Harvey

Steve Harvey - Black Men Only Race Who Degrade Women in Music

Opinion by Opposing Views Editorial Staff
(December 01, 2009) in Society / Entertainment
Since writing his popular book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, comedian Steve Harvey has become a go-to source for relationship advice. He spoke with Rolling Out on why dating has become more difficult, especially within the black community. Interestingly, he says hip hop is not to blame.

"We let 'cool' go out of style," Harvey said. "We replaced 'cool' with 'hard.' Now nobody is smiling on album covers. It has resulted in how we talk to women... We are the only race of people, black men, that degrade our women in our music. How did we manage to do that?"

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Steve Harvey - Black Men Only Race Who Degrade Women in Music

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  • SolarSanitizer
    But at least they do it for a good cause.

    What better cause is there than diamond-encrusted teeth and golden 30" rims on Bentleys.

    - SolarSanitizerUS December 1, 2009 1:51PM

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  • slacker
    Well...

    If Steve Harvey considers popular rap as excusively black music, then this would be true. But it's not. Black artists span all sorts of genres, and rap itself isn't limited to only black people. It's more the culture of the music than it is the culture of the people who create it. Not to mention, there is plenty of good hip-hop that doesn't objectify women . You may not hear it on the radio, but that's another issue.

    - slackerUS December 2, 2009 11:04AM

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    • donnawatkins
      True,

      but the vast majority of the hip-hop culture is black, like it or not.

      - donnawatkinsUS December 2, 2009 11:20AM

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      • slacker
        okay

        but my point was that the vast majority of black culture is not hip-hop. The objectification is exclusive to the music, not the people.

        - slackerUS December 2, 2009 11:22AM

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    • BubbaCoop
      "Black artists span all sorts of genres"

      But that's not his argument. He said "we're the only people who do this." He never said "all of us do this". Nor did he say, "all of us are rappers."

      - BubbaCoopUS December 2, 2009 8:48PM

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      • slacker
        okay

        well if that's his argument, then he's completely wrong. Reggaeton is pretty bad too, and that's predominantly Latin American music.

        - slackerUS December 3, 2009 8:38AM

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  • TheCatholicHeretic
    It's the 80/20 rule

    Look it up.

    - TheCatholicHereticUS December 2, 2009 11:25AM

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  • anIndependentWoman
    AnIndependentWoman

    Whether Life Imitates Art or Art Immitates Life, this phenomenon is more than just part of the Hip Hop Culture. I taught high school for 30 years and was always amazed by the disrespect shown to black girls by black boys. I never understood how children who had such love for their mothers could have such disdain for girls. Someone clue me in, please!

    - anIndependentWomanUS December 2, 2009 12:25PM

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    • Sharpsguy
      Dis yo mama

      Forgive my title for the following. The reason many black teens are harsh and dsirespectful of teen girls is that while they MAY love their mothers, they disrespect them. Why? Numerous men coming and going. Numerous births caused by numerous men who don't stick around after getting laid. Mothers doing "Crack" and other drugs as well as abusing alcohol . Total lack of parental guidance and expression of a mother 's love. Too busy having a little "fun." So, while they can't be nasty with their own mothers, they take it out on females they know who won't hit them upside their heads.

      - SharpsguyUS December 3, 2009 7:57AM

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  • crackeddiamonds
    Nothing Controversial Here

    While I think that the truth is a tad bit more nuanced that Harvey protrays it, he is pretty much right. There are far too many genres and songs to do an exhaustive search to see what lyrics in white songs are degrading to women , but judging from all the popular music at least, the vast majority of black rap videos degrade women, whereas R&B and especially Pop music is moreso positive.

    The lone exception I can think of to the only-blacks-degrading-woman-in-music rule is Eminem ... and he might as well be black ;)

    - crackeddiamondsUS December 2, 2009 2:08PM

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  • whatHistory
    Could you repeat that for me please?

    OK, so I'm a ranting old hippy fart! I've been around for a while & seen lots of styles in art, music, & fashion come & go. This stuff happens as part of a process of change in society & reflects a dialogue between the generations. I must say that it is interesting to me that hip hop has been around for close to 30 years when most stuff dies out after 5 to 10 years (like disco or punk rock).

    This issue of the abusive nature hip hop music has been talked about A LOT & for quite some time. I am beginning to think it is a bit of a canard. What really matters is that so many young people are trapped in some stupid little world created by the entertainment industry & can't manage to see anything beyond it. The problem has nothing to do with the socio-political blah, blah, blah & has everything to do with the inability to think "out of the box" because the peer pressure is overwhelming. In short, this generation lacks balls.

    Screw the tribe & all its tired & retarded store bought symbols of belonging - like tattoos, hardness, rap music, & baseball caps! I am beginning to believe that there has never been such a dull & indolent generation as the one we currently have. Why do you young guys simply repeat the same crap over & over again for 30 freaking years?! You know, there are other sources of inspiration if you'd only bother to have a look.

    - whatHistoryUS December 2, 2009 5:48PM

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  • smatman
    It's his opinion

    It's his opinion, And he has a right to it.

    While I don't agree Rap is the only music to degrade women , (heck , you ever listen to Bob Dylan? man had issues..."don't think twice" "it aint me"? And we'll just leave the whole 80's heavy metal scene out of this) but Rap music is the only style to popularize mysogeny to this level. And it's become almost manditory in it's content. Remember NWA? Or better still, PUBLIC ENEMY? they had brains, and Rap was controversial for being the new voice of the people--Now? like may things that challenged the establishment, it's been purchased by the very institutions it challenged, neutered and distorted and repackaged to enforce and institutionalize negative stereotypes, and little else.

    - smatmanCA December 3, 2009 10:29AM

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