Offensive Music Video “Ride”
I am an African American woman such as you. I am married and have five children, three girls and two boys; they are at the influential age were they want to emulate what they think is hip and cool. They are into music and music videos. They go through the house all the time singing their favorite songs, and your song just so happens to be one of their favorite songs; you have catchy lyrics. I could not make out the entire lyrics to one of your songs because they would abruptly stop singing it or playing it whenever they think I am near them. But on one occasion, they did not see or hear me coming, and I heard must of the lyrics to Ride. I thought to myself; you could not be singing about what I thought— having sex. I inquired if you made a video, and sure enough you did featuring Ludacris. Ms. Ciara you are a very beautiful African American young lady; God has blessed you to be a very talented artist with a lovely voice and the ability to dance. Please tell me, what made you decide to sing a song like that as well as make a music video that denotes your song?
In your video, you are singing and demonstrating—riding it. It is clear to me that you made your video either not thinking about you audience, or to entice a particular audience of men. If your man likes the way you ride it, then you both should be extremely happy, but to demonstrate your skills in your music video is distasteful. Your video has very strong sexual innuendos and is sending a clear message even without you singing the lyrics. For instance your dance movements, they are unambiguous as you lie on the floor and simulate how you have sex. Next, you stand with legs apart and squat your body to show your audience you are capable of even more sexual moves as you ride it. In another scene, you show your ass and bounce it to your audience letting them know you give that up too showing how you move it when you ride it. You are selling sex; for example; the way you are sitting in the chair the camera only exposes your legs apart with you wearing over the knee laced up stiletto heel boots; a decent female would not sit like that because it sends a nonverbal sexual message.
Furthermore, as for your attire, you are exposing yourself by leaving very little to the imagination of your naked body by wearing a skimpy swimsuit exposing your pelvic area, as you rotate and thrust that region, wearing a fur coat as a backdrop with stiletto heels that appears to be 7” high. The image you portray is that of a typical male sexual fantasy. Given the fact that your video is called Ride, you surely are getting your message across loud and clear. In another scene change, you are soaking wet from head to toe as you ride an electronic bull, once more the camera is focused on the parts of your anatomy that is viewed by men as a sexual stimulator. The message you are sending in that scene also is loud and clear that you have sex (ride) with your man (the bull) and not give up even if you are tired and dripping wet with sweat; you can keep it up for hours.
I feel that your video should be discontinued, for the simple fact that it sends a negative message to young impressionable females, and your performance is degrading, and disrespectful to all respectable women. You may not believe that you are a role model, but your fame puts in the public eyes and qualifies you as being a role model because whatever you do that draws attention to yourself is magnified and available for millions of people of all age, sex, and nationality to view. Your video sends a negative message to young and upcoming females who may enter into the music business that it is okay to dress half naked and parade around like a trophy, while men have the common courtesy to stay fully dressed. Another degrading part of your video is where you put strong emphasis on each word of your song as you sing that “You work it so good many…want to buy me.” Money for sex is clearly not a positive message to be sending your audience especially to females. Even though the music industry dominated by males, you should not have to feel like you need to promote your music by being half naked and simulating sex just to boost your music sales.
To view this music video called “Ride” by Ciara featuring Ludacris. Click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6W4aK1sbs
While I am not going to argue that it is blatantly obvious the presence of the double entendre, in their defense, they specifically state what is being ridden: "the beat." Anyway, back to sex because that is obviously the more interesting topic. While I agree that Ciara is very much being objectified, isn't it true that most subjects/objects of art are objectified to certain extents? Also, it's true that artists want to maximize their sales, but that's in part due to the very capitalistic, cannibalistic nature of the Western World.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I will have to disagree with "your fame puts in the public eyes and qualifies you as being a role model" because I really don't think it is solely their responsibility as to what impressionable children see in the media. I don't think it's necessarily fair to give people freedom to do what they want, but then tell them, "nope, sorry... you have it, but you have to play the rules a certain way."
