Pimps Vs Whores

Oscar Garcia

Prof. Wright

ENG 306

Pimps Vs Whores

Stereotypes cause people to react in different ways. They cause stigmas, which then lead to prejudgments because we think that what may be true for one is true for all. Society judge’s people by how they look (race) how they act (behavior) and most of all how they dress. Stereotypes allow people to form preconceived notions about others, which are usually negative. An example of this is the discrimination and prejudices we as a society place on not only race, but also gender. This is a case of not “judging a book by its cover”. We have come a long way in educating people about the harmful effects of labeling individuals and/or groups, and implemented laws that protect them, but there is still a long way to go.

The song lyric I chose to analyze in the following paper is “Can’t Hold Us Down” by Christina Aguilera, feat. Lil Kim. The song mainly discusses how men can do what they want, where as women are subject to criticism when ever they follow suit. The lyrics of this song which I find most controversial is,

“If you look back in History

It’s a common double standard of society

The guy gets all the glory the more he can score

While the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore”

I feel that this holds true in today’s society, as men do have the freedom to express their sexual feelings where as women tend to have to keep theirs reserved and if they don’t they get branded with names like a whore. Being European, and from a continent where free love is barely fading out of our life style, I feel that if you choose to have safe sex with someone based on a physical attraction it is fine. Sex is an expression, it’s one of the most natural things we do and