I am also shocked at the amount of messages in the media and music that put women down. In many ways, society’s norms subjugate women. They are given nick names like “sweetie,” “pumpkin,” “cookie,” “sugar,” “kitten,” “baby,” that liken women to pets, objects, and foods. That baby talk and the feeling of needing to protect the weaker sex are apart in many songs. Similarly, rape, sexual harassment and abuse have become such buzzwords, appearing regularly in television shows, like in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. It is good that they are being talked about, discussed as important issues, and are no longer kept quiet or under the table. However, too much air-time is turning it into old news. It’s becoming so normal to hear about rape and abuse that it is trivialized. Questions come up like, maybe they deserved it?

My Man –Billie Holiday 1938

…Two or three girls
Has he
That he likes as well as me
But I love him

I don’t know why I should
He isn’t true
He beats me, too
What can I do?

Oh, my man, I love him so
He’ll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don’t care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright
All right

Billie Holiday spoke through her music about being controlled and hurt in her relationships. At that time period, it was new to even mention abuse and subjugation. Yet she often emphasized loving him no matter what. Perhaps she stated that she didn’t mind and would love her man anyway as a qualifier, keeping her safe from controversy and public outrage. She started the ball rolling by getting the issue onto the radio and into people’s homes. However, it seems like today’s generation hasn’t yet taken it to the next level. We still depict violence and abuse towards women in the media, but continue to accept it and qualify it and treat it like it is okay. It is romanticized in glossy fashion magazine photoshoots, sexualized music videos and addictive popular music. This music becomes the heartbeat of the today’s young people and its messages teach kids what society accepts. It endorses sexism as “cool.” Sexism is not okay, and women should be getting messages that tell them to stand up for themselves and not accept put downs or abuse. I’m waiting for today’s pop artists to cry out in rage, “I will not take this!”