Masculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Essay - 766 Words

Masculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Never cry or show any emotion, when things happen take it like man, do not get mad, get even. These along with many other rules are makeup â€Å"the Guy Code† believed to shape what masculinity in American society. â€Å"’Bros before Hoes’: The Guy Code† by Michael Kimmel discusses a set of epigrams and analyzes American masculinity. These ideals of what is takes to be a â€Å"man† are often portrayed by hip-hop artists in today’s mainstream music industry. Kimmel attended many different workshops and high school assemblies asking young men in every state â€Å"What does it take to be a man?† and generated what he calls the â€Å"Real Guy’s Top Ten List.† The answers were predictable. Never show any emotion and†¦show more content†¦They are taught to be tough and have a â€Å"manly front cover† in everything that they do. If you ask most fathers they would not appreciate their son wearing pink and playing with dolls because it’s â€Å"gay† and not masculine. Any sort of display of stereotypical effeminate behavior, dressing nicely, sensitivity, and being emotionally expressive, is perceived as being gay. If a guy walks, talks, and acts in a manner that is different from someone who is gay he will be a man. In Hip-Hop, the worst thing one can do is take away someone’s manhood or associate him with anything to do with being feminine or gay by referring to them as a â€Å"faggotâ €  or â€Å"bitch nigga†, not only disrespecting the homosexual community but women also. Eminem often use the word â€Å"faggot† in his when he is battling someone. It doesn’t necessarily mean gay, it’s just taking away his opponent’s manhood (612) Hip-Hop artists often portray images that are â€Å"hyper masculine† and over exaggerated to be far from the effeminate behaviors that contribute to being mistaken for being gay. Instead, they attempt to be thugs and gangsters. Misogyny exists not only in Hip-Hop but also in American society as a whole. Objectified female bodies are everywhere: in advertising, on magazine covers, and television and movie screens. In Hip-Hop women are exploited and viewed as objects. In raps they are often called â€Å"bitches† and â€Å"hoes†, and place them in music videos half-naked furthering theShow MoreRelatedEssay about Hip Hop: Beyond Beats Rhymes523 Words   |  3 PagesHip Hop: Beyond Beats Rhymes is a documentary created and produced by Bryon Hurt. The documentary challenges the dominant discourses of hyper masculinity and the misogynist treatment of women in commercialized rap. Of the many mainstream phenomenons that are discussed by Bryon in the documentary, the issue of hyper masculinity in Hip Hop is questioned greatly. 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