Reportedly several teens in Fort Worth, Texas have been charged and arrested for pimping girls as young as 12. They allegedly forced their victims into prostitution by beating and gang raping them. Their victims were runaways or from broken homes. A 15-year old girl whom authorities are calling “the enforcer” was also arrested. Police were made aware of the prostitution ring when a 33 year-old woman was arrested for allegedly offering a man sex with a 14 year-old girl in exchange for $50. The boys and girl operated their brothel out of a Fort Worth apartment complex. WOW. As I digest this disgusting story I am reminded of the recent glorification of the pimp game in today’s hip-hop lure. P.I.M.P came to mind specifically…the 50 Cent song and video. Maybe this is an example of the for-fake-life-of-hip-hop-video-fantasy-land coming to life. After all, reputed pimp Bishop Magic Don Juan is the spiritual advisor to many of today’s leading hip-hop artists. Many teens consume the highly stylized and fictional lives of hip-hoppers without any filters. They believe that this is real-life. And, sadly this case demonstrates that some of them will go to great measures to achieve the lifestyles they see depicted in videos and on reality TV shows. I’m angry. Why do we continue to give “artists” a free ride to defile the minds and spirits of our youth? Is it okay that every other video is an A+ illustration of misogyny? Are we fine with the wet dreams of 14 year-olds coming to life on a television set Monday- Friday from 3-11pm? Come on people! Ain’t it something when the creator of BET—the instigator of the misogyny—can stand before a voting electorate and denounce a man with integrity for youthful experimentation while continuing to allow the deterioration of our youth by glorifying guns, violence, gangs, murder, and hyper-sexuality? REALLY?
Filed under: Education, Rants | Tagged: Education, pimp, Student, teacher
Hey Stay-C! Nice Entry. However, I am wondering about who the “we” is in your “Why do WE continue to give…” As the famed economists of the Wu-Tang Clan so accurately observed: Cash Rules Everything Around ME and last I checked none of the major record labels that produce, promote and yes, I’ll say it, PIMP the artists in question are OWNED by WE (ran maybe, but not owned). If the bottomline continues to get fatter (or phatter – pick your colloquialism) and fatter for the owners of the labels and the labels aren’t owned by us AND said artists share in the booty (pun intended
What is there to do? Not saying that there’s nothing to do – but I think this discussion has to include the economic factors that play into this “pimp” game we call hip-hop. Unfortunately, as a chic who grew up in the 80s, the hot mess that is “hip-hop” today – IS NOT HIP-HOP (i’m having a Lloyd Bensen/Dan Quayle moment here “Sir, you are no John Kennedy” – anyone remember that? Anyone? No? Damn…thought it appropriate considering it’s election time!)
So Stay-C, what is the solution and how does that solution account for the overwhelmingly influence of economics and the capitalism we’ve grown to love (and hate)? Keep on writing…
Sistren….I hear you loud and clear…But we gonna need a calavry of BULLHORNS…and shout this message to our youth…their parents..and our peers…We can no longer afford to stand by and watch this…Then we need to hit up these record companies…and television conglomarates…WE NEED TO PUT PEOPLE ON BLAST….REALLY…
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I was pimped when i was 15 by a boy who was 12. It set the stage for my future chosen profession. It started off as just showing my dirty parts to him and then progressed to strip-teasing in garages and apartments. Later, I was a professional dancer and model for 14+ years after that. I was lucky to have survived and gotten out, before that lifestyle consumed me. “v”
why dont we just raise and teach ourkids better or is that too crazy because its easier blaming the fucked up state of our world on media influences and things we cant control
What the hell is this all about?? hmmm yeah i dont get this SHIT! come off it alright, i am 16 and have had all of the whole rapping, eminem, GTA4 and all that, and what the hell, it aint messed me up, i am still fine, i dont see any need to go out and do anything like this, so why dont the sensible adult population jsut back the hell off for a while and realise that the vast majority of the young people in the world are actually a damn site more normal then they were when they were younger??? god damnit! I KNOW that there are some messed up children out there, christ knows i have met enough of them, but when ever i look at it i see problems from the parents, not the children! why is it so hard to accept that most kids are actually normal and dont go around doing stuff like this? and why have you become so needy and desperate for attention that you are putting up your views amongst all of the other times that people have said this, wow it is not like nobody has ever thought this before, god you are so mightily original! yeah ok for the very few out there it is incredibly awful for them, and i give them my heartiest sympathy, i really do, but for gods sake stop typing stuff up on websites that no ones gives a shit about, instead do what i do and talk to people, go out and find someone that looks like they are having a bad time of it all and make them feel better about themselves, you will find it much better than sitting at a PC wishing the world better…
Well maybe if you spent less time listening to glorified losers performing what they call music, you could spend more time learning how to spell.
Young Peter thanks for reading. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and add your thoughts on this subject. I don’t wish the world better…I work to make it better. I am an educator. I am a history teacher on the westside of Chicago. I work in the inner-city. I don’t write what I read, I write what I am intimately involved with on a daily basis. I don’t critique without proper observation. Though, I find your critique to be both scathing and personal. I hope it is simply a function of your youth. I am glad that the harmful images in rap music haven’t unduly harmed you, though you are one of the few.
Hopefully, you also come from a family structure that loves and supports you in a manner that helps you to place entertainment in its proper perspective. It may do you some good to see the world, observe, listen, and take notes. Your existence is one of many and your 16 years of perspective result is limited.
Thanks again for reading and I hope that you will learn more by reading other posts.