WRA 125.009
Instructor Allen
October 11, 2012
Beauty Standards
Lil Wayne, Bubba Sparxx, and numerous other rappers that are apart of the elite Hip Hop industry specify their ideal body type through their music. On August 14 of 2012 the rapper, 2 Chainz released the single “Birthday Song”, in which his lyrics were “All I want for my birthday is a big booty hoe” describing his particular taste in women. 2 Chainz isn’t the only African American who prefers the stereotypical enlarged rear, in fact this has been a common trend since 1992 when the release of Sir Mix-a-lot’s song, “Baby Got Back”, commonly known as “I like big butts” as the chorus and repeating line. He also stated in the this song, …show more content…
Each individual has a different social identity than the next. Social identity is described as “the individual’s knowledge that he belongs to certain social groups together with some emotional and value significance to him of this group membership” (Tajfel, 1974). As humans we have 3 basic needs that have to be fulfilled; inclusion, the desire to be accepted and respected within a certain group, control, the desire to impact the environment to get others to pay attention to us, and finally affection, the desire to receive intimacy and civility from others (Donohue 65). Plastic surgery and morphing the body’s physical appearances would be the desire to be accepted and respected in that particular social group meeting their required interest and criteria. These women are using their newly founded physical attributes to gain fame as well as to prosper financially by being featured in music videos, featured in men’s’ magazines, appearing on reality TV, dating men in the spotlight and winning Urban Modeling Awards which would be control, the desire to impact the environment to get others to pay attention to us. Studies have proven that the enlarged rear and wide set hips are more attractive to the male gender because it symbolizes fertility this impacts affection, the desire to receive intimacy and civility from others. In otherwise, “b?#*@$! trying to get choose” and they do this by enhancing their womanly curves that their mother wasn’t able to provide them