p., 2016. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.

Estorga, Justin. "Sociology 123- Sexism in Music Videos." YouTube. YouTube, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.