"Some rap music in hip-hop culture encourages sexism, misogyny, homophobia and sexual violence," the sponsors said in an e-mail message. "How are we affected by this?"
To convey the point of this question, Mentor Against Violence Anna Swanson '08 began the event by reading the lyrics from "Shake that Ass for Me" by Eminem and Nate Dogg.
"Now I hope you don't get mad at me / But I told Nate you was a freak / He said he wants a slut, hope you don't mind," Swanson read.
In an attempt to analyze the pervasiveness and effects of such lyrics in rap, the event continued with a partial screening of "Beyond Beats & Rhymes," a documentary by filmmaker, anti-sexist activist and former college football quarterback Byron Hurt.
The documentary, which premiered on PBS in February, looked at gender roles in rap and hip-hop by interviewing young adults, students, professors, rap artists and music executives.
"I sometimes feel bad for criticizing hip hop but I guess what we're trying to do is get us men to take a look at ourselves," Hurt said in the film. "All [rappers] seemed to rhyme about was gun play, killing other men, being tough and invulnerable, feminizing other men and putting fear into another man's heart."
Several of the individuals Hurt interviewed for the documentary, which he filmed during Black Entertainment Television's Spring Bling Weekend, said they believed that rap's coverage of negative subjects is a reaction to the nature of society.
"It [hip-hop] was a willed response to systematic violence in the community," James Peterson, a Pennsylvania State English professor, said. "And when I say violence I mean destroying homes. Imagine someone putting a highway through a community -- then you'll understand hip hop."
Hurt argues through his film, however, that violence and prejudice in rap music are not just reactions to violence in the community. Rap lyrics and music videos, Hurt said, are also attempts by rappers to affirm their masculinity. They do so by promoting the concept that violence, homophobia and sexism are "manly."
"America is a very hyper-masculine, hyper-aggressive nation, so it stands to reason that a rapper like 50 cent would be commercially viable in a nation that supports violence," Hurt said.
Much of the discussion following the screening of the documentary centered on how listeners are affected by the music.
"I think it is possible to listen to this music and enjoy it without internalizing it," Jordan Page '07 said.
Others asserted that there is no difference between music that promotes misogyny or homophobia and music that promotes racism -- both should be equally offensive, one audience member said.
A major point of discussion centered on whether Dartmouth students, as "educated," can insulate themselves from the types of behavior encouraged by some forms of rap music. Many female audience members, however, cited fraternity parties as examples of male students having taken the lyrics to heart.
"We are at Dartmouth College and we are supposed to be intellectuals, but we still internalize this," an audience member said.
By the end, students appeared to have reached a consensus that the pervasive violent and sexist themes in contemporary rap and hip-hop music not only affect African-Americans and women, but also Caucasians, men, Latinos and all rap listeners.
The discussion was underscored when co-organizers Andy Lesser '08 and Jarrel Mitchell '09 raffled-off "socially conscious" hip-hop CDs when it ended.
"I jokingly say that I'm in recovery from hip hop," Hurt said. "It's like being in a domestic violence situation. Your home is hip hop and your man beats you."
"Some rap music in hip-hop culture encourages sexism, misogyny, homophobia and sexual violence," the sponsors said in an e-mail message. "How are we affected by this?"
To convey the point of this question, Mentor Against Violence Anna Swanson '08 began the event by reading the lyrics from "Shake that Ass for Me" by Eminem and Nate Dogg.
"Now I hope you don't get mad at me / But I told Nate you was a freak / He said he wants a slut, hope you don't mind," Swanson read.
In an attempt to analyze the pervasiveness and effects of such lyrics in rap, the event continued with a partial screening of "Beyond Beats & Rhymes," a documentary by filmmaker, anti-sexist activist and former college football quarterback Byron Hurt.
The documentary, which premiered on PBS in February, looked at gender roles in rap and hip-hop by interviewing young adults, students, professors, rap artists and music executives.
"I sometimes feel bad for criticizing hip hop but I guess what we're trying to do is get us men to take a look at ourselves," Hurt said in the film. "All [rappers] seemed to rhyme about was gun play, killing other men, being tough and invulnerable, feminizing other men and putting fear into another man's heart."
Several of the individuals Hurt interviewed for the documentary, which he filmed during Black Entertainment Television's Spring Bling Weekend, said they believed that rap's coverage of negative subjects is a reaction to the nature of society.
"It [hip-hop] was a willed response to systematic violence in the community," James Peterson, a Pennsylvania State English professor, said. "And when I say violence I mean destroying homes. Imagine someone putting a highway through a community -- then you'll understand hip hop."
Hurt argues through his film, however, that violence and prejudice in rap music are not just reactions to violence in the community. Rap lyrics and music videos, Hurt said, are also attempts by rappers to affirm their masculinity. They do so by promoting the concept that violence, homophobia and sexism are "manly."
"America is a very hyper-masculine, hyper-aggressive nation, so it stands to reason that a rapper like 50 cent would be commercially viable in a nation that supports violence," Hurt said.
Much of the discussion following the screening of the documentary centered on how listeners are affected by the music.
"I think it is possible to listen to this music and enjoy it without internalizing it," Jordan Page '07 said.
Others asserted that there is no difference between music that promotes misogyny or homophobia and music that promotes racism -- both should be equally offensive, one audience member said.
A major point of discussion centered on whether Dartmouth students, as "educated," can insulate themselves from the types of behavior encouraged by some forms of rap music. Many female audience members, however, cited fraternity parties as examples of male students having taken the lyrics to heart.
"We are at Dartmouth College and we are supposed to be intellectuals, but we still internalize this," an audience member said.
By the end, students appeared to have reached a consensus that the pervasive violent and sexist themes in contemporary rap and hip-hop music not only affect African-Americans and women, but also Caucasians, men, Latinos and all rap listeners.
The discussion was underscored when co-organizers Andy Lesser '08 and Jarrel Mitchell '09 raffled-off "socially conscious" hip-hop CDs when it ended.
"I jokingly say that I'm in recovery from hip hop," Hurt said. "It's like being in a domestic violence situation. Your home is hip hop and your man beats you."
