Are You And Keri Hilson Trying Waaay Too Hard To Be Sexy?

In order to overt the world from Rihanna’s cakes, Keri Hilson goes in snatch first on her new single “The Way You Love Me”. Reeking of laughable desperation, Miss Keri Baby licks doors and dry humps floors, gives The Chef Rick Ross a lapdance, as well as sings lyrics like “I got the kinda pussy that will keep you off the streets” in an  attempt to ooze womanly seduction. Perhaps she thought she was grabbing her sexuality by its reigns and whooping us into submission, but Keri really just looks kinda pathetic.

Less is more. It’s natural to want to highlight the come hither features we are blessed to possess. An all out flesh fest for every Tom, Dick, and Rick Ross makes you come across easier than the Soul Train Scramble Board. Wild and looseyness will definitely attract the boys eyes, but along with all the “good” attention received unwanted sexual advances will plague you like bad credit. Also, no one takes anybody this sleazy seriously. So blinded by trying to be an individual and wanting to be seen as unique, many GROWN women have resorted to heaux tactics just to be noticed amongst the plethora of beauties in the world. Drunk off pussy power, these women have begun to think raw sexuality defines who they are as a person. Firing off cum shots as a personal attribute misfires because instead of owning your sexuality, sexuality begins to own you. What you think comes across as an insatiable appetite appears to be a primal Amazonic neediness that onlookers will fantasize about hitting, then unceremoniously quitting. What good is it to be a fantasy when the fantasy only runs deep as the last stroke? Most guys don’t even view these girls as breakfast the morning after material. Balancing sensuality is difficult for women because most are unaware of the natural voodoo that is in our clutches already. It is highly unnecessary unless your occupation is in porn or exotic dance to give too much in order to be seen as a young Venus. The brew of aesthetics, the way we dress and walk, as well as talk for us lucky girls already cooks up a dish of hot to trot. Personality, drive, and class in a woman added to the mix is what truly makes a woman sexy and attractive.

We don’t have to look at Keri Hilson as the only breaker of this lady law. A quick cruise on Facebook will show pics that would make Lil Kim cringe. Josephine Baker is somewhere in Heaven peeling a banana from her skirt, scratching her head in dismay wondering why we never really got it. Sensuality is a venomous, peculiar art that is so deadly it can even kill she who possesses it. If you are not a heaux, why wear a heaux’s uniform? No one is saying be a nun, but really Keri you don’t have to try this hard.

The Bold and The Beautiful

They never really miss you until you’re dead or you’re gone. While she’s on this Earth Diana Ross, the true Queen of all Pop music deserves her shine. Billboard bestowed the title of  “Entertainer of the Century” upon this modern-day Josephine Baker in the 1970’s over kings like Frank Sinatra and even a young Michael Jackson. We know Diana may not be the greatest sanger of all time, but what Diana represents is the archetype for all R&B and Pop female artists, although they can never recreate the impact of her influence on the world. Her energy has inspired women all over the globe, and her story is one of grace, humility, and perseverance.

Sure Florence Ballard was the better singer in The Supremes. She had a soulful and rich voice that could bring people to tears. Berry Gordy not only saw his future babymomma in Diana, he saw a chance to change the perception of beauty in glamour in the eyes of the world. Diana was amongst the first darker skinned sisters to be seen as glamorous and beautiful in ways that only Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne were. Placing Diana as the frontwoman of the group instead of the sultry and curvaceous Florence was a decision that confused the group, but altered the course of history. The Supremes became the greatest and most emulated female group of all time, and Diana would have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (singing AND acting)  and eighteen number one singles in her career. Not bad for a girl from the projects in Detroit. Born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross in March of 1944, Diana always felt that she had a gift. Even in the poverty ridden Brewster-Douglass Projects of Detroit and having several brothers and sisters, Diana was named best dressed in her senior year. Always thinking forward, Diana graduated a year early and dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. Being in Detroit, the culture of doo wop and singing began to penetrate her soul.  Diana hustled the streets of Detroit with her pre Supreme band mates meeting every and any one that had connections to music. She worked hard on her talents to get to the budding Motown Records and former boxer Berry Gordy.

