call women “ hoes ” H u m a n i t i e s

This week’s discussion is a response to the documentary Beyond Beats and Rhymes by Byron Hurt. Which issues addressed in the film had the most impact on you?

Can you please reply to 2 classmate each 100 words,

Classmate #1:

To me, the most impactful issues that were addressed in the film involved the toxic masculine identity of men and the misogyny that women face. These issues are still heavily relevant today and we need to make people more aware of these issues and to take steps to fix these issues. As mentioned in the documentary, hip-hop and other forms of media portray the identity of a man to be these violent and tough people. For me and the critics in the film, this portrayal is false and harmful. Violence is not the solution to every matter we face. Furthermore, trying to keep up a tough façade throwing away any sense of emotions will just mentally destroy men at some point. Furthermore, toxic masculinity also involves the objectification of women. As mentioned in the film, hip-hop and their portrayal of women is very sexualized and are treated as just objects of sex. This is very degrading towards women, and it does not help in the matter of sexual assault and harassment women face today. From experience, the way boys are nurtured at a young age is to always put up a tough act and are almost never talked to about how we should treat other people, and how we should treat people of the opposite sex. I believe that from a young age, boys should be heavily educated on these issues and should be taught to be more open about their feelings because the way we nurture children will make them the person they are in the future.

Classmate #2:

Beyond Beats and Rhymes documentary by Byron Hurt begins with what hip hop is for African Americans. Hip Hop is a way to mask your masculinity, you could betray yourself to be whatever you want, and in most cases they betray themselves to be Thugs. Most music videos, rappers, or hip hop artists only have women dancing, and showing off their money by throwing it. Hurt wanted to see how man-hood is displayed in hip hop culture, so he flew to Florida and attended Spring Bling weekend. He met a few young hip hop artists and he noticed they betray themselves as being hard by rapping about their guns, killing other men, feminising other men, and of course violence. Hip Hop originated in the ghetto like west an east Bronx, where their lifestyle was a war zone. If African Americans, or Latinos in the ghetto neighborhood don’t ask “hard” they will get stepped on, or dragged down, it would be dangerous. In the Hip Hop community most men identify all women to be “Hoes” and they objectify women. The documentary spoke with the women, and theft is used to then men act, but the women know the difference between sexual assault, and flirtation. The women need to know how to defend themselves, and not allow themselves to be disrespected. Hurt learn in order to be useful in the the Hip Hop community they need to call women “Hoes” and throw money at the cameras, and act hard.