Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.06.2005, Side 9

9
What if I told you that raping, degrading and beating
people up wasn’t in any way wrong? What if I told you
that not only is it OK to promote sex slavery, violence
and derogatory slang, it’s actually a cool and manly thing
to do? If I told you that women are nothing but mindless
sex objects, pieces of meat who are only after men for
their money, would you believe me? More importantly,
would you elevate me to superstardom and make me
filthy stinking rich for airing these opinions to your
children?

50 cent and Snoop Dogg are examples of hip hop/rap
artists (depending on who you ask) whose lyrics often
show little or no regard for human life, and in particular,
an extremely chauvinistic outlook on women. Not only
does the modern day consumer culture condone this
behavior, we actually reward 50 cent and Snoop Dogg
by buying their material in millions of copies. Both of
these artists are popular in Iceland. In fact, they’re so
popular here, it actually pays off to import them and sell
expensive tickets to their concerts in our biggest musical
venues. Their message to the people? Here, 50 cent
speaks for himself in his hit song P.I.M.P. :

Bitch choose with me, I’ll have you stripping in the street
Put my other hoes down, you get your ass beat
Now Nik my bottom bitch, she always come up with my
bread
The last nigga she was with put stitches in her head…
…Hoe make a pimp rich, I ain’t paying bitch
Catch a date, suck a dick, shiiit, TRICK

Now, let’s look at this from another angle. What if I
told you that black people deserved nothing better than
to sell their bodies on street corners, and to have their
teeth kicked in if they refused? What if I told you that it
was not only fair to humiliate black people, you should
disregard them as intellectual beings? I’ll tell you what
would happen. I’d most likely get publicly attacked,
ostracized, brought to court and sentenced for defaming
black people. All of which I’d fully deserve. However,
these exact statements are being made about women in
today’s popular music, seemingly without consumers as
much as blinking an eye. This brings me to a poignant
question: Do women deserve less protection under the
law than minority groups?

Whether we like it or not, the message of popular
music is getting to kids before they have the maturity to
understand that someone like 50 cent is making harmful
generalizations about women. However, attacking him
for the content of his material is not going to solve the
problem. As consumers, we’re responsible for the success
of people like 50 cent. We made him the megastar he is.
Therefore, we’re every bit as guilty as he is for each time
a twelve year-old sings along with the lines: Man this hoe
you can have her, when I’m done I ain’t gon keep her / Man,
bitches come and go, every nigga pimpin know…

Snoop Dogg, who will perform in Iceland in three weeks,
collaborated with rapper Xzibit on a song called Losing
Your Mind, released in 2002. There, the duo described
subjecting women to violent and crude sexual acts, even
suggesting rape.

Back for more, watch me score (with what?)
With any whore that wanna explore (with what?)
The ups the downs, the ins the outs (then what?)
Kicking that ass, dick in your mouth (so what?)
Piss on ya chest, and put it on tape (now what?)
Have all these bitches calling it rape (and what?)
Slicker than that, so pump your brakes (and what?)
Indite it, fight it, settle the case (w-w-w-w-what?)

Snoop Dogg may have found himself deeply regretting
his part in the recording of this song, as he was recently
accused of gang-raping a woman along with his
entourage. It is safe to say that the lyrics above could’ve
proven seriously harmful to him in a court of law. If
nothing else, he became a man of his word, as he did
“settle the case” by paying his accuser off.

The people responsible for importing Snoop Dogg in
Iceland have kept quiet about the rape case against him,
although the settlement only took place five months ago
and is still fresh news. The Icelandic media hasn’t made
an effort to raise the public awareness to it either. If we,
as consumers, had been aware of this case, or looked
critically at Snoop Dogg’s lyrical message, would the
online tickets to his show have sold out in merely two
hours, as was the case? To put an even more disturbing
note to the whole thing – there’s not even an age limit to
Snoop Dogg’s concert. Time to start thinking, folks.
Column by Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir Bachmann
Use yo’ head, bitch!
By Þórdis Elva Þorvaldsdóttir Bachmann
Shopping
66 North 03
Cintamani 07
Rammagerðin 08
Icewear 11
Vík Wool 14
Kogga 14
Illgresi 14
Húfur sem hlæja 18
The Handknitting
Association of Iceland 18
10-11 19
Halla Boga 27
Nexus 31
Ózóma 31
Tónastöðin 46
Víkingur 53
Carlsberg 56
Cafes, Bars,
Restaurants
Café Roma 05
Café Segafredo 05
Pizza 67 22
Humarhúsið 27
Tveir fiskar 28
Ráðhúskaffi 29
Bakhúsið 29
Gaukur á Stöng 29
Iðno 29
Bar 11 31
Hressó 31
Rauðará Steakhouse 32
Brynja 32
Traffic 33
Dominos 33, 36
The First Vegetarian 34
Shalimar 36
Stúdentakjallarin 40
Pravda 41
Dillon 42
Halastjarna 50
Langbest Pizza 51
Accommodation
Youth Hostel Nýibær 54
Youth Hostel 54
Grundarfjörður 54
Youth Hostel Hamar 54
Youth Hostel Vík 54
Hótel Búðir 54
Hótel Framnes 54
Hótel Dyrhólaey 54
Hótel Bjarkarlundur 54
Hótel Hellnar 54
Hótel Breiðafjörður 54
Hótel Reykjahlíð 54
Guesthouse Árból 54
Guesthouse b/Engjavegur 54
Guesthouse Hvammur 54
Gesthouse Salka 54
Gesthouse Lónsá 54
Gesthouse Urðarstekk 54
Guesthouse Óðinn 54
Cottage Þóroddsstaðir 54
Heiðarbær 54
B.B. 44
Vogahraun 54
Kaldbakskot 54
Kerlingafjöll 54
Museums &
Galleries
Icelandic Salt-Fish Museum 05
The Reykjavík Art Museum 12
Museums of Akureyri 16
The National Museums 21
Kling og Bang 26
The Reykjavík
Energy Museum 26
The Einar Jónsson Museum 29
The Laxness Museum 37
The Nordic House 44
Museum of Sorcery and
Whitchcraft 50
Transportation
Rent-a-bike 29
Hertz 55
Air Iceland 55
Activities
Arctic Rafting 08
Artfestival in Akureyri 10
Reykjavík Excursion 13
Gentle Giants 15
Iceland Excursions 22
Blue Lagoon 34
Spa City 45
Sea Tours 48
Kerlingafjöll 48
Elding 49
The Glacier Exhibition 51
Useful Information
Tourist Information Centre 04
Traffic Council 17
If you would like to be on this list
and advertise in The Reykjavík
Grapevine, please contact our Ad
Department, ads@grapvine.is or
call 540-3605.
Grapevine Advertiser Index
ADs