1. Gender Degradation and Dominance in Music The Correlation between Music, Violence, and Lack of Self Confidence in Our Youth. Misty Rasmussen Professor Dixon

2. Background Women in Hip Hop/ Rap Music have been degraded for years, recently the degradation has flowed into mainstream rock, country, many other musical genres as well. It is not uncommon to hear a female referred to as a “bitch” or a “ho.”

3. So just what are our children learning? Men in “the rap game,” often appear angry, violent, big, and dominant. Many times male individuals will yield a gun, or other weapon, to appear tough. Young boys may grow up thinking that men are superior to women and will generally degrade them as well.

4. Women in Country/ Pop Videos Although women in country music have gotten rave reviews on their individualism and strong, intelligent portrayals, they still often dress in next to nothing, and actually sing about violence towards men. E.g. The Dixie Chicks (pictured below) sing about 2 women killing a man and disposing of his body…if a male did the same I think it wouldn’t be regarded as well by listeners. Women in pop music often prance around in their undergarments as well, using their bodies for ridiculous things, they don’t understand the message being sent to young women. Below Katie Perry wears a bra made out of cupcakes.

5. Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll Male rock stars often are pictured surrounded by beautiful, scantily clad women, such as Kidd Rock below. Performers like “Dirt Nasty” make it “cool” to do drugs. Notice the female in her undergarments being used as a table.

6. Hypothesis If music and music videos today relate male and females to dangerous gender roles, than males and females who listen or watch music videos in the specified genres will have a higher risk of violent behavior, and female degradation.

7. Method I surveyed 45 individuals, 22 male, and 23 female, between the ages of 16 and 32. Questions regarded thoughts on the way both males and females were portrayed in Country, Rock, and Hip Hop/Rap videos, and if certain references such as “bitch” “hoe” or “nigga” were found offensive to the subjects.

8. Results Out of 23 female subjects only two said that they found harsh words such as “bitch” degrading or offensive. Most responded by saying that they were not aimed directly at them. 16 out of 22 men concluded that sex sells, and “women look better naked.” Only 4 subjects, 3 male and 1 female thought there may be a correlation between school violence and violent music videos and lyrics.

9. Conclusion Unfortunately, based off of my surveys I couldn’t back my hypothesis. Next time I will try and split subjects from their friends while taking the survey, and try for a higher turnout. Although my method did not work for me, the reading I did helped numerously, and backed my Hypothesis well. I believe that maybe we are too numb to the harsh words and representations, both male and female, in music today. After all, everywhere you turn there is a half naked individual or someone being called a “slut.” I think maybe we just begin to tune it all out.