Pop Fatigue

Is pop culture fueling our increasing rape culture at a time when violence against women and children is a growing?

KARACHI:

Unless you live under a box, you’re probably aware of the recent gang rape of a five-year-old girl in Lahore. While that case has made noise, it must be remembered that it’s not a one-off.

A mentally disturbed woman was gang raped in Badin. A woman was gang raped in front of her husband and children as an act of vengeance, in Tharparker. A 12-year-old girl was gang raped in Faisalabad.

Pakistan hasn’t suddenly developed a culture where children and women are subjected to horrific, life-altering crimes. However, stories are now coming out. Voices are being given to those who can’t raise their own. At such a time, do we really need to surround ourselves with entertainment that promotes rape culture and influences young minds?

If you’re a follower of pop culture, you are probably aware of the term twerking. Oxford dictionary describes it as “dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance”. The term became relevant after the recent MTV Video Music Awards 2013 featured Miley Cyrus, an American singer, who was shown twerking away with fellow singer Robin Thicke, as they performed a medley of their smash hits.

During what can only be termed as a pathetic performance, Cyrus made all sorts of tasteless moves, including wearing a nude-coloured bikini, propelling a foam finger suggestively and sticking her tongue out. Selling sex is easy and Cyrus, 21, went for the shortcut.

There is no need to pick on Cyrus as the inventor of twerking. It’s been around for decades. Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Madonna have all done it, and continue to do so. The main difference between the stars mentioned above, and Cyrus is that the latter is a former Disney star. Cyrus rose to fame with popular TV show Hannah Montana, and has, over time, been working relentlessly towards shedding her squeaky clean image.

While criticism is coming in from all sides, Cyrus is unapologetic. A clip from an upcoming documentary features Cyrus saying, “Every VMA performance, anyone that performs, that’s what you’re looking for. Its three days later and people are still talking about it. They’re over thinking it. You’re thinking about it more than I thought about it when I did it. Like, I didn’t even think about it ’cause that’s just me.” In the wake of the performance, Cyrus and fiancé Liam Hemsworth have called off their engagement, and American Vogue has dropped the young singer-actor from their upcoming December cover.

Right here at home, artists like Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber have a solid fan following. With nearly 30 million Internet users in Pakistan, inappropriate content is easily accessible to just about everyone. The Parents Television Council, a nonprofit organization focused on keeping a close eye on pop culture, is known for strong criticism against various television shows, and was infuriated with MTV for running such a lewd performance. Dan Isset, a spokesman for the group, said in a press statement, “This much is absolutely clear, MTV marketed adults-only material to children while falsely manipulating the content rating to make parents think the content was safe for their children. MTV continues to sexually exploit young women by promoting acts that incorporate ‘twerking’ in a nude-coloured bikini. How is this image of former child star Miley Cyrus appropriate for 14-year-olds?”

Artists have been singing about sex for a long time. Some call it breaking clichés, self-expression and artistic license. Music has been around, but the culture of sexism has never been as pervasive as it is today, where Indian item songs, international pop songs and controversial videos are the order of the day.

Ardath Whynacht, a professor at Halifax who teaches gender studies, sociology and criminology, got it right in a piece for Huffington Post. She wrote, “The VMA performance WAS rape culture with a huge helping of racist appropriation. Rape culture is not nudity. Rape culture is not twerking. Rape culture is the cultural industry we have built around creating images that send the message that rape is hot. There is no such thing as ‘just a music video’. There is no difference between entertainment and reality — not when the media industrial complex is one of the most complex and powerful social learning tools we have.”

The multiple assaults on women and innocent children only mean one thing — we need monumental changes to prevent future crimes. The narrative needs to change. And that narrative will never change if rape culture is defended anymore in the name of art.

Maheen Sabeeh is a freelance journalist. She blogs at maheensabeeh.wordpress.com and tweets @maheensabeeh

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2013.

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