13 December 2007 - 2:29am
Chris Brown: "Kiss Kiss"
Take a good look at that photo right above this sentence. Chris Brown and T-Pain are physically and sexually objectifying this young black woman, and thus, reduce her to eye candy and perpetuating stereotypes about black women. To prove everything is mutual, the video director even had this woman smiling like that is the sort of thing a woman wants. Step right up black ladies! You're going to be featured in a video where everyone is going to look at your ass. If you're black, then it's almost certain we'll stereotype you for having a big ol' butt!
The problem does not stop there. Over the course of pop music history black women have consistently been objectified. If there are women in a hip-hop video, and the lead singers are men, one can almost be certain that a display of the female anatomy will be just what the doctor ordered.
Even before hip-hop emerged, black women's bodies have been objectified. In The rebirth of the booty: America's obsession with my big black ass., student writer Amber Williams discusses mainstream America's obsession with big black ass:
Black women have been objectified as sex objects ever since their voluptuous bodies were seen as a welcome change to the bony figures of European women to whom the male settlers were accustomed. When African women arrived in America via a "free cruise" through the middle passage with their large posteriors, it was assumed that they were sex-craving, savage beasts. The view of black women as sexual predators is still seen today in both the entertainment industry and society at large.
Ms. Williams gives an example of how black female slaves were displayed like circus freaks to amuse white audiences everywhere:
In 1810, Sarah Bartmann, "The Hottentot Venus," was forced to parade her naked body around at high-society functions to entertain European audiences with her distinctive buttocks and genitalia. Instead of being seen as a person, she was objectified by her blackness - an objectification that still exists today. Why is that black women's bodies are seen merely as sex objects and nothing more? In Africa, a large posterior is a sign of fertility and healthiness. In black America, having a big butt is still seen as beautiful, but only because it is seen as a sign that a woman is sexually provocative.
The black women in this video are not only being objectified. They are also being racially discriminated. How? It's simple. Discrimination is the action of prejudice. Prejudice is the sum of stereotypes. In this case, what we have here is Chris Brown and T-Pain doing the exact same thing to this young black woman that happened to Sarah Bartmann. In other words, Chris Brown an T-Pain actively engaged in parading a black woman's ass to mainstream America (and the globe) by objectifying her blackness in order to increase music sales.
This black woman could have chosen not to be in this video, but what pop hip-hop video could she have been in that would not have objectified her? The options for her would have been slim. Our society has done a great job of normalizing the stereotyping of black women for their bodies.
The chorus of this song suggests that women want physical affection and that Chris Brown will give it to them:
She want that lovey dovey (lovey dovey)
Kiss kiss (kiss kiss)
Her mind she fantasize bout' gettin' wit' me
They hatin on me (hatin' on me)
They only diss diss (diss diss)
Cause' she's mine, and so fine
and thick as can be
Chris Brown labels himself as fine even if he's got a "bird-like" body. Even though he does not have a model's physique, he claims himself as the "demonstration" of being "fly":
I’m the epitamy of this demonstration
I got the remedy
Ya feelin' me
So why is you hatin' on my anatomy
It's bird like (yeah)
You heard right
Girl I'm the king so that means that I'm fly (ruff)
If you wit it girl (ruff)
At the same time, he is quick to judge another woman's body. He goes as far as saying that if a woman is not fine, then he can't get with her.
Shawty lemme holla at you
You so hot hot hot hot
You ain't got me hollin' if you not not not not
What exactly does fly constitute? What exactly makes Chris Brown so fly? He does a better job defining what makes a woman beautiful than he does describing why he is so hot.
How could this song / music video be feminist friendly and still maintain it’s pop appeal?
1. Hip-hop needs to stop blatantly reducing black women to eye-candy -- period. Too many people other than black women have benefited financially from the racial discrimination and racial stereotyping of black women. How have black women benefited? They haven't. How much respect is earned for black women on hip-hop videos? None. It's all racist and sexist bullshit that is not necessary to sell music.
2. At the beginning of the song, the "caller" had a problem and said "It aint goin good. My girl aint doin her thang she used to do..." This suggests that it is a woman's duty to please her parter. Sexual intimacy is a two-way street. Sex benefiting one person is not consensual sex. The problem is not his woman. His problem is expecting his woman do perform sexual favors for him without doing his job to make the intimacy better. Chris Brown could have written a song about the responsibilities of a heterosexual man to satisfy his women as he would want to be satisfied. Instead of that, he tells the caller that all she wants is some "lovey dovey kiss kiss" with someone "fine" like him.
