Women In Pop Culture

Words: 1613
Pages: 7

Throughout time, the objectification of women within pop culture has become an increasing issue, that not only degrades women, but also portrays negative stereotypes for younger generations of girls to see. Many theorists and writers have given their opinions throughout different academic articles, and with these, have examined how this issue is intertwined within society today. More specifically, it is evident that women are hypersexualized throughout commercials, are portrayed as “weak” and “powerless” within television shows, and lastly, are objectified in sexual and negative ways throughout song lyrics. Focusing on several well-known witters and theorists, such as, Joanne Hollows and Stuart Hall, we are able to analyze their work in regards …show more content…
Whether it’s listening to music on the radio on the way to work, listening to Spotify while at the gym, or hearing music while at a grocery store, music is a means of entertainment for people both young and old. Music is integrated into children’s lives at such a young age, as even their “A,B,C’s” are learned with a tune. As children get older, they begin to listen to the radio, and unfortunately, the music being released in todays day and age, is going to negatively impact future generations. To begin, we take a look at the way in which a well known written, Joanne Hallows, looks at cultural studies. Hallows argues that “cultural studies have demanded an interdisciplinary approach to pop culture, one that takes into account the social, economic and political aspects of everyday life” (Hollows, 2000). After reading this, I was able to make connections to many different songs, as they take into account the social, economic and political aspects of everyday life. To be more specific, we turn our attention towards Pitbull, a well-known American singer and rapper. Pitbull often sings songs that degrade women, and objectify women of certain races, especially Hispanic women. For instance, International Love is one of Pitbull’s most famous songs, however it is also a song that places negative annotations on women. For instance, lyrics in this specific song state: “En Brazil they’re freaky with the big …show more content…
With over hundreds of different television shows available to be watched, it is easy for people of all ages to watch a show that satisfies their particular interests. However, many of the shows available portray main female characters in a way that mimic how women were treated in the early to mid 20th century. Zeisler discusses that when we talk about popular culture, we are also talking about the ways in which we understand and define ourselves as individuals (Zeisler, 2). So, after reading this, I immediately thought about certain shows on Netflix, and how when we are watching these shows, the repercussions of certain characters actions rub off on us. For instance, a show called Switched at Birth has a main female character for who the most part represents a stay at home mom. She makes sure the house is clean, and food is on the table in time for her husband and children to come home from work and school. Although in later seasons, this character begins to explore job opportunities and writes a book, for much of the first few seasons, she represents the ideal stay at home mom. Within her novel, The Ideal Woman, by Jennifer Holt, Holt states that “women were considered domestic caregivers with sole responsibility for the home and child rearing, while men ‘brought home the bacon’ (Holt, 1). Holt is referring to the time period of the mid 20th century,