Rap and Rape Culture

Posted by on Apr 11, 2013 in Passion | 5 comments

Sooo, we all know the rapper Rick Ross.  About a 150 pounds overweight, perpetually high and has a penchant for performing with his shirt off (As if anyone wants to see that)

Rick-Ross

 

Recently he has come under fire for a set of lyrics he penned on a song called “U.O.E.N.O”. The lyrics are as follows:

“Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it /

I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it,”

I for one think that these lyrics are disgusting not just because they speak of a very common situation but also because they make light of the fact that there really are guys who slip things in girls drinks just so they can have their way with her. Ross apologized for the lyrics and explained that he is in no way condoning rape. Then what exactly do these lyrics mean? They weren’t written for no reason and its a classic cop out to say that its all a misunderstanding.

Men like Ross need to be held accountable for their actions. Even joking about rape can be harmful and what is called a “trigger. Just imagine what it feels like for a woman who has been roofied to listen to lyrics like these. And this isn’t the first instance where a song makes light of a rape situation. Yesterday in the Hub I picked up an “”Only do it with consent” T-shirt and I answered questions concerning rape and rape culture.

This Rick Ross controversy in conjunction with Sexual Violence Awareness Week has made me think a lot about how our society treats rape and rape victims and how discouraging it is that lyrics or comment like Ross’s are seen as harmless or OK. Hopefully sometime in the near future our society can reach a consensus that any frivolous mention of rape is not a joke nor is it something to ever laugh at.

 

5 Comments

  1. Natalia,
    This is another example of what’s so great about your Passion blog. You find creative ways to take celebrity topics and turn them into something meaningful and thought provoking.

    It may not come as a surprise to you that I’m unfamiliar with this Rick Ross guy, but those lyrics are sad and appalling. I agree with you and all the of the women who have commented on your post–what else could they mean?! It’s sad to think how a song like this might contribute to women feeling like they can’t tell anyone about being raped or assaulted.

  2. This honestly infuriates me. When people say things like that, when they joke or make light or rape, it’s not only offensive. It’s taking away from the seriousness of rape. It’s not like a woman joke, or a racist joke. Women who have been raped had their free will taken away from them. They will never be able to live their lives free of that terrible memory. They’ll always know that someone had complete control over them for those few moments and they couldn’t have done anything to stop it. It honestly sickens me, and I have no sympathy for people who take away from the seriousness of it. This is part of the reason why rape is not taken as seriously in the US. Or anywhere for that matter.

  3. I heard about this on the radio! I never actually heard the song, but the radio hosts were talking about the controversy over it. I one hundred and ten percent agree with your post. Rappers, such as Rick Ross, think they can get away with rapping lyrics as disgusting and disrespectful as these. I used to enjoy some of his music, but after hearing this I think he is pathetic. I know some radio stations even went as far as to ban his music from their stations. Maybe he really didn’t mean to condone rape, but I don’t know if I believe his whole “I’m so sorry” story. I don’t see what else lyrics like that could mean? These rappers think they’re so popular and can get any girl they want. All rap these days does is talk about drugs, money, and disrespecting girls. No wonder guys treat girls the way they do – they have people like this as their role models. I sound like an old lady saying this, but it’s the truth.

  4. I agree that these lyrics are horrendous and inappropriate. It is a recurring theme in our society to ignore victims of sexual assault because we just don’t want to deal with it. But it is a very real issue and it needs to addressed. It certainly does not need to be made light of by a rapper. I don’t know what else he could have meant by those lyrics but it definitely was not a misunderstanding. Sexual assault and rape victims feel real pain that needs to be acknowledged, not stifled. Rappers making songs that encourage this type of behavior does not make our society look any better. I hope no one buys any of his songs in the future.

  5. How terrible! Here we are, honoring sexual abuse awareness month, and lyrics like that have to go and ruin it. Although Ross is at fault, this idea continues through many other artists’ songs. I don’t think that the idea of sex, drugs, and alcohol is ever a good decision and in what cases does the combination of these things lead to something with a positive connotation? I think that celebrities especially should stand up for this month and should try to abstain from these degrading messages. I mean, if a celeb says it in their song, it’s okay to do it, right? No.
    Because celebrities have so much notoriety, they could do so much good instead of bad. The rap culture is something that this month could target and maybe some artists can get on board next year to “stand up”, prevent rape and promote knowledge.

Leave a Reply

Skip to toolbar