3. Once again, no woman is singing. There is a crowd full of women of color that do not say a word. T-Pain could have been replaced by a female rapper. What is it? All women are reserved for eye-candy and not utilized as musicians?
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Comments
What I found most disturbing about this videos and all hip hop videos is that the dark-skinned black female is usually the one gawk at for her big hips and butt. Yet, the hispanic or biracial looking girl is usually the object of the hip hop artist desire. I pointed out to my 15 year old daughter, but she didn' t get it.
I actually agree with that. I am a huge Chris Brown fan. The dark-skinned woman is always gawked at for her physical features, while the puerto rican onein always the love interest. Its not right.
I actually agree with that. I am a huge Chris Brown fan. The dark-skinned woman is always gawked at for her physical features, while the puerto rican onein always the love interest. Its not right.
you know watz bullshit? this iz bullshit! az a colored woman i luv chris brown. Cut the crap and unncessary drama tryna make a bad name 4 my boi chris breezy. i thought the song waz cool and the video waz hilarious. so...wat exactly iz the problem here? smh...hater.
Woaah, this article is making something out of nothing. If I can recall correctly, the lady in the video was indeed a WOMAN so with that said, she could've easily turned the role down of being "eye-candy". If she has the right amount of drive and determination . .sure, I see her being the star of a movie or sitcom. Furthermore, white, black, puerto rican, whatever; if you are nice looking with a body to match, people of the opposite sex will look at you. POINT BLANK. It justs so happens that the woman in the video was black. Once again, it was NOt that serious. And when Chris says something along the lines of if you not hot then I won't be getting with you . . I dont blame him. As shallow as it may sound, who doesnt want a companion who is at least a bit hot/cute/sexy? I rate that article along the lines of a 3, losing most points for overexageration.
I totally understand where you are comin from. However there are several points of intrest i feel need to be addressed. First of all, the admiration of thick women is something that african americans get from their ancestory. They do it in Africa!! I do feel that in some circumstances they over do it and truly objectify women but this video is not a good example. I was disturbed when my "crunkness" was interupted by the girl walking down the hall but i feel that if he likes thick women thats what he likes and he has the right to express that. Also the fact that the girl is holding school books shows that she is concerned with school and not just another air-headed bimbo. Secondly, The lyrics are incorrect and misinterpreted(forgve my spelling). T-pain says " U think i'd be hollin if u not" which i dont feel is disrespectful, i mean i wouldnt expect him to want to talk to a girl that he didnt find attractive.
The caller doesnt say his wife hasnt been doin the things she supposed to he says the things she used to and Chris and T-pain respond by saying in essence that his gil just wants to be loved which is a positive message that tells men to respect and love their women. The whole T-pain instead of a female rapper thing was a smart move sense t-pain is real hot in th music industry right now. Another more relevent issue with this video is that aside from this women walking down the hallway te screen is dominated by latina or lighted skinned females making it seem as if a darker skinned female is only attractive if she has a large bottom.
FYI- im 14
Yeah i agree with Lil Mizz Africa. I don't think that
Chris really thought twice about having the women walk down the hallway. I just think that he was attracted to her, and he wanted to show that. I don't think Chris really thought that he was degrading her in anyway, by having her in the video. I don't think it's fair that Chris is the one being critized. Chris respects women, and I think the last thing that he wants to do is to degrade them in anyway. If you listen to his lyrics in some of his other songs, you would see that he sings about nice things and not just about sex. I think that Chris would be one of the last people I would critisize for degrading women. Off of the top of my head, I know some artists (not going to mention any names)that degrade women like crazy in almost every single one of their videos. I think that we need to be on these artists more then on Chris. But after reading this article, I definitly see where your coming from, and your right about something needing to be done.
no hez not disrespectin no one hez young thats wat we do she basically exposing herself by letting him look at her
i think who ever wrote this article is OVERREACTING....this is just a music video for teenagers and is just about having fun. Also in a way i believe that he is helping teenage girls in a way that it shows that you dont have to be as thin a toothpick for boys to like you. There was a time were everyone thought that they had to be as skinny as Nicole Richie or Hilary Duff for people to like them, but by Chris Brown showcasing women who do not have the "ideal" body or are skinny he is actually giving girls more confidence.
