Troy Ave had a rough year in 2016. After being involved in a shooting at Irving Plaza (he’s still pending trial), he was shot twice while sitting in his Maserati in Brooklyn. Also, the 31-year-old rapper said that he was being extorted for money because of a “sextape.” The BSB CEO used his Instagram account to announce that someone wanted $20,000 in exchange for raw footage from his”sex video.”
Shortly after, Troy admitted that the footage was for an upcoming video, and then said he didn’t care if they released it.
Earlier this week, the Brooklyn rapper released the official music video for “Sex Tape,” which is nothing more than soft-core porno. And for me personally, the explicit visuals unearthed some displeasurable memories in my life. I must admit, I watched the Instagram clip of the video, but I have not and will not watch the video in its entirety. Growing up with female crack-addicts while witnessing how these drug-addicted women had sex for drugs and/or money was traumatizing for me. Even today, when I see certain sex scenes on television, I get anxiety.
That said, I’d like to think of myself as a feminist—because of my childhood experiences with women. Today, I value women almost more than anything on earth. To put it bluntly, Troy Ave’s “Sex Tape” should be disturbing – for men and women – on many levels, and I have three big reasons why.
It Reinforces Subordinate Gender Roles
The video is made up of pornographic images of women, which in my eyes, further pushes the notion that women should be subordinate to men. It also adds power to the false teaching that women are only satisfied when they are engaging in sex with men. Furthermore, seeing women as sexual objects trains the mind to only see women as sexual objects. In other words, when young men see women as sex objects, it makes women unequal in today’s society—especially in black and brown communities.
The video is made up of pornographic images of women, which in my eyes, further pushes the notion that women should be subordinate to men. It also adds power to the false teaching that women are only satisfied when they are engaging in sex with men. Furthermore, seeing women as sexual objects trains the mind to only see women as sexual objects. In other words, when young men see women as sex objects, it makes women unequal in today’s society—especially in black and brown communities.
It’s Reminiscent Of The Slave/Master Relationship
As a black man, it’s troubling to see the subjection of slaves at the hands of their slave masters, whether in slave movies or in literature. The way that Troy’s video portrays women is akin to the slave/master relationship—where the master controls the slave completely. Clearly, the woman in Troy Ave’s video is under the subjection of another human being. She doesn’t get to express herself sexually the way that Troy does. Yes, sex is a part of life. But that’s also a private matter between the individuals involved—not for the world to see.
As a black man, it’s troubling to see the subjection of slaves at the hands of their slave masters, whether in slave movies or in literature. The way that Troy’s video portrays women is akin to the slave/master relationship—where the master controls the slave completely. Clearly, the woman in Troy Ave’s video is under the subjection of another human being. She doesn’t get to express herself sexually the way that Troy does. Yes, sex is a part of life. But that’s also a private matter between the individuals involved—not for the world to see.
The Video Reinforces The Archaic Notion That Men Should Control Women
Studies have shown that pornographic images unconsciously lead men to believe that they have power over women. Music videos like this only add to that evil. There’s a reason porn isn’t broadcasted publicly on television. It can only push impressionable minds to have dysfunctional romantic relationships.
Studies have shown that pornographic images unconsciously lead men to believe that they have power over women. Music videos like this only add to that evil. There’s a reason porn isn’t broadcasted publicly on television. It can only push impressionable minds to have dysfunctional romantic relationships.
I’ll stop here, so you can chew the fat.
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