"Stupid Girls" and The State of Our World...When I first I heard the new Pink song, “Stupid Girls” I thought it to be a chorus from feminist heaven...I pictured NOW rallies and people burning bras (yeah, well I'm over the top like that). This song attacks a generational divide that my husband likens it to a 1950's throwback of male defined femininity (and no, he wouldn't use those particular words...but then this isn't his blog). Thank you Pink, for firing the warning shot that started this discussion.
I never thought I'd use these words but, "In my day" girls were proud of who they were and not banished for being individuals or, what my mother called “standing in your own light”. Speaking personally, I was always a unique girl, taking dance class and karate lessons, competing in motorcycle races and beauty pageants. I never thought it odd and felt free to do anything I enjoyed. Being myself has always drawn people in to me. That is the beauty of allowing people to see who you really are. My father once told me that it was his job to afford me any opportunity to discover who I am and for what I was created. Do parents do that today? I’m not going to get into a rant blaming parents for yet another problem but let’s examine it, shall we? My hero's growing up were "Clair Huxtable," Barbara Jordan, and Nikki Giovanni to name a few (FYI: I'm a writer w/a Poli. Sci. degree, who will attend law school shortly), the influence is crystal clear. Those were the people (and a character) that I was drawn to. Who are today’s generations drawing their inspiration from? My parents and I watched television together. We discussed the sensitive topics and I usually left the room feeling like my parents gave me good advice. Compare that to the divisiveness of a lot of today’s families and you can begin to see how a generation got lost.
To be fair, this sickness was made worse by my generation and even I have to ask, why? This trend happened over time...slowly, as if manipulated by sheer evil, under the guise of the "boys will be boys" creed by which this country operates. Somewhere between “Brenda's got a baby” and “Whoop that trick” the industry that gave us both made women not the “object of desire” but just “objects”; from “honeys” to "hoe’s" and then simply a means to an end. I’m talking, of course, about the evolution of the music video. It’s obvious how images affect those who watch them. Scientists have drawn links between violent behavior and the amount of violence viewed by the person in question. In this case a generation, breed on pimp/hoe culture has begun to act in accordance to what they watch. With the “icons” this generation has, what will they become? Who will they become? Today, three-year-olds are emulating and idolizing video "hoes". My question is, why are three-year-olds watching video’s that expose them to such demeaning images of women (and men for that matter)? We are losing a generation to our own masochistic promotion. Today, teenaged girls give oral sex like kisses. We are in the mists of raising a generation if self-demeaning girls; and a generation of lost girls will always be followed by a generation of lost boys (because who will they be raised by?). America, you are in crisis!
Just for the young ladies:
What's worst than male masochist behavior is that in classic oppressed form have now become our own oppressors. Ladies no one can make you a hoe by calling you one ….it’s when you answer to it that you do yourself an enormous injustice. Women have power over men that is unrivaled. Consider this; wars have been fought over women, and wars have been stopped by women. I man knows not who he is until he finds a woman to live for. Give yourself a chance to grow into that virtuous woman without the baggage of doing things you didn’t really want to do the boost the ego of some boy.
Just for the young men:
Yours is an equally hard task. You must find the middle ground between all the images thrust upon you at every turn. Just know that every young lady you encounter is someone’s daughter or sister and try to imagine how you would feel seeing your sister disrespected. Try to imagine how you would feel seeing you mother disrespected and for God’s sake respect yourself. Decide what kind of man you want to be and be that way now.
No comments:
Post a Comment