Last week we read Aya de Leon's "If Women Ran Hip Hop." We discussed it as a "dream" with some "essentialist" elements.
Watch her perform this piece.
How do we experience this piece differently when we watch her perform it than when we read it? Pay particular attention to the introduction she gives to the piece. What's her overall point?
After reading Aya de Leon's "If Women Ran Hip Hop" and then watching her perform the same piece live, I truly got two seperate vibes. When I was first reading the article, I was imagining what she looked like and imagining how she was saying it. But then when I actually watched Aya perform "If Women Ran Hip Hop" live I experienced it in a totally different way. I truly got to see her passion and emotions as she read the words aloud. At the beginning I also noticed that she seemed to kind of talk in a very "girly" way as she began to recite the piece. She used very feminine hand gestures and enunciated certain words to express it in a feminine way. But although she seemed to be mocking females, I believe that she was making a point that women, no matter how "feminine", can truly be just as successful in the hip hop world as males if they were simply allowed the opportunity.
ReplyDelete-Heather Gaulke
After reading the article and then watching her perform the "if women ran hip hop" I was suprized of how different she was then what I had her pictured in my mind. Before I watched the performance I had her pictured as this lady with her hair all done up, with a dress on and heels, that was the complete opposite when I watched the performace. I think the reason I thought this way is because of the sterotype of how girls that are sensitive and just has a very feminine way of things like dress and act. I like the points that she makes in her performance, shes trying to give women the opportunity to see that men are not the only ones that can be sucessful in the hip hop culture, if women were given a chance we would be very sucessful to.
ReplyDelete- Jennifer Nicol
While reading it first, the vibe I got was not a positive one. In essence, the "poem" made fun of women by using our common sterotypes against us. The line, "there would never be shootings because ther would be onsite conflict mediators", made my cringe. It means that us women are emotional creatures and there would never be any violence because we are passive creatures. While I read the poem it was in my own words and I saw it as an insult. But when Aya de Leon read it outloud, it was almost comedic. I enjoyed it better on paper because I could see different images while reading it. What I did enjoy about it was the message. Women can be anything, including hip hop artists.
ReplyDelete-Jackie Hund
When we read the piece in class I thought it was pretty ridiculous. I understand that its suppose to be her dream but I was still somewhat turned off by it because as Jackie (above) noted she does use stereotypes aimed at women. After seeing the piece I like it alot more. I really liked her energy and optimism. From the video the piece seems alot more humorous /comical than it does on paper. I found it more entertaining. It's obvious from the video that she is kind of joking around. I believe her overall point is that if women were in more powerful positions they would set an example or precedence for younger genrations of women too afraid to break into some of fields that are largely male dominated. I also believe that she is saying that if there were more structural changes and if more doors would open in these areas we would find that there are so many talented women that are just afraid to put themselves out there. There is just festering creativity and brillance in so many women but some of them may not feel welcome in male dominated careers; etc.
ReplyDelete- Krystal James
I kind of agree with what everyone else has said because when we read it in class i did think it was basically kind of ridiculous. After seeing her perform the piece i do have a very different perspective of the piece. At first i thought she was being dead serious but after seeing it i realize she knows it is over the top but she is just trying to make a point. Aya is saying that hip hop does not have to be the way it is, which is centered around sex,violence, and alcohol. It can still be fun without all that.To be honest she is probably right if women ran hip hop it would be a lot different. Everything would be toned down but at the same time it would probably still be good.
ReplyDeleteI liked the poem on paper, but when seeing it performed visually, she gave it life. I liked seeing her facial reactions. In her opening I didn't quite understand what she was saying about "hip-hop heads" needing affirmative action. I thought the piece was about women running the hip-hop industry, but interpret the saying "hip-hop heads" being the listeners of hip-hop. In reading the poem the descriptions seemed more serious, whereas in the video she seemed to make it a bit lighter, and brought some humor to it. Which is good, because humor is a bind that brings people together, and that can bring focus into the very serious issue of the male-dominated music industry. I think if women ran hip-hop, or any corporation for that matter, the world would be a different place.
