How Can Justin Timberlake Still Objectify Black Women And Get Away With It?
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Someone please explain why Justin Timberlake continually gets a pass to fetishize and exploit the image of Black women. Right now. Because after watching him aggressively pulling on a chain wrapped around Ciara’s neck only to later use her bending body as a leaning post in her new video for “Love Sex Magic,”it’s getting ludicrously difficult to understand.
It been years since “Nipplegate” after which he distanced himself from Janet Jackson, cowardly allowing her to endure the overly harsh criticism alone. The outcry against his actions from those of us in the indignant minority was quickly overshadowed by an increase in album sales, multiple music awards and an increase in his Pop stardom miming Black music and culture. Instead of subjecting his next project with trepidation–let alone dismissal–nearly every “urban” club, radio station and music channel on the planet had the masses bumping to a song with a hook that’s about shackles, whipping and slavery.
From behind a wry smile and with his hair faded he actually tarnished a reigning, Black Pop star’s image arguably beyond repair by exposing her breast on national television and then built his street cred further by bringing sexy back, Middle Passage style. He’s transitioned from the post-racialist’s pop culture dream of somewhat harmlessly lusting after beautiful Black love interest in the video for “Like I Love You” into something more sinister. He uses the scapegoat of S&M edginess in which he is the aggressor, the dominant force, to subordinate his object of desire when she is Black.
He distanced himself from those undertones in using shackles (why not a different two syllable kinky word like handcuffs, Justin? Or latex, like the piece you tore off of Miss Jackson?) and whipping in the song by making himself the slave, and in the video by making lusty faces with a White woman. But all of the soft edginess and ambgious sexism and racism has become the central M.O. for him in the video for “Love Sex Magic.”
It’s not even his song but in the video he’s in the opening scene, pulling on a chained Ciara. Whenever the two are interacting she is doing all kinds of sexy acrobatics for him–crawling over him, stick out her ass for him to lean on, bumping him with her breasts–but he can barely be bothered to look her in the face half of the time…and he’s on screen a lot. She looks desparate, and he looks like a pimp. As the video progresses and their roles become more evident it gets more disgusting.
Yes, Ciara is grown and autonomous. So is Janet. But that just makes his ability to exploit their collaborations to the point that they are subjegated to his dominance, wittingly or not, more protestable. Additionally, it seems that at this point active defense, tacit approval, or even celebration of this behavior/persona is beyond ignorant and only subjegates women further. The “that’s capitalism” and “it’s just entertainment!” defenses also fall short because both are integral aspects of our shared culture and have impact beyond the superficialities of the music industry hustle and streaming videos online. Dig deeper than that.
So the question stands: Why does he still get a pass?
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Don’t agree with it, but very interesting post. I personally think it’s irrelevant what Justin Timberlake does in a music video in terms of the representation of Black women because in order to accept this line of thinking you have to first believe that Ciara is a representation of Black women. Or is she just trying to sell records by using Justin Timberlake’s fame to crossover to white audiences?
> Joah
If the so called Black women wants to exploit herself then whose fault is it. Many women have sold their souls for a dollar bill. Ciara is not the first and will not be the last. Until these females know who they are they will subject themselves to that kind of negative treatment.
> Zee
HIP HIP/RAP MUSIC ABUSE BLACKWOMEN SO WHY ARE YOU OFFENDED WHEN SOME WHITE GUY DOES, IT IS THE SAME THING WITH THE N WORD, WHY BLACK PPL USE IT, AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU GET OUTRAGED AND OFFENDED WHEN SOMEONE ELSE OF OTHER RACE USES IT.. IT IS DOUBLE STANDRD IS WHAT I THINK. SO AS BLCK PPL WE NEED TO STOP THE IGNORANCE WITHIN OURSELVS AND WE NEED TO RESPECT OURSELVES BEFORE WE DEMAND RESPECT FROM OTHERS.
> truth/
I do think is exploiting the black community sort of like elvis, but with more originality. However, it’s Ciara’s job as a woman to decide what she will and won’t do. How do we know that she doesn’t fantasize about being a white man’s sex slave?lol It’s HER video, so I have to believe it was her decision to be portrayed as such. This is america. Black women(people of color in period, will always be exploited because it serves the white male dominated society that we live in. There is no money in racial equality or black dignity. Sad but true.
> alahn
Well my question would be why do we accept the fact that MEN objectify black women. And why do black women allow themselves to be objectified? Why aren’t we talking about black artists who exploit our women’s sexuality to make a buck. Why don’t we stop buying the music and stop watching the videos? I guarantee, that if it doesn’t sell, they … Read Morewill stop doing it!! Personally, I rarely watch music videos because (although I can appreciate the beauty of a female body) I don’t want to look up the crack of some girl’s butt, watch her do stripper moves for the entire song!! That’s just me….And I just thought of something. Did anyone ever watch Beyonce’s Green Light video???? She is fetishising herself and other women (they are chained up, donned in patent leather and s&m ballet shoes) she crawls around on her knees between their legs. What does Justin Timberlake have to do with ANYTHING?? I don’t give him or anyone else a pass.
> Alana
This post is slightly ridiculous. There is racism and sexism present in all media, whether overt or not. These videos are directed by men (sometimes women) who know how to sell them through sex. These artists can choose not to, but they don’t. But what about other artists (like from the rap/hip hop genre) who get away with explicit racism AND sexism? Is it ok if artists of the same color as the exploited victims hypersexualize everything? Why do those artists get a pass? I do not doubt the fact that Justin Timberlake exploits women through hypersexualization, but I do not see it as a specific attack on one particular race. I think it’s more women in general whose positions in these videos need to be changed.
> J.M.
Eh, I don’t think he’s objectifying black women. Timberlake was in the same type of provocative positions with Scarlett J in the ‘What Goes Around’ video. He loves many different races of women. That’s how he is. His ladies resume includes: Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Alyssa Milano, Cameron Diaz, and Jessica Biel, not to mention so many other women who he’s been seen in intimate settings with. The guy appeals to the images that people seem to gravitate towards and he uses them to sell music. He’s not stupid. Sexual visuals sell music.
> Taylor
this is stupid,i mean i am a black woman but seriously isnt it ciaras video.and rappers do this all the time why is i sdó terrible when a white guy does it.stop being ridiculous and get real
> mlw05
Was surfing the web for black latex gloves (don’t ask) and came across this post. Anyway – interesting post. Am going to forward to my husband who. thanks
> Lanie Hamilton
As far as Blacks are concerned, Justin is one of the most popular White Singers to the Black Community globally… indeed he’s second only to Eminem… which is not rather suprising because what he does to Black Women in his videos and at SuperBowl halftime show, is typical of what black R&B acts like Jah Rule, 50 cent, Tyrese, Diddy, Usher, Jay Z, Lil Wayne and other regularly do… I hate it when we seen as using the N word “affectionately” to call brothers but if a white guy calls us brothers with the N owrd we scream blue murder! If don’t want the N word, then let’s stop it among ourselves then the rest will do
> Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan
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> Naomi Cusmano
What the heck are y’all talking about>? Justin doesn’t even use the N word. And stop being ignorant and hating on him because he is being sexual with a black woman, because black men do it all the time in their videos with all types of other races too… but I don’t hear anyone complaining then. I’m a black woman btw and black people need to stop causing hate amongst others and maybe they’ll start to get respect. And janet had a pastel on her breast and she was NOT bare breasted. Black men…STOP HATING ON JUSTIN. Just STOP.
> clare
bitches need to be lucky black women are even an object
> isis
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