Critique of the Appropriation of Black Culture by White Suburban Youth
Location
CSU 201
Start Date
23-4-2007 1:00 PM
End Date
23-4-2007 2:30 PM
Student's Major
Communication Studies
Student's College
Arts and Humanities
Mentor's Name
James Dimock
Mentor's Department
Communication Studies
Mentor's College
Arts and Humanities
Description
This critique is an examination of the appropriation of black culture by white suburban youth as being not only racist, but sexist. This phenomenon is viewed through the lens of hip hop culture as conceptualized by predominately white, male dominated corporations promoting the commercialization to affect an increase in profit by specifically targeting the music to white suburban youth. As hip hop has developed from the origins of rap, the critical content contained within the lyrics has undergone transformation by replacing messages that speak out against race oppression on a systemic level to a focus that objectifies women, encourages violence and glamorizes the consumption of drugs and alcohol through hypermasculinity as a role. In addition, there exists an intentional promotion of luxury consumerism that is far removed from the predominant realities within urban black experience. This phenomenon is definitively racist and simultaneously sexist as it promotes representations of black culture that reflect the most extreme negative aspects existing within the urban black experience such as drugs, violence and gang behavior by perpetuating white supremacist assumptions about black culture and masculinity. The effects of this phenomenon extend to the domination of women by men in a manner that further marginalizes women by indulging the male fantasy in which females become willing participants in their own objectification. The denigration that women experience from men in this view is more sexist, more violent and more harmful, as approval of women by men increases proportionately to the level of submission by women to men.
Critique of the Appropriation of Black Culture by White Suburban Youth
CSU 201
This critique is an examination of the appropriation of black culture by white suburban youth as being not only racist, but sexist. This phenomenon is viewed through the lens of hip hop culture as conceptualized by predominately white, male dominated corporations promoting the commercialization to affect an increase in profit by specifically targeting the music to white suburban youth. As hip hop has developed from the origins of rap, the critical content contained within the lyrics has undergone transformation by replacing messages that speak out against race oppression on a systemic level to a focus that objectifies women, encourages violence and glamorizes the consumption of drugs and alcohol through hypermasculinity as a role. In addition, there exists an intentional promotion of luxury consumerism that is far removed from the predominant realities within urban black experience. This phenomenon is definitively racist and simultaneously sexist as it promotes representations of black culture that reflect the most extreme negative aspects existing within the urban black experience such as drugs, violence and gang behavior by perpetuating white supremacist assumptions about black culture and masculinity. The effects of this phenomenon extend to the domination of women by men in a manner that further marginalizes women by indulging the male fantasy in which females become willing participants in their own objectification. The denigration that women experience from men in this view is more sexist, more violent and more harmful, as approval of women by men increases proportionately to the level of submission by women to men.
Recommended Citation
Lemley, Julie L.. "Critique of the Appropriation of Black Culture by White Suburban Youth." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 23, 2007.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2007/oral-session-06/5