ReplyDeleteAngie Petersen
I disagree with the comment saying Aya De Leon was saying hip hop can be just as sucessful if women ran it. I got a very different vibe from the performance,like others who commented I felt as if she was making fun of women. I thought this poem was kind of silly and this lady could not have been serious. Watching the performance helped me realize she does not want women to run hip hop. You can tell by the way she is dressed, which is not very feminine at all. you can also tell by her actions and the way she raises her voice when saying certain lines that she doesn't take women seriously in hip hop. In other words hip hop isn't hip hop if women were to run it.(Erica Jones)
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article I didn't like it very much I thought of what I would want in the world different and those may of been some of the things I would change but she fixed them in a different way. I thought she was really making fun of women and the "girly" way some girls are. After I watched her preform I saw that she was some what of a comedian and the way she presented her "idea" was well. It was almost making fun of an extreme way of looking at women and stereotyping them but in a good way. You could view it in another way too, she was taking hip hop to the completely different end of the spectrum with womens' side of things because men already have their extreme set today. So she could of been mocking how men have made hip hop today. I think it was better preformed than read because you could really understand more about the piece that just reading words that could mean more than they say.
ReplyDelete-Kristin Frondal
I totally feel the same way as Angie did. I did like the reading of the poem. People were laughing and it was a little ridiculous. But why is it ridiculous? Some of the aspects are nice things to strive for.
ReplyDeleteAya de Leon did a fantastic job of bringing this piece to life. Some of the comments already posted have said that already. Comparing the written to the verbal is almost impossible because they end up being two different pieces.
The live version was very cool and probably more preferred.
-Cara DeMarlie
When we read If Women Ran Hip Hop in class I found it to be somewhat making fun of women. I didn't care for it at all after reading it. After seeing her perform it, I changed my way of thinking. She was not making fun of women, she was saying that women need to strive for what they want. At the end she says "All the young women now who are currently afraid to bust a rhyme would unleash their brilliance on the world!" From this I got the sense that she knows females will never run hip hop and the clubs will never be like her "dream," but women can stand up for themselves in the name of hip hop. Reading and seeing her preform this gives it 2 different meanings. I prefer the video over reading it. ~Ashley Kimbro~
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the poem "If Women Ran Hip-Hop" I thought it was very empowering to women. Aya de Leon was illustrating how the world would be a safe and better place if women ran hip-hop: a place where women can enjoy themselves. But when I heard the video I did not get the same reaction as when I read the poem. The video seemed like she was more sarcastic and making fun of women: highlighting their stereotypes. I honestly enjoyed reading the poem more than watching the video because when I read the poem I received a positive vibe, and when I watched the video I received a negative vibe. I believe her introduction to the poem was more powerful than the whole poem because she was not sarcastic. She wants hip-hop to be a balanced and shared power: men and women, not just men, or comparing women to men. I believe her overall point she is trying to illustrate is that men and women are very different. And if women ran hip-hop it would be a better and safer world for everyone.
ReplyDelete-Alexa Stel
I would have to diagree with Ashley. I prefered reading the poem instead of watching the video, just because the video to me seemed like she was sarcastic and highlighting women's stereotypes.
ReplyDelete-Alexa Stel
I think we experience this piece in a whole different way when we read the poem compared to when we watch Aya de Leon perform it. Like many others have said earlier, I thought the poem was just making fun of how women are sterotyped, such as having the clubs beautiful and smell good, along with others. Then, when I watched Aya perform, "If Women Ran Hip Hop", I did not think she was making fun of women because I could see she was being humorous and making a point. From hearing the introduction, I think her point is that women can be powerful and be in charge, but it will always be different than having a man in charge.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Alexa because I liked watching the video because I could hear her read it and see her body langage, the way she is meant for it to be heard, rather than just reading the poem on my own and trying to figure out how I should take the meaning of the piece.
