Courtney Redding

English 1020

Young Women WAKE UP

     Black women should be called and treated like “Nubian queens, black princesses, and African goddesses.” (ix) Due to the new iconic figure of males women are now called “skeezas, bitches, ho’s, playettes, dykes, divas, housewives, gold diggers, sac chaser” (ix) and many more things. The book Pimps up Ho’s down shows how young women are mistreated by iconic figures like rappers, actors, and athletes. The book argues about how “Hip hop culture is male dominated and how young black women connect with that culture.”(10) The argument is illustrated in various ways them being how women are supposed to look in order to be desirable to men, how women can be abused sexually/ emotionally without consequence as long as the man has money, how women strive to be apart of the famous life style (groupies), and it’s ok to be a stripper because sex for money is a big part of the hip hop culture and is “ the transactional nature of relationship between hip hop generation men and women.” (123) Simply put Pimps up Ho’s down argues that in hip hop culture young women are here to appeal to a man’s wants and needs, and as young women we should not except this. Every one of those situations applies to pathos and logos and as a young woman I am frankly disgusted with the culture I love.

     In Pimps up Ho’s down first chapter titled “ I see the same Hoe” it talks about this seemingly ideal image a woman should have if she’s associated with hip hop culture. The image is called the Ascriptive Mulatta image. “The mulattas are those whose physical beauty transcends characteristic such as darker hues, full lips, and the like, historically prefigured as less than ideal ( Non European). The mulatta is “in between” racial status.” (27) This appeals to the argument of the book through pathos and logos. It applies to pathos because when young women see these light skin, long hair, thin girls in the videos they feel that they have to look like that in order to get males attention. Young black women go out and get long hair, work out, and dress more revealing trying to achieve this “Mullata” look. It applies to logos because why wouldn’t a woman want to look physically good, especially when they see these women looking beautiful on the videos, TV shows, and movies. The women on television always get the man because it’s very logical that he would want the beautiful girl as opposed to an average plain Jane.

     The second point mentioned in Pimps up Ho’s down is that men with money can get away with sexual abuse against women associated with the hip hop life. This point engages with the argument of the book because if women are there to appeal to that mans needs that man can do whatever he wants with that woman. This argument appeals more to logos with the men and pathos with the women. Men with power and money for years have been able to do bad things to women such as physically abuse women, rape, and even murder them and it be swept under the rug because of their status. The book uses examples of R-Kelly a multibillion dollar R&B singer who has had several sexual assault charges against him that have came out not guilty because of his status. Pimps up Ho’s down also uses the example of a rapper Mystical who raped his hair dresser because she stole money from him. Mystical also had his friends come over and rape the girl, and because he was famous and had money she didn’t even want to pursue a trial. Mystical was going to get off with probation the only reason he didn’t was because the police found a tape he made of the rape and couldn’t look the other way because it was in their faces. The best example the book used to support this argument of men with money can get away with the unthinkable is Kobe Bryant. In 2004 Bryant ( a championship basketball star) was accused of rape. Many men supported him because of who he is. Even when the media started to compare him to OJ Simpson they still supported him one hundred percent. Only when “Bryant stated that his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal dealt with “Bimbo eruptions” with payoffs” (80) did his many fans turn their back on him. Bryant had broken the rule of silence by making public what O’Neal had already swept under the rug. These cases make this argument very logical what could be more logical than facts. And the facts are that men with money can get away with many things. With all of that women may feel they can’t do anything for themselves when they are put into situations as such those mentioned above. (Pathos)

     With men in the hip hop culture being able to abuse even rape women of course they would be able to disrespect them (Logos).The third chapter “Im a Hustla baby” appeals to the argument by introducing Groupies. Groupies are women who want to be apart of the famous life and will do what they can to get it. These women want to marry, get pregnant by, or even just be associated with a star so they can feel they are someone important (Pathos). With these women wanting that and doing anything to get it, it’s logical that a star would accept what this groupie is offering i.e. sex and someone to have fun with. These women are the prime example of the books argument. Their whole goal is to appeal to these men so that they can be better off instead of them appealing to themselves. When this is all theses women want odds are they won’t succeed but they surely won’t stop trying to achieve their ideal lavish life. (Logos)

     The final point Pimps up Ho’s down makes is that it’s okay to be a stripper to satisfy a man’s needs. Stripping as well as money is now a main part of the hip hop culture so logically strippers would be a point in this books argument. With sex being so pubic, stripping is becoming more main stream and women feel it’s okay (pathos) to shake their butts for a couple of bucks. It’s also logical that young women would want to be a stripper because it’s essentially quick easy money. The money is so quick and easy because these men are willing to spend thousands of dollars at any given time to see a young woman take off her clothes to fulfill their sexual needs and or fantasy. So these stripper like groupies are the epitome of the books argument, to appeal to the sexual needs of the hip hop figure.

     Pimps up Ho’s down argues that in hip hop culture young women are here to appeal to the wants and needs of men. They appeal to them with their looks, their willingness to be violated, and their willingness to do what it is the man wants them to. As a woman I am disgusted and as a whole young women should stop trying to appeal to these men and start appealing to themselves.

Sharpley,T. Denean. Pimps up Ho’s down: hip hops hold on young black women. New York: New York University Press, c2007.