Super Bass and Feminism

"...Yes I did, yes I did, somebody please tell him who the F I is
I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up, back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up..."

(Super Bass)

"...And yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' hoe
I said, excuse me you're a hell of a guy..."

(Super Bass)

"...Yo, all I do is win ain't that the reason that you really mad?
Undisputed, hailing all the way from Trinidad
I ain't mad Ma, I see you with your bummy swag
I’m in that money green Jag lot of money bags,
I told Khaled that you the best but I’m the bestest
better run for cover if your name is on my checklist
you can talk slick all the way down to the welfare
as the IRS b*tch I’m paying for your healthcare..."

(All I Do Is Win remix)

   Nicki Minaj is a hip-hop/rap artist from New York City, and is part of Lil' Wayne's label.  Some (including me, usually) think she's a little rough around the edges, and she has said in interviews that she purposefully tries to tone down the sexiness.  That used to bother me - I didn't like her prideful attitude or her aggressiveness.  But then a friend suggested something - she's a woman in a style of music dominated by men.  She has to be tough, in order to compensate!  She has to be tough, arrogant, and prideful because that is what listeners expect from good male rappers, and Nicki wants to be taken seriously, like them.

   Nicki Minaj isn't the only woman in a male-dominated field who feels like she has to compensate for something.  We've all heard of the "glass ceiling" that keeps women out of traditionally-male practices.  Well, Nicki Minaj and other courageous women are breaking the glass ceiling, but in some ways, I think of them are selling out.

    Take Nicki's video for "Super Bass", above.  The artist who wants to tone-down her sexiness is dancing seductively and rapping about picking up guys at a club!  This is nothing new, though.  I've heard so many stories of women in engineering or cut-throat corporate positions who feel like they need to emphasize their sexiness at work.  I assume they hope that their colleagues who are slow to warm up to female co-workers will like them better if they do this.  Ladies, resist the urge to do this!  You do not  need to be sexy to be taken seriously (and it probably hurts your chances)!  Just be professional.  What good is it to climb the corporate ladder if you have to more or less sell your body to do it?  That's not the way I want to see the glass ceiling broken.  You are valuable because of your mind and your skills, not your body (and if you're only valuable to your employer because of your body, start looking for a new job).  

    So to Nicki and anyone else who's tempted to give in to the pressure to be sexy, not professional, I say stay strong!  Better to be known as a little rough around the edges than a woman who's only worth is in her figure and face.