Also I know that Chris respect women because when he was younger he mother was abused and he has vowed never to disrespect a women or to think of them as object and call them Hoe, Sluts or whatever. Also i do understand that in a way he is kind of making this lady in to what you call "eye candy" but you can clearly see this women is grown and knows what she is doing and if she does not see it as her being used or whatever then there is clearly no problem.
Bare with me if there are any mistake or if it is not clear because i had to quickly rush through it and still get my point across. if i have offended anyone then i am sorry but that how i feel.
WELL I DISAGREE WITH LIL MISS AFRICA SHE NEED TO SHUT UP IT AINT YOU AND FIRST OF ALL HES GROWN AND IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISSNESS. GET IT RIGHT
How exactly is this none of my business?? everyone has the ryte to post there opinion and his age has nothing to do with my views on tis situation.
Chris Brown is not degrading African-american women. He's actually setting a good example. He's a teenage boy. They all do that at some point in their lives. He's showing that you don't have to be light-skinned and puerto rican and skinny to be beautiful or to get a guy's attention.
i dont give a flying turd how old you are im 13 and im telling you off.Dont think that you are wiser then me just because u dont know wwhat i kno and stuff.Trick never try to sin my chris brown you dont know nothing at all all you know it what you see on tv well honey let me tell you this not everthing you see on tv is real. and he really dont even act like that so you need to shut up and stop while your at it before i go crazy.
You have your own rights, so therefore I cant possibly tell you if your wrong or not but to be utterly honest and just frank with you I think that this blog is just pointless. For the same reason I seen another post just like this saying the same thing; how comes a young 18 year old whose coming out with a song for the young/fans that will vibe to the music all of a sudden be a huge problem towards women. I think that this track has no haterd toward women what so ever and your thoughts toward his lyrics are just crazy, too me. Another thing; what about Barry White, LSG, and many other old school artist who came out with the same type lyrics but was never pointed out. I think that 'our' crowd is getting picked on no matter what; this is the real world face it. Everything is now SEX, KISSING, and MONEY. No matter how much you disregrad what's going on but sooner or later you will have to face it; sex, money, and power is what everyone is after.
shut up youjust hattin cuzhe look goodandyou probablydont
look chris iz good lookin.Thats BIG BOOTY JUDY for goodness sake and its a video hes not sexually abusing her if she leeting him look atr her butt whats the matter with it. I say that its not a problem with him he respects all women and hez sexy soooooooooooo if you dont like o well he would never direspect any one.
shut up youjust hattin cuzhe look goodandyou probablydont
and first of all the lyrics r
shawty let me holla at you
u so hot hot hot hot
you think ill be hoolerin if you not not not
and first of all the lyrics r
shawty let me holla at you
u so hot hot hot hot
you think ill be hoolerin if you not not not
thank you markeyla!!
..and to the author of this article: if you're gonna criticize/analyze a song, make sure you know the words.
..and "my anatomy in bird like", in a metaphor for him being sooooo fly, he's like a bird [because birds FLY..duh.] he wasn't saying he has a bird.like body!! and that's probably because he doesn't..he has a very nice body..haha..who would even say that?? bird.like body?? [wow]
you wasted a whole lot of time posting this atricle because you don't even know that you talkin bout.
sorry kid..but you're kinda whack.
Okay so, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right? Well This is all strictly MY opinion... first of all how EXACTLY is that small scene degrading black women? Maybe you think it's degrading in general because you can't say that everyone feels that way about it because I am a 17 year old black female and I don't feel the least bit degraded by the video model that Chris decided to put in his video. If anything, I give him props for doing what he did... he doesn't have the girl half naked in some lingerie or bathing suit or anything. All she's doing is walking down the hallway and she happens to have an attribute that seems to be highly appreciated by many african american men now-a-days.
I happen to have a rather curvaceous body myself and I must say that I am very proud of it. Yes I have received a plethora of compliments on my body (which lets me know that someone is paying attention to the hard work that I do to keep up with myself) but I'm not being called out as a hoe because I have a nice size ass.
