What about our choice?

In my first post I mentioned that the catalyst that compelled me to stop procrastinating and launch this blog was coming across a post on the blog http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/ entitled “Kanye West Lynches Women in Latest Video- A Desperate and Sick Display.” It stated that the video for Kanye West’s single “Monster” featuring Rick Ross, Jay-z, and Nicki Minaj was not “art” but an example of the “self-destructive and predatory behavior” the author feels West has been exhibiting since the unfortunate passing of his mother in November of 2007. The author of the post, who is also blog mother of the site, Gina refers to these hip-hop artists as “vile creatures” and states that “We all know that an essential ingredient to ‘artistic expression’ in hip hop is violence against women.”

Gina makes no effort to consider the context of the work or imagine what it may symbolize, because she does not care about the intention behind the work. She never points out the woman that Nicki Minaj is torturing in the video is her rap alter ego “Barbie” and could possibly represent the pain she is putting herself through by becoming such a public figure and how empowering it is to her to be able to control that. She also does not mention the fact that Kanye, Jay-Z and Ross are hounded daily by thousands of professional groupies who live for nothing but the prestige and privilege that comes along with being associated with a rap star. This may have influenced the use of the dead models in the clip. Or maybe it was intended to contrast the live scantily clad women in other music videos such as Robin Thicke’s “Sex Therapy” or even in Minaj’s own video for her single “Massive Attack”?

Despite her misleading title, Gina fails to mention that there is never a sequence in which West, Jay-z, or Ross commits violence against a woman. All the models are deceased at the start of the video with the exception of those attempting to attack Kanye West. This may be the musicians’ way of pointing out that those who are dead inside flock to their ugliness. But then again it may not be. Whatever the case is, the fact remains the only form of violence committed against a woman shown is a female whipping herself.

I am not going to presume that I understand the work in such a manner that I can adequately defend its meaning. I’ve been a diehard Jay-Z fan ever since I was about ten years old. And even I didn’t have a complete understanding of one of my favorite tracks "Lucifer"until he explained it himself in his recently released book Decoded So I know how complex hip-hop can be. There are many hidden meanings beneath what can seem to be a very simple and straight forward track. I will however, wholeheartedly defend the right of these artists to present the world with their work.

Gina's narrow-mindedness about this video astounds me. Because these images offend her it is her opinion that the images must be trite and unnecessary. The video is not art because to Gina art would never be violent or disturbing. On the contrary Gina feels art can only pleasant and pretty. Like kittens, rainbows and her beloved Taylor Swift, whom she unsurprisingly inserts a pointless reference to. After all what would a Kanye bashing session be without a reminder of the 2009 VMAs?

While I was not there while Gina viewed this video and therefore cannot say for sure, I think it’s safe to assume that Mr. West himself did not enlist the help of Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj in holding her down to a chair to watch this video. Just as she had a choice in her refusal to post the video itself on her site, instead opting to post carefully selected stills clearly intended to provoke the indignation she was so desperately seeking from her readers, she had a choice in watching the video. At anytime she was more than welcome to turn it off and end her unpleasant viewing experience. But she did not.

What she did do is attempt to discredit the talent of those presenting the work through her post. She condescendingly refers to Kanye and his work implying that he is trying to fulfill the cliché of the “tortured soul” that artists are so often associated with. She also refers to Jay-z as “Beyonce’s drug dealing husband” in an attempt to make whatever he has to say seem unimportant. It was this that caused me to be truly outraged. To imply that whatever Shawn Carter has to say is irrelevant because he used to be a drug dealer is to imply that thousand of voices are irrelevant to our society. This is a petty and ignorant remark conveying the sentiment many artists, like Jay-z, have had to fight against their entire careers. And just in case these comments were not enough she tries to frighten her readers by implying Kanye West himself is a potential murderer stating “…somebody is going to end up dead. Most likely a woman. This is not ‘art’”

The meaning behind any work of art, whether it’s a music video, novel or a painting is always able to be debated about. What one person may find offensive, another may find comforting, redemptive, and beautiful. But the choice to view that art is always there. The reaction and fear invoked by Gina’s viewing of this work is valid. It is also her own. She repeatedly insinuates that this video is misogynistic in an effort to force her female readers to see themselves as victims of Mr. West. But in reality Gina is victimizing them herself by interpreting the video for them as if they do not have eyes and ears of their own.