tuesday night thoughts

In the wake of the whole Don Imus thing many people argued in this defense that he didn't say anything that isn't said repeatedly in rap music. This got me to thinking about why rap is so misogynistic.

I personally think it is an infantile form of protest. America has been feminized to the point where men will stand still and shamefacedly ignore a woman being beaten right in front of them. The average black male under the age of 30 was raised by a single mother. Most black pregnancies are out of wedlock. Most black women will never marry. So they raise sons who listen to them complain about black men and who watch them play the dating game with all that entails.

Can you imagine knowing that your shoes, your winter coat, your rent is all being paid by your mom's various boyfriends? That's a common lower class black arrangement. Imagine waking up and finding a strange man eating in your kitchen on Saturday morning. Is this your new "uncle" or is he just some guy who will not be around for lunch? Imagine being smacked around by your mom's current man for no particular reason. These are also all too common scenarios.

Motherhood is sacred in the black community. It is beyond taboo to criticize your mama and making fun of someone else's can get you shot and yet, imagine the anger all these young boys must feel. They can't speak against mama---- besides they love her but they can spew that rage onto black women in general. Consider how many rappers come from lousy homes. Song after song talks about drug addicted or drug selling mothers, absent fathers, poverty, bitterness and shame. You can't have a whole segment of the population living like that and not expect it to spill out into the wider culture especially when it comes in form that has a good dance beat.