And you know, quite honestly... I think you looked into his video a little to hard. It wasn't supposed to be a video that offended anyone because of a few second long clip of a girl strolling down a hallway with a big butt. The guys weren't gropping at it or touching her... just looking, whats wrong with that? She wasn't shaking her butt all up on them and dancing around with her butt in the camera so what is the problem? Is the issue really about having this girl with a big behind in Chris' video and she's supposedly degrading black women as a whole or is it that so many black women (and other women of different races) are so insecure that they feel the need to point out "flaws" in other females? I don't really know what the problem is, but what I for sure know is that Chris most likely didn't intentionally put this girl in here to make african american girls feel degraded once more by our modern media... he was only making a fun, different video that does NOT revolve around the typical male r&b or rap video that mostly (MOSTLY not all) include rump shaking, humping, ass jiggling on crotches, and more sexual scenes that make our generation AND the african american race look almost trashy. And like I said before, this is MY opinion... no one elses so please, I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with me because I know someone will, just don't come at me in some ridiculous fashion because it makes absolutely no sense what so ever to argue over the internet like immature children!
And another thing; US as women allow men to degrad us as well. Do dont pin it all up on Christopher. If US women stand up for ourselve and stop letting males take us to levels that we dont want to go then thats up to us to stand up for our rights and allow the power to come back to us. Don't always pin it on males, she's probably A okay with it. Dont ever just say' "Oh, us women are being degraded by males." No no no no, I think we are doing this all to ourselves. We'll hear males doggin us and still dance to the music, thats just something that we cant control. Just like the Video Vixen; people actually support her habbit of scewing randome males in the music industry and gettin money from them and she have a ten year old son; I think that is beyond sad. It start with the women, the the males. Remember that; we allow them to take over our lives so therefore its nothing to be possibly said.
I STRONGLY don't agree with none of this because when male artist has a video like this, then it don't get pointed out.When he do it, it got pointed out.I guess that people don't understand that he is growing up so they not used to him talking about or displaying this stuff in his videos. So therefore they need to build a bridge and get it over cause they just gon see worse things in other male artists videos......Atleast she had on clothes where as in other vidoes they butt be hanging out like they ain't got no kinda sense.That's just how I feel on the whole situation. Dudes look at girls butts all the time, what is this time diffrent from any other.
I think that you are reading too much into this video. There are worse videos out there and for you to pick this one out of the whole bunch is quite confusing. He was doing what most 18 year old boys do and thats check out girls. At least he didn't slide a credit card down her @$$ or pour liquor all over her. There is no reason to pick this video apart the way you did.
iT'S FUNNY H0W EVERY0NE SEEMS T0 0VERL00K STUFF.
iF iT WAS A S0NG AB0UT DEGRADiNG W0MEN, D0N'T Y0U THiNK THE ViDE0 W0ULD BE THE SAME. Y0U'RE N0T A ViDE0 DiRECT0R. BECAUSE CHRiS BR0WN DECiDES T0 PUT A PRETTY BLACK W0MEN WiTH A BiG BUTT, iNSTANTLY MEANS THAT HE'S DEGRADiNG THEM??? THAT'S DUMB BECAUSE T0 ME Y0U CAN TURN 0N A FRiGGiN AK0N ViDE0 AND SEE
W0MEN 0F ALL C0L0RS SHAKiN THEiR ASSES AND DANCiN NASTY. iF THE GiRL WANTED T0 BE DEGRADED iN THE ViDE0 AND GET ATTENTi0N, D0N'T Y0U THiNK THAT'S WHAT SHE W0ULD BE D0iNG? BUT N0 SHE'S SiMPLY WALKiN D0WN A HALLWAY.
BUT THE BiGGEST THiNG 0F ALL, iT'S A S0NG! iF THiS WAS THE P0iNT HE WAS TRYiNG T0 GET ACR0SS, THE DAMN LYRiCS W0ULD BE THERE!! H0W C0ME BY THiS 0NE ViDE0, YALL START THiS C0NTR0VERSY, YET THERE ARE TH0USANDS 0F S0NGS THAT ARE D0WN RiGHT DEGRADiNG W0MEN!!
AND Y0U ASK "What exactly makes Chris Brown so fly?"
LET ME SEE...
A D0UBLE PLATNUM ALBUM
A ALBUM THAT JUST WENT PLATNUM
GRAMMY N0MiNATi0NS
3 BiLLB0ARD AWARDS
2NAACP AWARDS
AND A GREAT ENTERTAiNER THAT G0T HiM ALL THESE ACC0MPLiSHMENTS
L00K UP YALLS iNF0 AB0UT CHRiS BR0WN BF0RE YALL P0ST iT.
iF CHRiS BR0WN WANTED T0 MAKE A ViDE0 LiKE THiS
WH0 ARE YALL T0 SAY HE CAN'T?
