BET Bans ‘Stupid Hoe’: Sexist or Justified?

February 1st, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

 

"nicki minaj"BET is continuing its trend of sexism by being harsher on sexed-up female artists than the males who have slews of naked women around them while they rap suspect lyrics.

According to TMZ, the network is refusing to air Nicki Minaj’s latest single, “Stupid Hoe.” A rep for BET wouldn’t specify exactly why the video was banned, but he did say BET will not broadcast it. Other sources at the company  said the ban was put in place because the video is too explicit for TV.

A lot of people had strong (negative) reactions to the song and video, and BET would no doubt have it’s work cut out for them bleeping out every use of “hoe” in the song, but aside from a few booty pops in a cage, the video wasn’t any raunchier than others I’ve seen the network air. In recent years, Ciara’s “Ride,” Teairra Mari’s “Sponsor,” and now Nicki’s song are the only videos I can recall being banned. If there was still an “Uncut,” I wonder if they would get airplay there? That’s where all the raunchy male artists were given a pass.

I’m not saying Nicki’s song and video don’t have questionable aspects, but it seems BET is saying it’s only OK for women to be raunchy in a video when a man is pulling the strings.

Here’s the video if you haven’t seen it. What do you think about the ban? Did BET make the right choice or do they come down too hard on female artists?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • Fiji

    I love the vid; it’s out there and Nicki is quintessentially Nicki in it-she looks fabulous and she’s fun and funny. I think a lot of people don’t appreciate it for what it is. It’s edgy and new and by a long shot, it is not just a song and video like in the olden days.

    As for BET not airing it. it’s their network, let them run it like they want. If they want to change the line up they will.

  • 나디아

    The video is bad because it gave me a seizure. I’m glad they banned it from television because you know their are little kids looking at this kind of garbage that could end up having seizures! These kind of songs turn your brain to mush anyway…

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  • Tashii

    The video itself is stupid. I believe they banned it due to the lyrics and ask the editing they would have to duo just to air it all you see is flashing lights and big bubble eyes. It’s not anything BET hasn’t already aired so I say it’s the lyrics. I feel like if you can only make a sting by song stupid hoe over and over, then your not a very well artist. Something just needs to give. Nicki can’t make music saying stupid hoe over and over and expect networks to show the video. her while rap career just gets old for me.

  • AirForce Chica

    Seriously!  All the energy and time it took to put into that video (mess, I mean)!  I’m glad that BET is finally standing for something.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ZKSV5HAR7HS2HLNSANMNCHB2PQ Najah Gilliam

    wow……smh…….but i don’t understand why is she dissing good talent
    0:00-0:06 Beyonce
    1:17 Shakira
    2:53-3:04 Mariah Carey

    rlly Nicki?

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  • Ms_Sunshine9898

    They should have blocked the song for the simple fact that we have enough people putting us down as a race, we don’t need a song about 2 black women arguing over who’s better than the other musically. . .

  • Ms_Sunshine9898

    They should have blocked the song for the simple fact that we have enough people putting us down as a race, we don’t need a song about 2 black women arguing over who’s better than the other musically. . .

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  • http://profile.yahoo.com/P5ERHQR7AOVE6DSB5Z4TPGBP4U Passion

    Sexist?!? why would they be Sexist?. BET is run by a woman in fact the majority of the people on BET are women. But anywho, they are justified for banning this asinine song. They wouldn’t be able to play the video in peace anyway since HOE is everywhere in the song smh. Its sad that people listen to this foolishness anyway.

    • fdsfsdfgsf

      Women are not absolved of any guilt for helping uphold a system that oppresses women and their freedom of self-expression. That’s not rocket science. I’m just saying, this is the same network that constantly airs videos of half-naked women being objectified (both visually and in lyric). Let’s get it together, BET, and start sending a clear message regarding what “art” is okay and what is considered obscene.

    • Guest 2

      BET is run by Viacom Debra Lee serves as CEO and I’m sure she isn’t hands on in these sorts of decisions. As someone who remembers the raunchiness of BET Uncut with videos like Tipdrill and P-popping, I must say the Nicki video is rather mild. Videos like Back Dat Ass Up and Project Chick were far cruder and had worse subject matter the issue here really is the masculine gaze and its role in defining acceptable and unacceptable content

      • Fiji

        Well said!

    • Guest 2

      BET is run by Viacom Debra Lee serves as CEO and I’m sure she isn’t hands on in these sorts of decisions. As someone who remembers the raunchiness of BET Uncut with videos like Tipdrill and P-popping, I must say the Nicki video is rather mild. Videos like Back Dat Ass Up and Project Chick were far cruder and had worse subject matter the issue here really is the masculine gaze and its role in defining acceptable and unacceptable content

  • Stacy L

    I’m split on this. The video itself is NO worse than anything else that BET shows, but the lyrics are pretty strong. Every other word would be bleeped.

    It is pretty side-eye-ish of BET only banning certain videos though. If they were to ban everything that SHOULD be banned they would go out of business quick, fast and in a hurry because they would have hardly no videos to play.

  • Torontochick

    Omg, you mean BET did something right? No freaking way.

  • Pivyque

    Well, I don’t like the song so I watched the video on mute lol BUT it’s pretty tame compared to male videos. 

  • fdsfsdfgsf

    Really, this has nothing to do with whether or you like the video or the song. It has to do with BET’s blatant hypocrisy in their recent video bans. This is an obvious display of sexism. Women can be raunchy (“Stupid Hoe”), gold-digging leeches (“Sponsor”), etc, as long as they are portrayed in the confines of male artists’ videos. Once women start taking those roles based off of their decision and not off of some man’s decision, it is deemed inappropriate because it’s unusual, abnormal, etc. I don’t even watch this excuse of a network, but it offends me that a station that is always trying to sound progressive is so backwards in choices like these.

  • tastythoughts

    clearly niki has to make a radio edit…why not just make a video using the radio edit….#itculdallbesosimple

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