Megan Thee Stallion: Words on Confronting Misogynoir
written by Schondra
Before I left my well-paying corporate job earlier this year, I wrote a long letter to my manager and HR on the many ways I was ignored, offended, and didn’t receive the same sensitivity towards situations at work like my co-workers did. As a black woman who lived a large part of her life in predominantly white spaces and tried to fit in, my eagerness to be accepted often came with reducing myself. Over compromising, not speaking up, and dodging conflict was my way of avoiding being demonized or titled the “Angry Black Woman,” but even in these practices, it was still hard to find full, genuine acceptance. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the pain of not being understood as a black woman isn’t cured by respectability politics. A reminder that still rings true when I think about my favorite current rapper, Megan Thee Stallion.
Despite being the current it-girl in Hip-Hop, Megan Thee Stallion is often criticized on social media. From her looks to her family, to her career, the Houston rapper’s life is constantly made the butt of a joke. Though the ascending femcee has collaborated with some of the most powerful women in music (Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B) to many, Meg’s unique brand of unapologetic, hyper-sexual lyricism and women-empowering anthems is not seen as impressive or inspiring but rather as another reason to objectify her.
This destructive notion that sexual freedom enforces objectification is not only dangerous but intentional; especially in Hip-Hop. In this male-dominated genre, black women hold a weird dichotomy. Our trendsetting style, resourcefulness, and loyalty fuel the culture, yet our commentary, perception, and individuality are threatening. Easily attacked and constantly discredited despite working just as hard (if not more) than our male counterparts, black women’s humanity is discounted.
So when news broke last month that the rap star was shot in both feet allegedly by rumored boyfriend and rapper Tory Lanez, it didn’t take long for Twitter to post, share and react to distasteful memes about the “Hot Girl’s” violent attack. The most unfortunate part is that it wasn’t just her followers that made light of her pain, but fellow celebrities; Cam’ron, 50 Cent, and Draya Michelle just to name a few, posted jokes to their social media accounts that insinuated Megan Thee Stallion’s image as an independent, sexually confident woman is deserving of violence.
And we have seen this before. Violence against black women in the public eye has always come with more critique of the woman than their aggressors, especially when they assert their sexuality. Rihanna, Kelis, Mulatto, Justine Skye are just a few examples of that; But these women also outlived the hate and persevered.
The irony of Hip-Hop’s adoption of white patriarchal ideals is that it often breeds what it rejects; Resilient black women. In Megan’s case, this is also very true. Despite the hate and shade from users on social media, the “Houston Hottie’s” recent collaboration with Bronx rapper Cardi B broke the internet. The music video for their song “WAP,” released this past Saturday has already garnered over 50 million views and rising on the streaming charts.
Though Meg’s brief, yet traumatic experience with a violent partner is in the rearview, it is important for us to realize that it’s not that easy for everyone. Don’t just protect famous black women, or black women you deem attractive, but look out for all your fellow black women in your own community; Reinforce safety and accountability. Cementing her influence in music, Megan has given us the best advice to combating negativity and misogynoir, resilience.