Mary Buss
I do not think that she was sterotyping women at all. If you ever go into a club you do notice these things such as women in cages dancing, violent fighting, women dressed in little to no clothing, and the setting is almost always very masculine. We all notice these things but its almost like we are immune to seeing women like that. It is completely normal and expected to see women in clubs like that and she was just brining everyone's attention to it. But not only was she brining our attention to it, but she pointed out that it is not acceptable and she offered another option. Just because the other option is completely different from what we do now it doesn't mean its out of reach. I think her message is good.
ReplyDelete-Lindsay Hummel
When we read the piece in class it was funny to think that someone actually wrote it and that someone believes that the world would be like that if women ran hip-hop.
ReplyDeleteThen after watching her perform the piece you could tell that she was being sarcastic and not very truthful about everything, except for what she said at the end. At the end of her performance she made sure that what she said at the end was the most important part because she said "seriously though if women ran the world, all the female mc's that are scared to let ther beats out would let them out and be brilliant."
~Jaleesa Burton
I thought this youtube piece was actually quite funny. If I only saw the words, I would think it was very serious towards women and cruel towards men. Once I saw the video, she made it funny, yet said true facts about what the rap idustry is like to today. I believe her overall point is for women see how controlled rap is, by men. She did not want to sound bitter and rude by statin her opinion because that would not attract as many viewers. Instead, she had different tones throughout her speech to help women understand, "yeah, that would be nice if rap was controlled by women."
ReplyDelete-Brianna Hund
When I watched Aya de Leon's "If Women Ran Hip Hop", I got a completely different vibe from her than when I read it. When I was reading the piece, I thought it was very good but I thought of it as a dream, something that we all wish could happen. I pictured her being older and saying it in a very serious tone. When I watched her perform it live, I completely fell in love with the piece. She put so much passion and energy into the piece and she changed her tone of voice a lot to fit what she was saying. She used her arms a lot to express what she wanted to say and she definitely worked the stage and the audience. I think it was very well played out because depending on the line in the piece, she would change her tone so that we could relate to what she was saying, understand what she wanted us to get from what she was saying. I think that a lot of the piece is very unrealistic but that is part of what made it so good while she was performing it. I think she was trying to get across the point that not everything can be perfect and we all wish things could be better. If women ran hip hop that is how people would want it to be, expect it to be and know that it could be slightly better when it comes to violence and sex but nothing is ever as how we expect it to be. - Taylor McDonald
ReplyDeleteI too agree with most of the opinions expressed in the previous comments. The poem and video gave two different vibes to me. When reading th poem in class, I figured the author was almost whining about society and made women seem weak. The views of women expressed in the poem fit the common misconceptions and stereotypes of women. However, in the video Aya is almost mocking, and has a strong feminist voice. When reading the poem, you cannot help but roll your eyes, whereas hearing the poem recited, you want to laugh instead. She is trying to express that men running hip hop express their views only and often view women as weak. -Vickie Wilkin
ReplyDeleteObviously, the passion within this piece is much more prominent when performed. Even more than that, the person who wrote it and then performs it knows exactly how to say and show the audience what they wrote. Aya de Leon's performance of "If Women Ran Hip Hop" allows us to interact more fully with the text at hand. We can absorb her ideals on the issues of women and men in the hip-hop industry to the utmost when we see it performed by the artist who made it.
ReplyDelete-Kelsey
After I read and watched "If Women Ran Hip Hop" I realized how much body language and vocal inflections matter. When we read it in class it seemed kind of out there. It seemed like she really meant it and wanted it to be the way she decribed. While watching her reading of it made me realize that she is pointing out that men think if women were to run hip hop, or anything else it, would be very feminine and sensitive. It does seem like she is mocking the feminine ways of women and making it a joke but she is trying to get the point across that women can do the same things men can and its not always so cute and pretty. She is saying that women deserve the opportunity to try and maybe be as successful as the males. I believe that she is trying to help young women to "break into" a very male dominated industry and give them the confidence to believe in themselves, even if few believe in them.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Cale
Kudos to all of these very perceptive and articulate comments!
