Saturday, December 6, 2008

Celie's newest writing: “You Told Harpo To Beat Me?”: How Hip Hop Music Defines and Divides Black Women

It is with gratitude and congratulations that I post here the link to Celie's latest feminist writing. As noted in my comment below it, I think this essay is "awesome". You can see more of her writings at her blog, Celie's Revenge, linked to from my blog.

Below, I've copied and pasted just a snippet of it, hoping it will lead you to read the rest of it. [The "her" being referred to is Karrine Stephans.] It is copyrighted work, 2008, by Celie's Revenge.
In researching peoples reactions to her celebrity status for being a former music video dancer and groupie, Ms. Steffan's disgrace appears to be in writing a book and still not being well enough to admit that she was nothing more to these men than a "piece of ass." Some argue that she's glamorizing being a "hoochie" and is a bad example for young women. I can't imagine any literate female reading her book and seeing glamour in giving a blow-job until your nose bleeds. Steffans makes herself look bad: no matter how many books she sells or university campuses she visits her past and her rise to “fame” reflects a view of herself that many people will never reconsider. Through the sexist lens we use to judge women's truth-telling and experience she comes out looking even worse than the men. It is misogynistic to solely denounce women for holding a view of themselves that men won't release them from. It is misogynistic to focus on what's wrong with the women without leveling serious criticism at the men who create and maintain systems of abuse that exist to meet men's sexual demands, not women's. --Celie's Revenge
END OF POST.

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