Representation Homework

50 Cent Candy Shop, Jay-Z Pimpin'

Hip hop presents a very rigid and narrow version of manhood - one that suggests that to be a "real man" you must be strong and tough, you must have a lot of women and money, you must always be in control, and you must always dominate women and other men.

I disagree with the statement above as in the 50 cent video, 50 cent represents himself in his mansion with beautiful women and of his choice he can have. I disagree, as if you connote you can realise that 50 cent hasn't always been 'strong and tough' and has had beautiful woman, before all 50 cent's glory, he was a low-level average American who worked non-stop to provide for himself and to be able to financially stable. Furthermore, to be powerful or to be a man you do not have to be strong or tough, as you look at Barrack Obama he is extremely powerful as he's the president, but you don't see him with a vast amount of girl's in big mansions or constantly showing off his money; like every other person in the world men do like to fantasise about what 50 cent may have, but do not relate to the statement. Following on, in Jay-Z video he's located on a boat with only a vast amount of woman with him and his constantly touching him, however when men tend to go on a boat they do not dominate woman or constantly touch them or have a vast amount of them, which is again differing from the statement.

If you do not live up to these ideals, you will be ridiculed for not being man enough. You will be called names like "soft, weak and wimp".

I also disagree with the statement above as once you grow up you become mature and men do not 'bully' each other as if they used to do if they were a lot younger. As in the video 50 cent may be quite masculine and strong, but if you connote he may not be this stereotypical 'thug' that most people see and could be a normal American who is giving. Also, men like Bill Gates wouldn't be classed 'strong' or dominates woman and constantly shows his fortunes as he's the richest man in America which shows that the statement is incorrect.