ReplyDeleteWhen we read it, I couldn't tell really how I felt about it. IT made me giggle at the stereotypes, but I wasn't sure if I was actually supposed to laugh.
ReplyDeleteI loved her introduction to the performance, it changed my opinion and helped me realize that is was a joke. I really liked it that she reiterated the fact that this scenario would only be if women ran hip hop for a while, and then the power would fairly divide. I liked that so much because it was kinda like, "Okay, this is meant to be funny, so you can laugh, but it also has somewhat of a truth." The truth being, things would be ENTIRELY different if women ran hip hop.
It's just proof that feminists do have a sense of humor.
-Kelly Keating-
When I first read the article I didn't know what to think. I thought it was only a dream and that life would never be like that. I didn't really get the vibe that Aya was really serious. But after I watched the performance I got a completely different vibe. The way it was put together and how Aya made it funny and serious at the sametime I got the vibe that she was serious and really wants this to happen. It wasn't just a feminist movement or a demanding performance. Aya was funny and added character behind her performance. You definetly get more out of a performance rather than just reading it to yourself or by yourself. I would rather recommend someone to go see Aya perform before just sitting down and reading the article.
ReplyDelete-Rachel Sitter
When reading "If Women Ran Hip-Hop" to myself, I read it as if it was another feminist story...basically nothing different. However, when I watched the video I received a totally different vibe. I respect the poem more because I like the way Aya added her own flavor. She said the poem slowly, with feeling and attitude. When you read a poem like that to yourself, you see that it's only a dream and whoever wrote it had a really huge dream, considering the fact that it isn't going to happen. Even in class some people thought it was stupid and others laugh, but Aya made me believe it can happen because she spoke the poem into existince. I liked how she opened her poem with how she had an IDEA of what it would be like if we ran hip hop for a little while. Because she gave an intro, it helps put the viewers mind in a different prospective where as when just reading the poem no one thinks about changing their mindset.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I really loved the way Aya expressed her idea about if women ran hip hop. I completely understand what she means. I kind of would like to see how it would turn out if we ran hip hop for a little while and "shared some sort of shared power arrangement later".
Katherine Hallmon
WOW, actually viewing this preformance was very diffrent from the way that i read the piece. When i read it i liked it but for diffrent reasons. I thought that she a was an uptight lady who was just saying her dreams and the possibilities that women could have had if they had the freedom back in the day. And how it was not a laughing matter but a situation that women could sit and reflect on. But with seeing the preformace i guess the meaning is the oppisite. As she preformed she was laid back and it was ok to laugh at the piece. It came across as although the possibilites of that happening would be great that it would also be a funny siutaion at the same time. With the live piece it also just made it seem like she was making fun of the things that sterotypicaly women do and like which i thought was great.
ReplyDeletethe post above is from Ashley Merchant
ReplyDeleteforgot to sign my name
After watching Aya de Leon perform "if women ran hip hop" I actually wished that woman could run hip hop. Although some of what she was saying was maybe meant as comic relief, most of it actually seemed like it would be a great idea. The idea of having the concerts not revolve around liquor, as well as people looking at womans minds not their bodies. When Aya perfomed this it had such an emotional feel to it, I felt the passion she had for her ideas. I feel that in order to get the message she intended for the audience, one should not only read the piece, but also watch the video too. I enjoyed Aya's laid back vibe and felt that she cleverly presented her message. She was not screaming her point in everyones faces, she was relaxed and confident in what she was saying, making people want to hear her message.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the piece and then watching the youtube video i got a negative impression of the words and the message. In the reading i felt as though they were an "ideal world" and that it was trying to make the world a big stereotype of women. I didn't appreciate the female stereotypes used in the piece, that no woman wants to have power and control and that their are no woman who be noticed for how they present themselves in a sexual way (not just their mind). I feel like the whole video of this reading was sarcacstic and made fun of the piece that was written. Although Aya de Leon was confidant and comical, to me i took it as being against and negative toward women, not trying to be empowering and providing a good message of equallity to women. This feminist reading was not my favorite representation of female empowerment.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Rose
While reading the peice first the words together didnt have much meaning to me. The picture they painted in my head seem to be of every possible female sterotype all together. After reading it I wasn't looking forward to watching the viedo. How ever right from the begining I saw such a significant diffrence. While reading it alone I had a completely diffrent vision of a lady in my head. The way she spoke in the video I felt was very empowering as she kinda joked about the sterotypes.