BEF0RE i SEE S0ME LiL "MEDiA GiRL" AS HiS MANAGERS DiRECTiNG HiS ViDE0S AND HiS WH0LE DAMN CAREER, ST0P TRYiNG T0 DEGRADE ANY0NE ELSE WHEN THE 0NLY PE0PLE YALL ARE DEGRADiNG iS Y0URSELVES
Just as you say Chris Brown has a right to make his video, Femtique has a right to her opinion about it.
That said, this is a community site and Femtique is not "media girl."
Just sayin.
i NEVER 0NCE SAiD THAT YALL DiDN'T HAVE A RiGHT T0 STATE YALLS 0PiNi0N.
i WAS JUST TRYiNG T0 SAY THAT MAYBE YALL SH0ULD THiNK AB0UT THE 0PiNi0N WHEN S0METiMES YALL D0N'T EVEN HAVE THE FACTS T0 BACK iT UP.
No need to shout. Just saying that Femtique is not the same person as media girl.
I am a 12 year old,just to let you Know.
Anyway.Most of the time black women are usually known for having a big butt and being loved by men of many different nationalities for it.I dont think he was trying to make an exact point that if you don`t have a big behind you can`t be hot.
Not all african-american dudes like light-skinned women.I know many guys who prefer a chocolate girl every once and a while.yoy don`t have to be light-skinned just to be thought as pretty in the face or body.
I may be young but I do under stand how woman with a big butt or women with big breast or pretty face are sometimes looked at as sex objects.
Many black guys don`t even think about if you have big butt you just have to have a great personality.
I don`t think chris was trying to degrade the woman in the video,I just thought that he was thanking she had a big ass!And the woman in the video didn`t come to yall and say she thought she was being degraded then I don`t see what the big deal is.
I actually think everyone's comments are right because there's really no wrong or right answer to this but only everyone's opinions. Everyone should be allowed to speak on how they feel and have their own opinion on what they think it's right or wrong. I agree that it is putting the girl in a situation that he's only interested in her butt. but at the same time I think he only did that to be funny and thought everyone would get a good laugh out of it. I send a lot of music videos we're the black girl was also the love interest and the other cultural girls were not. I think chris is different from most of the men and artist in the music industry because in his video he never even kisses a girl to go to the point where his showing her half naked shaking her ass. He's also very respectful for women because she never calls them names[bitch,skank,slut etc.] I have a lot of respect for him for being able to show that his an emotional human being an he's proving you can make good music without talking disrespectful and downward towards a girl or anyone. black girls are just as gorgeous and good looking as any other but I do think[off subject a little] and feel that black people are being extremely races. If you actually think about it black people have the most amount of respect from most culture now I don't mean respect as like "wow I love this about them" but the fact that a black person could be able to do anything they wan,talk anyway they want, and dress any way they want. honestly black girls find it perfectly fine to come up to a white girls face and be like "white skinny bitch" what if it was the other way around? that white girl could possible be dead. Beyonce is able to go to all these parties with white people then is able to go to a party with black people no one cares but if it was hilary duff there would forsure be a problem. Honestly if a white guy acts "gangster" people tell him "stop acting black" but a black person could possible get away doing anything they want. HONESTLY PEOPLE THINK NAME ONE THING A BLACK PERSON COULD SAY OR DO THAT SOMEONE WOULD TELL THEM THERE NOT ABLE TO CAUSE THEIR BLACK. NOW THINK OF WHAT A WHITE PERSON COULD D OR SAY THAT PEOPLE WOULD TELL THEM THERE NOT ABLE TO CAUSE THEIR WHITE. I understand about slavery but first off they weren't treated the worst they were just the most popluar story JEWISH PEOPLE WERE TREATED SO MUCH WORST AND LONGER THATS ACTUALLY PROVEN so why should they not get any moment to sine? i hate how some black people think their lives are the "worst" its not the worst the worst would be living in africa suffering because you had no arms or legs, or no eyes and ears suffering because yur leaving your life as a special ed or leaving in mexico being treated like shit or being a maid. whatever bye i dont find no reason even explaining shit
most black people shold stop complaining
Wow, I cant believe the director dragged that poor girl out of bed, put all that makup on her, put them tight jeans on her and made her take part in this horrible event. Look its enrertainment and anyone who takes it for more than that (like you) is a fool. View it like my little brother views wrestling and get over it, its a show. Poor poor girl, Im sure she didn't even make a buck