As I had learned through my interview postmodernism is a rejection of modernism and the strict dichotomy modernism proposes. I figured I would kill two birds with one stone and show rejection of dichotomy and postmodernism in culture all at once. After all, one of the movements in postmodernism is the embracing of popular culture “The postmodernists including their liberal and radical variants condemn the elite and high-brow authority over cultural tastes. The elite culture is replaced by popular culture. Pop music, pictures of gods and deities, calendars of all kinds and pictures of film stars are example of new popular culture (Modal).” So I watched a Nicki Minaj music video. Now, I know that this is not the most conventional academic research …show more content…
She is feminine and conforms to the hypersexualization of women we have come to expect from hip hop culture; “The consensus of hip hop is that women are props (The Artifice).” However, Minaj is not simply a prop amidst a misogynistic culture. Anaconda is a man’s song, sung by a female artist. This is incredible because traditionally, “Female artists position themselves to be exploited (in order to be successful) by producing content that further glamorizes stereotypes and reinforces the male power in America for fame and fortuneall at the eyes and ears of American youth, the next generation of patriarchs and subordinate women (Artifacts Journalism).”, but Minaj doesn’t. Though she does sexualize herself it’s her decision, and lyrics she sings are lyrics you’d hear a man sing. In the male dominated industry of rap, boasting (God D*n I got bi*, d*n I got bi* / D*n I got bi*, wifey, girlfriend and mistress (Kendrick Lamar)”, sexual innuendo (“It's prime time, my top back, this pimp game, hoe (Kanye)”), and abrasive aggression (Paint her walls like a cartoon/Beat the girl up so bad (Jay Rock)”) are the norm; much of the time this aggression and violence is focused on women and the control of women. In all of the songs the rappers can do this because they have control. The thing is, Minaj exerts that same control, despite the fact that she is a women. She doesn’t just boasts about personal conquests “Boy toy named Troy used to live in Detroit (Minaj)” she also exerts her control and power over men: “Come through and do him in my automobile.” (Minaj)”. She does him. She makes the decision. This is the crux of the issue. This is Minaj’s true rebellion. She is in control and in modernist sense of strict gender role dichotomy Minaj would never have