ReplyDelete-Kara Flower
First of all, when I read the excerpt it was quite boring and really didnt grasp my attention and I didnt feel convinced and moved. But after seeing the actual live performance, it was very empowering, motivating and gave me a sense of confidence that women can make a difference and become superior to men and overcome sterotypes that have branded us for many years.I like how Aya de Leon uses humor and examples to paint a picture and express her feelings! The message I believe being presented is that women can do the same as a man and that we are often judged on gender and how we should present ourselves that we never are looked at intellectually!
ReplyDelete~Croshana Floyd~
AFter watching her perform "If Women Ran Hip Hop" it made me realize that my interpretation from reading it was way off. When reading the piece my imagination took over, and the reality of how it was written was blurred. I didn't connect as well with the piece as I did when I watched the video. In the video, she is so alive; she gives a meaning to the work that would not be felt if you would only have read it and not listened to her and watch her as well. You can tell she is very passionate about "If Women Ran Hip Hop"; her facial expressions, her voice, and her gestures all shine through. It helps her show that she's making fun of our stereotype; what we have been "labeled" as. It's a very empowering video.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Dennis
After reading the piece by Aya de Leon and watching the performance I felt two different ways. While I was reading it I liked how she spoke her mind about the freedom that women have. I liked how she presented the idea of what it would be like if women ran hip hop. When Aya performed this piece we saw a completely different side then we did when we read it. She changed her tone and it was obvious that she was passionate about this subject. She presented it with a femininist tone. Personally, I would like to see what it would be like if women ran hip hop for a while. I would definately recommend someone to watch this performance instead of just reading the piece.
ReplyDeleteHer interpretation of "If Women Ran Hip Hop" was way much better than simply reading on paper. The passion she gives to telling the poem give the words a whole new vibe. I think that the performance contradicts the way it was read in class. The performance shows her imitating the way males think that hip hop would be ran, but at the same time showing how successful it could still be if women ran hip hop.
ReplyDelete-Chasity Anais Sandidge
After reading her piece in class and then watching the video, I received a very different vibe from what I thought she would be like. When we were reading it in class, I was thinking this woman is absolutely absurd to think the real world could actually be like this, especially hip hop. And then watching the video, she is much more elaborate about the theme and really expresses herself the way she wanted to be heard. It was very interesting to see both sides of the lyrics.
ReplyDelete-Molly McWard
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the piece I really didn't like it. I thought it was very stereotypical and, as Molly above me said, absurd. I am glad to see, after watching the video that it is a work of satire. It is obviously performed in a way that is meant to poke fun at common female stereotypes.
ReplyDelete-Taylor Adams
(deleted and re-posted to fix typos)
I got a lot better of a feel for who this woman was after I watched it and saw her perform it. It also made me realize more how she meant it and her personality a little better. Seeing it performed really showed that she is a more upbeat person who isn't so serious about the matter. She was nothing at all what I expected her to look like from reading the piece. I think seeing it performed had a lot more of an impact.
