There must be some reason why the idioms of the black youth culture have become popular among other racial groups. As Rana A. Emerson indicates in her article on the representation of black womanhood in music videos, there are certain angles that the media producers go for when it comes to portraying African American women.
The stereotypes for African American women that are represented in many hip hop and R&B videos are that they are hyper-sexual, beneath the male figures' domination and have certain body figures. I feel that all of these misrepresentations are affecting not just the youth culture of the African American community, but also other racial groups as well.
Miley Cyrus, who WAS a Disney's squeaky clean teenaged sensation, discussed her new album and the concept behind it with Vibe, and she told that that she just wants something "that feels black." In her recent performances and behaviors, she clearly took the false representation of the African American women that are often portrayed in the media to heart, and now the images she had seen in the past have become her concrete idea of what "being black" is all about: sexual promiscuity, frivolous spending, and being intoxicated.
"Sex Sells." is something that you can hear often especially in the media, but at what cost is one selling their products. Is there a way to sell something without ruining an entire community's representation?
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