In his recent column, Zachary Gottlieb '10 frowns upon the selection of Three 6 Mafia for Programming Board's Spring Concert ("Engendering a Contradiction," April 27). He characterizes the selection as a vindication of the group's misogynistic themes and an affront to the ongoing struggle for gender equality and respect here at Dartmouth.
While I applaud Gottlieb's continued voice for campus awareness, I do not share his disapproval of PB's pick. Rather, I feel his criticism is a misguided attempt to politicize a welcome respite from daily student life.
First and foremost, we must remember that the selection of Three 6 Mafia is not a selection for commencement speaker, it is a selection for a concert, a social venue at which to dance and enjoy a live performance of music favored by many within the Dartmouth community. What echoes from the microphones of the group's two rappers is crafted to flow with the beats of the song and designed to further the identity of the artists. To suggest that these lyrics are advisory to Dartmouth students is ludicrous.
Gottlieb's concern for the content of the group's lyrics is vastly overstated -- this danger exists only insofar as the lyrics resonate with the concertgoers. Even as a longtime fan of Three 6 Mafia, I can't, with any honesty, admit to identifying with the messages of their lyrics.
Gottlieb makes an excellent point in discussing the recent campus encounter with Girls Gone Wild. He points out that, despite the presence of those representatives on campus, their product would likely struggle to find a legitimate market at Dartmouth: "Needless to say, the demographic of interested purchasers is usually not of Dartmouth caliber."
In the same line of thought, I believe the average Dartmouth male is hardly inclined to borrow lines from "Slob on My Knob" as part of his courtship repertoire, or even drunken basement game.
Sarcasm aside, I can't possibly fathom that Three 6 Mafia believes itself to be the voice of a generation, or capable of compelling Dartmouth students to adopt the lifestyle depicted in the group's songs. I would guess that the average Dartmouth student identifies with the group's Oscar winning song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" about as much as DJ Paul and Juicy J identify with the politics of an Ivy League university.
Nor is the group seeking to advance its political or cultural views. Yes, the artists rap about sex in a demeaning manner; they also rap about selling drugs, and assaulting enemies. But this is not uncommon. The rap genre at large is riddled with disreputable themes. If PB chose a popular rap group, nine times out of ten you could expect similarly controversial lyrics. But does that really mean we should discount the genre entirely, or only seek PG-rated rappers like Will Smith? This slippery slope has no end, especially considering the Partridge Family no longer tours.
Politicizing Three 6 Mafia's music is unwarranted and counterproductive. The group's performance does not signify any declaration of Dartmouth's support for the controversial themes of their songs, just as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was not supporting prostitution when DJ Paul and Juicy J received the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006. In both cases, the institutions are celebrating the music of these individuals on a strictly artistic basis.
We should take the group, and its selection, for what it is. Three 6 Mafia is at the forefront of the southern rap genre. The group has won numerous awards, published multiple platinum-selling albums and, most importantly, played through the speakers of Dartmouth parties across campus. PB chose Three 6 Mafia to entertain the Dartmouth masses, because that is what the students wanted.
On May 22, two gifted musicians will take the stage in Alumni Hall, and a cheering Dartmouth audience will welcome the break from school and campus tensions to enjoy a night of live entertainment. Let's not ruin this welcome programming with further politicization and condemnation, but save our voices for the marches and debates that really need them.