ReplyDelete-Kelsey Nichols
When we read the "poem" in class it seemed really far-fetched and stereotypical of women; women do shoot people and listen to loud music. Then, when I watched her perform the piece, she made it seem like a joke. She performed it like a stand-up comedian giving an outlandish description for a humorous effect. She was getting laughter from the crowd and egging them on for more. Neither the text or the performance is meant to be taken too seriously. She is calling attention to stereotypes in a comedic way, but it doesn't come across as a revolutionary stance for women's rights, just as material for a laugh that could possibly get some people thinking.
ReplyDelete-Dustin Burnaugh
I forgot to put my name below my post, its Ben Schneider and my username is BI-Schneider. I posted on feb 3rd 12:38 pm
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBefore hearing her preform the piece, I was under the impression it was a song. After hearing her preform it as a speech, I understand what she was really trying to say by writing this. she uses facial expressions and different tones to sort of poke fun at what men think women are really like. People assume all women are gentle, kind, smart, and non violent. She goes into these stereotypes and you can tell by the reactions of the crowd that she hit on some important ones. My favorite part is when she says "Women could dress sexy if they wanted to embrace their body, but it wouldn't be that important because guys would pay attention to our minds and not our looks." When she read that part she said it very sarcastically and the crowd reacted by laughing. That part was important because women are viewed as sex objects and really nothing more in hip hop, and it's very hard to break away from that. Women are viewed as sex objects because men hold the "power" role throughout society and hip hop, while women are just posessions and objects of their power. I thought it was a better piece when I heard it because it came off as she was joking, and she did not take it as serious as is sounded on paper. I think that is why a lot of people enjoyed this piece of work.
ReplyDelete-Jesica Perrone
I think this was hilarious because it is so true. She says things like "men would pay attention to our minds not our looks" and things like that. She also focuses on how men stereotypically view women. She seems like a very strong woman with an excellent sense of humor. She seems a lot more sarcastic in real life then when we read it which really made the piece more appealing. Also, her attitude and spunk really stood out during the performance. I believe her overall point is to show people what men really think about women and how we are not all really like that.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth Leonard
After reading the poem "If woman Ran Hip-Hop" and seeing the lady recite the poem! i definitely got two types of vibes about the poem. I thought that the lady would have been very dressy like, long hair, nails done, and very feminine like! But seeing Arya recite the poem, she had french braids a tee-shirt and regular pants on so the appearance gave me two separate vibes off bat! When she started reciting the poem everything she said i would have to agree with her on her beliefs and how she would want things! She does focus on the points in which men stereotypically see women and she doesn't believe that's what they should be doing.She just want people overall to see how and what men portray women as when in reality it not true at all .The woman saying this poem seems like a very powerful and strong minded woman who could be seen as a feminist. The hand movements and her sarcastic ways stood out a WHOLE LOT while she recited this poem and i actually enjoyed watching her.
ReplyDelete*I forgot to sign my name again at the bottom* ------> Denisha L. Price
ReplyDeletefirst reading the piece on paper I felt like I couldn't really connec with it because I ffelt she was using woman sterotypes against them but when I watche it not only did it allow me to sense emotion but to also see she was trying to shine a light on the issues of woman in society.
ReplyDeleteForgot to sign my name for the gospel1585 commment
ReplyDeleteMonica
When I watched the video of "If woman ran hip hop" and when I actually read her lyrics in class I got two completely different vibes. In class I thought to myself, "this woman is clearly a nut, this is NOT how things would run if women were in charge of hip hop." when I saw the video it's clear that she obviously thinks that too. I felt almost as though she was making fun of the male population, and that she was describing what THEIR perception of woman running hip hop was. In her introduction she said "women should run hip hop just for a little bit to even things out." meaning that men running hip hop is so outragious and crazy that they think that women can't keep up. They think that we are just too sassy and gentle and we would ruin hip hop. I don't neccessarily agree with her idea, I don't think that is exactly what men think and that's not why women aren't in charge of hip hop, I think that people just prefer to listen to men rapping but I can see the direction she is coming from.
ReplyDelete-Emily Ridyard