Women degraded by youth culture - Editorial

Most participants of Thurday’s Take Back the Night rally and march on the Ohio State campus have labeled the event a great success. Sponsored by the Association of Womyn Students, the rally was held to raise awarness of violence and sexism against women, both on national and local levels. However, the lessons learned in the rally will quickly be forgotten on this campus, thanks to a sexist and brainwashing youth culture that dominates America’s young population. America’s youth culture is indeed a sexist entity. It would be rational think that college students would be too open-minded and intelligent to follow America’s youth culture, but that is not the case. One would only need to spend a weekend on the OSU campus to see that college-aged students are immersed in this sexist culture. The best example of this is popular music. A big percentage of today’s best-loved musical artists contribute to the oppression of women in America. Walk into any dorm room or apartment on campus and you will likely see students watching MTV. One of the stations’ most popular programs is Total Request Live, which basically rounds up all the lifeless youth of New York City to stand outside MTV studios and scream as loud as possible for their favorite youth icons. Britney Spears, Christina Aguillera, Jennifer Lopez. These are young women’s role models. Not one of them writes or produces her own music. Not one has the ability to become an independent artist. And worst of all, not one looks like she would if her body were allowed to take its natural course of growth. This is what American women are expected to look and act like. It’s no wonder the existence of depression, eating disorders and plastic surgery are at a high, and continuing to grow, among America’s youth. Little girls are growing up thinking they have to look like Britney or Jennifer, and that men only like them if they do. Another way to witness this sexist youth culture is to visit any bar or club on campus. You will likely walk in to see half-dressed women shaking their bodies to the sound of various popular female-degrading songs. Recent hits include Juvenille’s “Back That Ass Up” and the 504 Boyz’ “Wobble Wobble.” Not only are these songs sexist, but they also contain no artistic or musical promise. The themes are repetitive, the beats are used and the lyrics are just plain wack. Yet walk into any club or past any campus party, and you will hear these songs. They are favorites among a generation that thrives on sexism. With these musical influences, students continue to view women as sexual objects, quests that challenge one’s ability to get as trashed as possible and engage in meaningless drug-induced one-night stands. America’s MTV youth culture is a plague upon equal rights and treatment for women, and it is followed by students all over this campus. The separtation and oppression of women is readily accepted in this culture, demonstrated by popular mainstream music and accepted modes of behavior. One annual Take Back the Night rally cannot reverse the impact of the year-long youth culture that influences sexism and ignorance among America’s youth.

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