Grab ’em by the…

Pop culture sparks conversation, encourages expression and influences society…perhaps more than a person may think. With children spending so much time watching television, listening to music and playing video games, it has many wondering: Is pop culture normalizing violence and misogyny for today’s youth?

Music is a form of expression that helps to define a culture, giving many musicians the potential to be quite influential. A person doesn’t have to search long to find the message of sexism or misogyny in a number of mainstream songs. In acclaimed rapper Eminem’s “Superman,” the lyrics “put anthrax on a Tampax and slap you till you can’t stand” plainly reference the abuse of a woman. The inclusion of derogatory terms and suggested violence against women in rap music establishes an accepted norm in society. In 2001, the “Encyclopedia of Women and Gender” concluded “Greater exposure to mainstream media gender portrayals…increases support for sexist attitudes, especially toward women.”

Country music is not a guiltless genre, as lyrics often include the degradation of women. One popular country song has Luke Bryan recalling times of “chasin’ every girl that wasn’t fast enough,” and another has Walker Hayes declaring, “She can wear the pants as long as I can take ‘em off her.” In 2016, Dr. Eric Rasmussen, a Professor at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, concluded that country music from this decade objectifies women more than ever before. Rasmussen said, “If this is the message they hear, they’ll think it’s acceptable and normal …the media does have an effect.”

The effect of pop culture goes beyond the media. While video games have been around for years, many of today’s popular games are more realistically violent than ever before. They frequently feature human-looking characters whose missions involve finding weapons, killing opponents, theft, and a plethora of other crimes.

Video games are more popular than ever, with a survey by Digital Trends reporting that 91 percent of today’s youth regularly plays them. The addictive nature of these simulations has sparked hostility in players. “A higher consumption of media violence makes people more willing to behave aggressively when provoked,” said Douglas Gentile, Iowa State professor, to ABC News. In 2017, the American Psychology Association Task Force on Violent Media agreed, finding that video game exposure was linked to increased aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, as well as decreased empathy.

Violence and misogyny in our nation also roots in the behavior of men in power. According to Vox, 219 celebrities, politicians, CEOs and others have been accused of sexual misconduct since April 2017. Before the 2016 elections, The New York Times released a video of Donald Trump participating in “locker room talk.” In this video, Trump discusses making advances on women and how powerful men can “grab em’ by the p****. You can do anything.” Later that year, soon after Time Magazine reported that 19 women had accused him of sexual misconduct, the U.S. elected him as president.

With young boys so influenced by pop culture and the characters in it–whether those characters are fictional or living, breathing beings–the sources above all point to this: today’s youth are endlessly exposed to examples of violence and misogyny that are littered throughout pop culture.