The idea of 50 Cent's music, regardless of his authorial intention, operating as "empowering nihilism" is not something I would have come up with on my own. The discussion in class on Thursday was fascinating to me, and still not crystal clear. As I understand it, in the context we were discussing, empowering nihilism is destroying the textual identity imposed on someone to reappropriate power. So, in terms of 50 Cent, by embodying a highly exaggerated version of negative black male stereotypes that have been imposed on him (and his ancestors) for centuries, he is doing two things: regaining power by making his imposed persona powerful instead of subjugated, and reflecting that persona back onto those who imposed it on blacks so that they voluntarily adopt it and therefore alter the connotations of it. This interpretation of aggressive, often violent and sexist, rap music has certainly changed the way I think about some music, and even other forms of pop culture. Although what confuses me is where to draw the line in interpreting the effects. Is this empowering for anyone other than 50 Cent? Is the empowerment as a black man more important than the negativity in the sexist, violent, materialistic messages that are part of the package?
Also, how is this different than the feminist rappers we listened to in class? Is it less empowering for them to rap because they are not necessarily (I don't actually know) from the black community and rap is rooted in black culture? How does what Britney Spears does in her ultra-sexualized, objectified performance differ from this? If she is also acting out an hyperbolized version of imposed ideals of women as sexual objects, why isn't her performance empowering nihilism? It is arguable whether or not Spears is gaining real power from her performance. Could the same not be said for 50 Cent? Perhaps this is reductive thinking, but I'm not sure I can separate for myself the difference at this point. Does anyone have an explanation for this?
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I agree it is hard to distinguish what is 'empowering nihilism' versus walking nihilism. That's why in class when Dr. Tapley asked something along the lines, "What did you think about it?". The first thoughts to my mind was not empowring nihilism either, but rather attempting to relate it to false conciousness, Marxism, or Capitalism. Further it is hard to draw lines to catagorize what is empowering and what is degrading. There is a book that I read this summer totally relating to this called "Female Chauvinist Pigs" by Ariel Levy in that she discusses how the new porn industry by women for women is empowring to some and degrading to others. Drawing lines I think comes down to what we are nurtured and natured with versus what theory a man named Grosberg may have thought up whilst gangsta chillin' to 50 cent. Some songs that specifically makes me question this empowring nihilism (although I agree with the theory that 50 cent is promoting empowring nihilism) include such great hits as "Riding My Pony" - Ginuwine, and "I Smell Pussy" - G-unit. I do not agree that they promote rape because I think that is a really embedded social argument that follow the same lines as "if we start distributing condoms in school people will initiate copious amounts of procreation."
I forgot to add that I think it is very counter-intuitive and somewhat of a reverse psychology to think of 50 cent as empowring nihilism. So therefore not very natural for us to come up with that idea when we initially listen to it.
This line of thinking is definitely full of contradictions, I too am somewhat unclear as to the difference between the empowerment claimed for example by 50 versus someone like Cristina Aguilera. While it could easily be argues that Cristina is playing into the easy role of slut for the media, why then did she fall out of the spotlight so quickly after her transformation from virgin to slut?
It is troubling to me to draw lines and say that one thing is empowering and another is not, especially since what is considered empowering is not simply a matter of what empowers the creater of the media in question (in this case music) but how that media is interpreted by the listener/viewer.
In response to the question you posed asking if 50 Cent’s music is empowering to anyone other than himself, I would have to say yes. The demographic of people pre-defined by white, male, elitist ideals is substantial and his music certainly,at least I hope, liberates more than himself.
I don’t think that “his empowerment as a black man” is more significant or important than the messages absorbed by the majority of his audience. Is the point not that he (50 cent) is able to instill in the white, young, middle-class minds, these ideologies that we once prescribed to him? Many people, including myself, are conflicted being that the lyrics of his songs also propagate the idea of women as objects. I am confused. On the one hand we are to be concerned by these lyrics yet we are to, potentially, see women such as Brittany Spears as re-appropriating something. Did I miss something?
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