Summary of Related Literature

Summary of Related Literature
According to an Article entitled “A Feminist Analysis of Popular Music” there is an existing

study that tackles content analysis applied in lyrics of a particular song. It aims to identify the
predominant themes in popular music. The songs used for the analysis was determined by “The
Hot 100” list generated by Billboard Chart Research Services. Both Feminist and Social learning
theories provided clear evidence to identify existing themes present in the songs. The study
reveals that Power over, objectification of, and violence against women was the overall
framework that emerged from the lyrics. Along with that six themes were identified: men and
power, sex as top priority for males, objectification of women, sexual violence, women defined
by having a man, and women as not valuing themselves. These themes give an impression to
music listeners who are predominantly adolescents. Marriage and family therapists claimed that
these deconstructed lyrics can be used to educate people about power socialization and its
negative impact to relationships.
Gender stereotypes are dominant in popular music, where women are often seen as inferior to
men or are trivialized and marginalized (Tuchman 1978). Country music also casts women in
subordinate roles. The study of 203 country music videos featuring male performers reveal that
two-thirds discredit women by portraying smaller roles, while only 9% presented women as fully
equal to men (Andsager and Roe 1999). Moreover, one analysis of rap and heavy metal songs
from 1985 to 1990 found that rap was more sexually explicit and graphic whereas heavy metal’s
allusions to sexual acts or to male domination were fairly subtle (Binder 1993), which is
consistent with other studies of heavy metal songs and videos that have found that ‘‘blatant
abuse of women is uncommon’’ in this genre (Walser 1993, 117). In the study of Chicano rap
songs from the year 1992 to 2002, McFarland (2003) identified two main themes: A critique of
racial inequality and injustice and an endorsement of male supremacy over women. Among the
263 songs that mentioned women, 37% depicted them ‘‘simply as objects of male desire and
pleasure,’’ while 4% justified violence against them. McFarland’s sampling frame was based on
songs he identified as popular in focus groups and on the Brown Pride Web site, rather than a
more objective measure of popularity. Armstrong (2001) conducted a content analysis of 490 rap
songs during 1987–1993. Lyrics featuring violence against women were found in 22% of the
songs, and the violence committed against women included assault, rape, and murder. Even
though his study makes a valuable contribution to the literature in its systematic focus on
violence against women, it does not discuss other depictions of women. Other content analyses
of rap music (Martinez 1997; Kubrin 2005a, 2005b) do not examine the depiction of women or
gender relations more broadly. This article addresses this issue. Another point worth pointing is,
one study unveil that country music advertisers’ pressure radio stations to screen out
misogynistic songs to attract desired female listeners. Thus, exposure to misogynous rap music,
according to Barongan & Nagayama (1995), leads to sexually aggressive attitudes. Listeners will
slowly be affected by what they hear if they are continually exposed to misogynous lyrics, and
their attitudes and behaviors will be shaped by the lyrics' insidious message of blaming, shaming,
and sexually objectifying women. Listeners will eventually come to believe that what is
expressed is the norm and reality, according to Gerbner, et al. (1973, cited in Cundiff, 2013).
That is to say, the listeners' beliefs and attitudes will be influenced by the misogynistic message
expressed by rap music lyrics through linguistic choices and syntactic structures. As they are
exposed to this type of music and its message on a regular basis, they will begin to believe that
the messages communicated in these highly popular rap songs are normal and appropriate. If a
rapper uses words like "bitch" and "doll" to describe a woman, it's likely that listeners will use
the same terms to refer to any woman. As they are exposed to this type of music and its message
on a regular basis, they will begin to believe that the messages communicated in these highly
popular rap songs are normal and appropriate. If a rapper uses words like "bitch" and "doll" to
describe a woman, it's likely that listeners will use the same terms to refer to any woman. It's
vital to know how women are portrayed in hip-hop/rap music lyrics, and how this portrayal
reflects how the rap/hip hop music industry views women in general. Since the 1970s, when rap
and hip-hop music became popular, it has served as a vehicle for portraying women as the
oppressed other. Rap music is notorious for its vulgarity. Hip-hop and rap culture are known for
their use of profane language. With that, it is said that Male artists, according to Hutchinson
(1999, quoted in Thompson, 2004), want to crystallize their masculinity by making such vulgar-
filled songs.
Depictions of women have become more diverse, complex, and radically mixed messages
about the individual female persona and women's roles in society as being stated in one review of
popular music over the last century. Much rap music, at least rap made by male artists, defies this
trend (Cooper 1999, p. 355). Certainly, a subset of rap music naturalizes certain alleged male and
female traits and tries to limit, rather than expand women's proper roles and resurrect male
dominance. The ideas are thus essentialist and normative, depicting men and women as
fundamentally different and unequal, and espousing a set of conduct norms for each gender's
proper behavior toward the other, as well as penalties for those who violate these norms. Rap
music, according to some experts, is part of a broader reaction to the feminist movement, which
aims to perpetuate women's inequality and re-empower men. ‘‘Gangsta rap is part of the anti-
feminist backlash that is the rage right now," argues bell hooks (1994, 6). In the majority of rock
and country songs, women are depicted as subordinate to men; however, rap stands out for the
intensity and graphic nature of its lyrical objectification, exploitation, and victimization of
women. With that, we suggest that changing the content of this music—particularly in regards to
the portrayal of women—requires changing the conditions under which it is created, conditions
that are at the intersection of two major forces: associated gender relations in local communities,
and larger cultural objectification of women and associated hegemonic masculinity norms.

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Summary of Related Literature

According to an Article entitled “A Feminist Analysis of Popular Music” there is an existing

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