Megan Thee Stallion: Challenging Double Standards and Misogyny in the Rap Industry
Introduction
Women face discrimination every day, that manifests itself in different ways. One of the ways in which women are subjugated and treated as the other gender is through double standards. This involves applying some ideals to men while holding women to a higher and often unreasonable standard. Double standards are prevalent in many facets of a patriarchal society. Misogyny is another manifestation of gender discrimination. It involves prejudicial views against women and even hatred, that perpetuates the idea that women live in a man’s world and should, therefore, conform to patriarchal norms (Manne 63). Several women and some men have strongly condemned acts of misogyny and double standards that are prevalent in society. Megan Thee Stallion has specifically been a voice against these two within the rap industry. She is one among the rising number of female artists who have joined the rap industry. She stands out as a strong, educated woman who has strong opinions on women and how society treats them. Having been in the rap industry for just a few years, she has already experienced a backlash, which reveals a misogynistic society. This paper will analyze the issues that Meghan Thee Stallion faces within the rap industry, which reflect what women face in society as a whole. It will examine her response and how she has pushed back against misogyny.
Double Standards in Image
Within the rap industry, artists usually portray an image that will either make or break their career through music videos and social media. Meghan Thee Stallion has received backlash from the public for having an overly sexualized image. She has also been criticized for twerking too much in her music videos (Grove n.p.). According to her, this portrays confidence in her body and sexuality. It shows that she loves herself and her body. She explains that her motive is not to look sexy but to show confidence in her sexuality. However, according to her critics, she is too sexual and should limit it. When compared to the reactions that male artists get for music videos that are sexualized to the same or even a greater extent than hers, it is clear that there is a double standard. The music videos by male artists are not criticized. In fact, they gain more popularity and are celebrated as great works of art. In response to the criticism, Meghan states that women need to free themselves and destroy the double standards. They need to prove that they can do whatever they want in the manner that they want to.
Double Standards on Lyrical Content
The rap industry is primarily characterized by sexual language and profanity. This is the norm that is accepted and adopted by most artists in the industry. Meghan’s lyrics are sexually charged (Tigg n.p.). They present the narrative of a woman being sexually satisfied, with the man’s role being to please the woman. Some of her audience views it as an embodiment of the liberation of women, allowing them to do and get what they want. However, critics, especially men, complain that her lyrics are too sexual. It is possible that they see the narrative of a woman being in charge, and a man having the role of pleasing her, to be too intimidating and against the societal norms. On the other hand, male rappers have sexually explicit lyrics that objectify women. Their music is widely accepted and rarely face criticism. This reveals another double standard. The patriarchal society has set the image of a man as dominating and controlling a woman, and sees the opposite as undesirable and against nature. Further, a woman expressing her sexuality is viewed as moral depravity while a man expressing it is considered normal. Meghan gives the following response to the double standard:
A man can be as mediocre as he wants to be but still be praised. A man can talk about how he’s about to do all of these drugs and then come and shoot your house up. But as soon as I say something about my vagina, it’s the end of the world?… What are you really mad about? You cannot be mad about me rapping about sex. That’s not what you’re mad about. It’s something deeper. (Tigg n.p.)
Misogyny in Journalism
Interviews conducted with rap artists reveal misogyny to a large extent. There is a difference between the questions directed to male artists and those that female artists are asked. Generally, female artists are asked about their sexual inclinations and their bodies, while male artists are asked about the industry, their businesses, their music and art. Meghan has experienced this misogynistic interviewing. In one occasion, her interviewer asked her if she developed physically at an early stage in life (Ibrahim n.p.). He also asked her if her body is real or augmented. In another interview, despite being the intended interviewee, her manager was interviewed before her, and she wasn’t involved in the conversation for eight minutes. The Interview also revealed the difference between questions that males and females are asked. Her manager responded to questions about his basketball career, and his career in the rap industry. On the other hand, the interviewer asked Meghan about her sexuality and physical appearance. The questions asked are appalling since Meghan has a lot going on that they could focus on instead of her body. She is a student pursuing a course in health administration, a very skilled MC and rap artist, and a businesswoman. The focus is on her body rather than her creativity and intellect. Misogyny is revealed through the varied routes that journalists take when interviewing males and females.
Meghan’s Hot Girl Summer Movement
Women need to embrace their personalities and their bodies and own their femininity. This is what Meghan is keen on doing. She released a song titled Hot Girl Summer followed by a social media campaign with the title as a catchphrase. This created a movement where women posted pictures of themselves, revealing confidence and body positivity. Meghan defines a hot girl as one who is unapologetic about being herself, is confident and has fun in the process (Lang n.p.) She created a movement that encourages women to accept themselves as they are and express themselves as they want to. It encourages them to forget about gender and racial ideas, and standards on how a woman should look like, and enjoy their existence. Meghan exemplifies the “hot girl”, by unapologetically standing up for herself in an industry dominated by male perspectives, ideas and beauty standards, and expresses herself without fear. Her female audience watches and emulates her. This is what fighting against patriarchy is about. It should not be mere talk about how women should define their reality but should be accompanied by actions that embody the idea.
Conclusion
Living in a patriarchal society means that women have to express themselves within the confines of male perceptions of right and wrong. Everything is defined according to male standards. Women are not allowed to express themselves and their sexuality through art, whereas men are allowed to, and can even objectify as much as they want. This has created a double standard, raising the standards that women have to adhere to above those that apply to men. Meghan Thee Stallion embodies a woman who is self-assured, free, confident in her body, freely expresses her sexuality and does not cower in the face of misogyny. She has shown women that they can be free and confident, without having to comply with beauty standards or rules set by society about how women should behave. She has experienced misogyny and double standards and has stood against it. This has an effect on women everywhere.
Works Cited
Grove, Rashad. “Megan Thee Stallion Challenges Patriarchy In Hip-Hop.” Medium, 2 June 2019, medium.com/blop-culture/megan-thee-stallion-challenges-patriarchy-in-hip-hop-a82848ba5473. Accessed 12 May 2020.
Ibrahim, Shamira. “Megan Thee Stallion and the Persistence of Music Journalism’s Misogyny.” Vice, 5 Mar. 2019, www.vice.com/en_us/article/wjmb5q/megan-thee-stallion-interview-misogyny-hip-hop. Accessed 12 May 2020.
Lang, Cady. “How Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Hot Girl Summer’ Took Over Summer.” Time, 9 Aug. 2019, time.com/5632924/hot-girl-summer-meme-explained/.
Manne, Kate. Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny. Oxford UP, 2017.
Tigg, FNR. “Megan Thee Stallion on People Critiquing Her Sexual Lyrics: ‘It’s Something Deeper’.” Complex, 6 Apr. 2020, www.complex.com/music/2020/04/megan-thee-stallion-on-people-critiquing-her-sexual-lyrics. Accessed 12 May 2020.