(I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just trying to argue the other side. I find that sometimes it's a worthwhile exercise.)
I can't help but go back to a time when I was on the dance floor dancing to the music of The Temptations, Four Tops, and etc. and really having a great time. Then I grew up and it became Marvin Gaye with "Let's Get It On and Sexual Healing", or Billy Paul with "Love Buddies or Me & Mrs. Jones" or Barry White and "Practice What You Preach", even Barbara Mason with "Yes, I'm Ready" and Sylvia with "Pillow Talk". I don't believe our younger generation is any different than we were. They are censored less, but the same feelings of sexuality that we had they have. I think sometimes we should look at the expression of sexuality as just that, an expression. We have made a "deal with the devil" who tells us as women and in particular Black women that we have this ideal to live up to. First, the idea of femininity, which did not include the Black woman in the first place, becomes the epitome of womanhood cast in gold. Second, the exploitation we experienced in which we were the victims of others' passion and the produces of the labor force for slavery does not exist as it did in slavery. However, we still want to "keep our skirts down, and keep our legs closed" and heaven forbid any expression of sexuality or the "bad girl" stigma gets attached. We want the identity that the oppressor has set out for us rather than seeking out who we are and identifying ourselves on our own terms.
ReplyDeleteSaartjie Baartman, was born in Africa in 1789. The Khoi people were classified as a divergent branch of humanity. Khoi women had endowed figures and large fleshy buttocks which were seen as a marker for their sexuality. Ms. Baartman's name was eventually stripped from her, and she was called the "Hottentot Venus". She suffered violations such as rape, and intimate medical examinations that should have been called rape. She was treated as the boundary between man and animal. She was made, MADE to stand naked at parties and to act like a chained animal. The people started by staring at her, then laughing at her, and then becoming aroused by her. In 1810 when there was a complaint that she was being demeaned in an English court Baartman denied it (her owner convinced her of profit sharing, she lied for him), denied being held against her will and said she was there on exhibit to make a profit., which by the way, she never saw. In 1814 she was taken to Paris where she was paraded in circuses, along with talking pigs, animal monsters and human oddities. She was sold again to an animal trainer who kept her in a cage. In 1815 she became an alcoholic and died that same year at the age of 27. Why did I mention this in regards to Ciara, Black women have always been on display and have always been fighting sexual innuendos that come with being Black women. She is an immoral, neglectful, domineering, lazy woman who is neglectful of her children.
Again, where is the expression of self-definition and personhood? When have Black women had control of their sexuality and their reproductive organs, not long? When one is oppressed and finds self at bottom of the chain who do you trust, the oppressor, the oppressed Black male who is trying to be a part of the oppressor’s world too? So eventually you stand alone. A help up is always more helpful than a step down. No I don't like the song or the dance, but I hope she can find a better place in which to display her gifts, knocking her down only bruises me.
Should Ciara care about what other young impressionable children will see? Yes. They won't know the responsibility that comes with shaking their booty, the looks, the thoughts and the privilege that some people will take because one is alluring. Being a human being is a struggle, I don't think Ciara's parents were poor role models for her and yet she chose to do this. As parents, you do the best that you can, you guide them (your children), then trust them - your children are smart enough to win!
I like how you said “Ms. Ciara you are a very beautiful African American young lady; God has blessed you to be a very talented artist with a lovely voice and the ability to dance. Please tell me, what made you decide to sing a song like that as well as make a music video that denotes your song? It’s true that strong independent women these days are making music videos or singing songs that would demean themselves. Singing about sex or presenting yourself in a sexual way, to me, shows that that is what you are all about. And it is true that it is mostly for an audience of men, when more than often, women are the one’s actually enjoying your music, and it really does not give off a good influence on women nevertheless children. It also pertains to her wearing the skimpy clothes, which once again, would not be attractive to females (most of them) but more to males. When the majority of people watching the video as well would be females. It could also make women feel bad about themselves watching videos with attractive females with little clothing singing about sex with an attractive male.
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