Strippers, Video Vixens and Black Feminists

Jeff "Im saving and egg for him" Chang has a blog post up
about Women and Hip Hop.

The posts cites an article by Matt Birkhold on the 2005
Feminism and Hip Hop Conference. Matt notes that:

Melyssa Ford argued that there wasn't a problem with
her portrayal in videos because she was in control of
her image. Terrero stressed that women were portrayed
in videos in a manner that guaranteed profit for both the
director and the label.

Melyssa's argument is dangerous:
1.) Because it does not take into consideration who Melyssa
represents, and whether or not the people that she represents
HAVE POWER.

2.) If she, in fact, has so much control OVER how her image is
used, could she CHOOSE to appear in rap videos Fully Clothed?

NEGATORY!

Her value lies in displaying the skin and the curves. And the
moment she decides that she won't show it someone else
hungrier will come along and do it, for less CAKE to boot.

Some time the crack game remind me of the rap game.

Now M.dot is no prude. <<she greasy. We know that sex sells,
especially in a culture that has a schiozphrenic attitude
towards female sexuality.

However, just how I watch the D' Boy's turned
rappers try and explain away their accountability.
Im peeping the Vixens too and analyzing
how they deal with being asked, "What do you think
of your image?"

Smell me?

Terrero's "sex sells" position was interrogated during the question-and-answer period, when Tricia Rose asked
panel participants, "If having the Klan come through your
video and lynch black folks is going to make you money,
are you going to do it?" Terrero responded "No."
Rose followed up by saying, "We have drawn a line with race.
When will we draw a line in regards to gender?" Terrero
responded evasively (and elicited applause) by saying
that if education were better, viewers would be equipped
to make informed viewing choices and women dancing in
videos would peruse other options.

Jeff goes on to argue that:

Terrero's response is problematic because it indicates
an unwillingness to take responsibility for the sexist
images he creates which are then
televised around the country to a
market that awaits subhuman,
hypersexual images of black women.

This is why Jeff is that Dude. As with his Imus/50 analysis,
Jeff argues that you cannot analyze Black Male VIOLENCE
in rap music/pop culture, and I add for that matter, Black female
SEXUALITY in Rap music/pop culture without mentioning:

a.) The sterotypes that are being perpetuated.
b.) Whose interests, moral and/or financial, are being served
by said stereotypes.
c.) Whose pockets are caked up as a result the
SELLING & CONSUMPTION of said VIOLENCE and SEXUALITY.

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In other stripper news, Mark Kriegel over at Fox Sports
gets The Two-Fer in with the headline:

"On the Mark: The Strip Club Epidemic"
First it was cocaine. Then it was steroids. Now it's
clear that America's ballplayers have fallen victim to
another insidious epidemic. Contrary to the theory that
athletes don't like playing on artificial surfaces,
strippers have become the drug of choice for the sporting set.

This sh*t is so goddamn racist I don't know where to begin.
Let me just start by making a list of inferences. Based on the
title there are two inferences the reader is suppose to make.

Inference #1= That women who strip are an insidious epidemic.
a. insidious =
[1.] Intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan.
[2.] Stealthily treacherous or deceitful: an insiduous enemy.
[3.] Operating or proceeding in an inconspicious or seeminly
harmless way but actually with grave effect: an insidious disease.

b. epidemic
[1] Affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading
from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.

Inference #2= That strippers are SO F*cking seducitve and
powerful, that the men can't use ANY of their faculties to
resist them. The poor helpless things. Awwwish.

Honestly. Mark sounds like a hater who ain't had that good good
since Michael had a hit.

Feel me?

Which brings me to Strippers, Video Vixens and Power. In
looking for a clever way to close this post, I found this article,
by a mother who read AND ANALYZED Confessions of a VV.

Hearing about this woman and her legacy I could not
help but be captivated. Not in the Ugly Bettysense, but
in the way that we women secretly "envy these type" of women.
We don't necessarily want to be them, we just want to
learn their secrets of manipulation and control over
men....especifically the powerful men to get what they
want. We secretly crave their POWER while trying to
balance that good girl role.

"We secretly crave their power while trying to balance the
good girl role." I would take it step further and say, that we
want the power, but down want to be seen as a slut as we
try and get it. <<<<Im going for the gristle this week.

AND.
Women Vixen-esque women are resented by both MEN
and WOMAN for the impact that their sexuality has ON MEN.

The author goes on to state,

"as mother of a 'tween daughter and young son,
I find myself constantly in a battle with the Video
Vixen. In my daily battle against peer pressure,
media images and societal rules, I am constantly
searching for ways to make sure that my daughter
and son do not define themselves by the seeming
"success" and over sexualized message created
by the Video Vixen."

I started looking for vixen footage for this post.

I sucked into you tube.

I found this.

--AND.--

--I.--

--WAS.--

***DEAD.*** eyes. rolled in the back
of my head.

Yall it's like simulated sex as a spectator sport.
Maybe there is more to this vixen sh*t than WE ALL KNEW.

I am going to give THIS VIDEO its OWN POST tomorrow.

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What would hip hop do w/o Strippers and Vixens?

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