Diana got the brunt of the teasing as the lead singer of the then “no hit” Supremes, the laughing stock of young Motown Records. Never discouraged, Diana worked even harder pulling late studio sessions and vibing with different producers until Motown struck gold with the sweet mix of Diana’s voice and Holland-Dozier-Holland instrumentals. Pioneers of the “Sound of Young America” the pop songs with R&B grooves took The Supremes off the “Chitlin Circuit” and into the homes of mainstream America with a frenzy only rivaled by The Beatles. Diana and The Supremes were portrayed not as church groomed, soul stirring singers that their contemporaries were, but as style icons with easy, breezy feel good music. Diana’s unique look, her wide doe eyes and ever-changing hair made her stand out amongst the rest of her group and the rest of the entertainment world. Even the mighty Beatles were humbled in the presence of the Queen. Although some fans and insiders saw her as cold and opportunistic, Diana Ross sent money to the family of Florence Ballard after her death. Once she left the group she made über famous, Diana’s role as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues gave her an even higher profile. Keep in mind this was a time in the world where black people were still not considered equal to whites. In South Africa, Diana was one of the very first black women ever granted “honorary white status”, going even further as the chocolate angel broke down even more stereotypes across the world.Even as death, drugs, and tragedy gripped many artists she grew to work with and love, Diana stayed the course and turned her pain into number one hits like her ode to the great Marvin Gaye, Missing You.

Fellow Supreme Mary Wilson might say Diana elbowed her a few times on stage, but where would Mary Wilson be without “The Boss” Miss Ross? Her allure, glamour, and beauty inside and out made the world and Michael Jackson fall in love with her. Diana’s gift to the world was not just her voice, but her tenacity and fearless mining of her soul to become the best she could be. Thank God Diana didn’t just give up in the projects because success was too hard. The little light inside her that she always felt would not be dimmed by the racist climate of the times, or the feeling inferiority by someone else’s talent. Diana boldly went were no brown-skinned woman went before her laying  foundations of success for everyone from Mariah Carey to Rihanna, and Erykah Badu to Beyonce. Diana’s legacy is one of triumph and excellence, trumping each shortcoming people said that she had. Not even Berry Gordy believed in Diana like Diana believed in Diana. Her quiet strength and undeniable work ethic made Diana Ross a survivor, but her fierce style and bright smile made her a star. Diana is royalty, and an inspiration still.

What Is It With These Bitches? A Cultural Intervention

The tongue is mightier than the sword. The power of words and imagery in popular culture has undoubtedly sparked movements of empowerment and social climate change. Words define who we are, and images define what we identify ourselves with. Long gone are the days of Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis educating females on what is it to be a woman in society. Josephine Baker, who of course danced for dollars butt naked, was also an instrument of social equality and international political clout. Today women who by all media accounts are shopaholic party girls, wine drinking, independent types that can’t catch a man even with Flo-Jo’s legs could be rallying to change the stereotypes of music and club culture that says that they are bitches, have instead chose to embrace women that actively promote the same negativity that embodies the worst of who we are.

Nicki – the Mary Magdelene to Lil Wayne’s Jesus, has made it her business to capitalize on being a bad bitch and lil freak. In her songs she boasts of “taking Cassie away from Diddy”, “being a five-star bitch”, “having the fattest pussy”, and “only fucking ballers”. Nicki has allegedly has had her face and body surgically altered in her quest of being the baddest “Barbie” she can be. Are her ever-changing looks and sexuality a nod to her feminist predecessors as her individual expression of freedom, or a not so sophisticated way of mainstream marketing designed to increase her fan base and sales?

Books like Bitch is The New Black have coined the word bitch as modern feminism with a twist of controversy. Bitch is embraced not just as a term of endearment but as an expression of power and independence. Funny since we all know bitches as female dogs and dogs survive by the grace of their masters. We are persuaded to forget the scathing truth of what bitch really is and what the bitch represents. In King Lear, one of the great works by William Shakespeare the Earl of Kent refers to Oswald as “..nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch…” It doesn’t sound like ol’ Billy was saying Oswald’s mom was an independent, empowered woman. Even prior to Shakespeare, the word bitch was used to describe promiscuous women that were like “dogs in heat”. Back in the day even whores didn’t want to be called “bitches”. Fast forward to today, when using the word bitch is more popular than calling a woman lady. The current bitch is a male pleasing, beautifully weaved out, money-getting, bottle poppin’, good time girl. A great guise for somebody that is too confused to be who they really are.

Why do women feel the need to become a bitch in order to become popular, successful, and beautiful? It can’t be our common sense- as the word bitch connotes offensive stereotypes and is meant as an insult. So why has popular culture recently bashed women into bitch submission? Why is the most prominent female hip hop artist the “baddest” self-proclaimed bitch of them all? Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy has bought the film rights to Bitch is The New Black and is bringing bitches to big screen a’la Sex and The City style. While a whole generation of women have been indoctrinated into bitchdom, the women behind the curtains are heading straight to the bank, only the at the expense of the labor of the feminist movement and the future of our women.

This article was inspired by Amanda Anderson at www.urbanbellemag.com and The Hip Hop Effect: The Bitch Complex