We started talking about men, and were shown part of a video called Tough Guise...
It seemed good. Something in the vein of Manufacturing Consent.
At one point in Tough... there was talk about how young men perceive themselves and their "manliness". Specifically, regarding the idea of what makes a "real" man. Plenty of stereotypes were mentioned. I felt sad, thinking of all the boys and young men who are brough up to believe society's macho hype.
And I would be remiss if I didn't note how this notion has spread to young women.
Am I the only one who's seen the video for "Soldier" by Destiny's Child? The lyrics make me cringe. Not only am I still trying to figure out if they're actually supposed to be in English, but...
We like dem boys that be in them lac's leanin' {Leanin'}
Open their mouth their grill gleamin' {Gleamin'}
Candy paint, keep that whip clean and {Clean and}
(They always be talkin that country slang, we like)
They keep that beat that be in the back beatin' {Beatin'}
Eyes be so low from there chief {chief and}
I love how he keep my body screamin' {Screamin'}
A rude boy that's good to me, wit street credibility
Why is it that a "thug" is an ideal? In my book--hell, in the dictionary--a "thug" is a
Function: noun
Etymology: Hindi thag, literally, thief: a brutal ruffian or assassin : GANGSTER, KILLER
Did ya read that, girls? Thug="gangster" or "killer". Nothing about that word sounds good to me. But in the black/hiphop pop-culture community, the image of a man with criminal moves has been glamorized.
Black women, in return, are called upon to fulfill the role of feminine saviors, willing to put up and shut up, and make everything ok. Why? Because a man that's up to no good is better than no man at all.
That's enough of a rant for tonight. I have laundry and homework to tend to.
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