Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake and the Effects of Misogyny on Teen Girls
Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Inspirational
Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake, as well as other popular performers of the times, are pushing the limits of entertainment and exposing teen girls to misogyny in virtually secret ways. Today's entertainers are crossing boundaries, and the line between an expression of art and inappropriate content is no longer strongly defined. This exaggerated fear, dislike, or even hatred of women or girls, is manifested through sexual discrimination, physical and verbal violence towards women, and their sexual objectification.
In the recent videos "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, and "Tunnel Vision" by Justin Timberlake, nude females abound. They strut, prance, pout, stroke, twist, and writhe while their male counterparts look on with indifference, all while fully clothed. These women hold no purpose in the story of the videos except to expose and flaunt their bodies and reaffirm that women continue to be seen as mere sexual objects. Artists in every form have utilized nudity in their expression of art, and a message to the viewer is being sent by these artists. So what type of message is being ingrained on teens through these videos?
Females have become so inundated with misogynistic messages that they have absorbed and internalized them. Adolescents repeat music lyrics to the point where the words become deeply rooted, and their young minds absorb the messages as socially acceptable ways of behavior. Young boys begin to believe that they will achieve social status by "using" girls through rough and violent behaviors, or referring to them as "bitches" or "hoes", because they've heard such lyrics from entertainers and seen the actions in their videos. Additionally, the young girls they associate with begin to follow suit, believing that they truly are nothing more than objects for males to use for personal pleasure and gain. Misogyny is not about sex, it's about power, the power of males over females, and it negatively affects the foundational core of teen girls.
