Written evidence submitted by Dr Nicola Puckey (MiM0014)

I am a lecturer in English Language and Linguistics, I specialise in gender, sexuality and language, with a particular interest in music and popular culture. With this submission, I intend to make a statement regarding the correlation between misogynistic lyrics and violence against women and girls. Music not only acts as a mirror for our cultural practices and norms, but significantly it can also shape these cultural practices and norms. It does this by creating, sharing, and normalising behaviours and ideologies.

Misogyny is prevalent in music, both in performances in videos and shows, and in the lyrical content. There are a wide range of studies that provide evidence to this effect; the majority of this focuses specifically on genres such as rap/hip-hop (e.g. Adams and Fuller, 2006; Quinn, 2000; Weitzer and Kubrin, 2009) and rock/metal (Kahn-Harris, 2007; Rafalovich, 2006). However, a book I co-edited recently (Fosbraey and Puckey, 2021) has shown that misogyny does indeed continue to exist in these genres (e.g. the chapters by Alexander, Angelucci and Houbabi, d’Hont), but that more mainstream popular music also demonstrates misogyny, often in much more subtle and subversive ways (e.g. the chapters by Harris, and Mulvihill). Importantly, misogynistic content is not only created and performed by male artists; Levy (2005), and Banet-Weiser (2018) have both shown how female artists can present and reinforce misogynistic stereotypes and behaviours through what Levy calls ‘raunch culture’.

This prevalence of misogyny in songs performed by male and female artists leads to the normalisation of misogyny and toxic masculinity in wider society, which can then lead to the normalisation of violence against women and girls in some groups. This occurs as a result of women and girls being presented in misogynistic lyrics as sexual objects with limited, if any, agency of their own. Additionally, where female artists also use misogynistic stereotypes and behaviours, they demonstrate complicity with these and can reinforce perceptions that women and girls want and desire to be treated in these ways. This in particular can encourage beliefs that women and girls should, and want to, be treated as sexual objects at any time.

Alongside the misogynistic content of some songs, music streaming platforms make accessing misogynistic content much easier, whether it is passive or active consumption of such songs. Passively, music streaming listeners can have music selected and played for them based on their listening habits and preferences. The algorithms that are utilised work based on consumer behaviours such as ‘liking’ or ‘rating’ songs, but importantly also through more passive behaviours such as listening to a song in its entirety or not skipping a song. This builds up a profile of the listener and music will be selected that meets this profile. Consequently, someone liking or not skipping a few songs with misogynistic content can increase the chances of them hearing more content of a similar nature. This is particularly important for young people who consume their music away from adult care givers. However, it is still problematic for adults; extremism and extreme behaviour becomes normalised to an individual or group over a period of time, with people being exposed to more and more extreme materials over time. Algorithms can mirror this process.

Research by de Blois (2020) has also shown that men who identify as incels (involuntary celibate) or those belonging to “‘misogynistic antifeminist movement’ (MAM) forums” (p.459), typically seek out music with misogynistic lyrics to support and reinforce their world view of masculinity. I am not suggesting that without misogynistic lyrics we would be free from violence against women and girls, but as I state above, they can normalise behaviours and views and be used to radicalise those already susceptible to misogynistic opinions.

Music streaming platforms should be evaluating their algorithms when it comes to content like misogynistic lyrics and to what extent consumers’ listening practices are moulded when using their services. Before digital platforms became the norm for music consumption, advisory labels could be used to highlight that content is of an extreme nature; this is not a viable option for the digital consumption of music, where listeners are not necessarily looking at their screens while listening to the music. There should be some consideration of how listeners are informed that content is of a misogynistic or extreme nature. Finally, there should be an analysis of how education and safeguarding training and interventions could be used to expose how misogynistic lyrics are manifested, and generate discussions across the genders on misogyny.

July 2022

Sources:

Adams and Fuller (2006) The words have changed but the ideology remains the same: misogynistic lyrics in rap music. Journal of Black Studies 36(6): 938-957. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0021934704274072

Alexander (2021) Like a lollipop: toxic masculinity and female sexual pleasure in hip-hip. In: Fosbraey and Puckey (eds) (2021) Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity, and Heteronormativity in Post-2000 Popular Music. London: Palgrave. Pp. 253-270.

Angelucci and Houbabi (2021) From Pimpology to Pimpologia: a comparative analysis of Pimp Rap in the United States and Italy. In: Fosbraey and Puckey (eds) (2021) Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity, and Heteronormativity in Post-2000 Popular Music. London: Palgrave. Pp. 73-93.

Banet-Weiser (2018) Empowered: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny. Durham: Duke University Press.

d’Hont (2021) How female is the future? Undoing sexism in contemporary metal music. In: Fosbraey and Puckey (eds) (2021) Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity, and Heteronormativity in Post-2000 Popular Music. London: Palgrave. Pp. 95-112.

de Blois (2020) Music and misogyny: a content analysis of misogynistic, antifeminist forums. Popular Music 39 (3-4): 459-481. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261143020000410

Fosbraey and Puckey (eds) (2021) Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity, and Heteronormativity in Post-2000 Popular Music. London: Palgrave.

Harris (2021) See the signs – Justin Timberlake and the pretence of romance. Fosbraey and Puckey (eds) (2021) Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity, and Heteronormativity in Post-2000 Popular Music. London: Palgrave. Pp. 113-129.

Kahn-Harris (2007) Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge. Oxford: Berg.

Levy (2008) Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. New York: Free Press.

Mulvihill (2021) Should real love hurt? The eroticisation of dominance, submission and coercive control in contemporary pop music. Fosbraey and Puckey (eds) (2021) Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity, and Heteronormativity in Post-2000 Popular Music. London: Palgrave. Pp. 15-35.

Quinn (2000) “Who’s the Mack?” The performativity and politics of the pimp figure in Gangsta Rap Journal of American Studies 34 (1): 115-136. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021875899006295

Rafalovich (2006) Broken and becoming God-sized: contemporary metal music and masculine individualism. Symbolic Interaction 29 (1): 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2006.29.1.19

Weitzer and Kubrin (2009) Misogyny in rap music: a content analysis of prevalence and meanings. Men and Masculinities 12 (1): 3-29. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1097184X08327696