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Popular music is often riddled with misogynistic lyrics that objectify and demean women … so why are we listening and dancing to it? Performing a sample of her original song “Top Knot Turn Up” and sharing clips from her female-directed music video of “See Me Thru,” activist and musician Madame Gandhi explains why she’s making sex-positive music that doesn’t contribute to anyone’s oppression — and calls on music lovers to get down to tunes that empower everyone.
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Cyox
September 9, 2020 at 7:07 pm
1.
Nesli Sanli - Anything is possible
September 9, 2020 at 7:21 pm
The most sexist genre has to be gangster rap…
G Q
September 10, 2020 at 2:46 am
You said “gangster rap” in 2020
Meep Meep
September 12, 2020 at 7:54 pm
@G Q – It’s the same garbage it’s always been. Nothing’s changed since the 80s.
drum2016
September 9, 2020 at 7:28 pm
e
Egbert McFleisterheimer
September 9, 2020 at 7:58 pm
Who cares?…she’s an entertainer…probably best that she keep entertaining and leave thinking to the cogent…
Annette Snyder
September 9, 2020 at 8:03 pm
Love you 💋💋😘😘❤️💯
Darsh Mercer
September 9, 2020 at 8:05 pm
Hi Boys 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️
Nabeela Moreno
September 9, 2020 at 8:05 pm
13:43 I love that. Do you love me? 😍💋 💝💖❤️
Talleyrand S
September 9, 2020 at 8:10 pm
I fully agree with the message made here – in any setting, industry, wherever there’s a severe imbalance of gender, race, … there will be discrimination and it’s good to combat that.
What really grinds my gears though is that Madame Gandhi’s rhetoric includes the exact problems that she is fighting against – excluding men from the addressed audience by addressing only “us women”. Or literally using oppressive lyrics saying “the future is female”?
To me, this really breaks a good and strong message because it makes it questionable whether the aim pursued here is equality or whether reversed oppression would be just as good of an outcome. I firmly believe that we’ll never achieve equality as long as we feel like there is two (or more) sides – as long as either side’s rhetoric is essentially advocating division then division and oppression there will be.
Michaël Lessard
September 9, 2020 at 8:54 pm
It does make men feel like they can only be male stereotypes, can only be men, unless they suddenly declare themselves non-binary, etc. I strive to be Human and liberated from gender stereotypes. Mind you, it is A-OK that she addresses women here, as she is asking that they create/produce their music and songs ; the statistics she states are really extreme and justifies calling out to women and non-binaries. I personally notice that many of the artists I listen to are women. That is a way we can, as men, help.
Speedyboba
September 10, 2020 at 3:36 am
How is the future is female oppressive? You can be for something and not against something else. She never said men weren’t included in the future?
Talleyrand S
September 10, 2020 at 6:37 am
@Speedyboba But that’s exactly what “the future is female” says. If I say “the future is male”, how am I including women? If I say “the future is white”, how does that not exclude people of other race/ethnicity?
munyaneza david
September 10, 2020 at 11:42 am
this is a good point
Speedyboba
September 10, 2020 at 6:31 pm
@Talleyrand S I never said that saying “the future is male” is excluding women. At it’s base, all these statements are meant to be inclusive, but are warped around and turned into things racists or sexists say.
Envixous Envixous
September 11, 2020 at 8:23 pm
Then how do you propose trying to lift women up out of oppression without lifting them up? This is a women issue, it get’s the message across. Including others in a song when you’re talking about the oppression drowns out the message and has it continue to fall on deaf ears. Sometimes you have to be loud and clear to be heard.
B H
September 12, 2020 at 2:45 pm
@Speedyboba dude
SunflowerSizo
September 9, 2020 at 9:50 pm
well said, thank you to her for sharing
Tyrese Johnson
September 9, 2020 at 11:06 pm
Cringeee
Romina Eaton
September 9, 2020 at 11:47 pm
🔥🔥🔥
Rodrigo Ferreira
September 10, 2020 at 12:00 am
I fully agree with you Madame Gandhi but your song is…. sooooo boring! 😂
Thiago De Melo
September 10, 2020 at 12:46 am
I was loving until she started singing…
ADjustinG2013
September 10, 2020 at 1:16 am
Does she think she’s inventing positive rap? Talk about how there already is rap with a message but the industry glorifies material content. But talking about the music that’s already out there would defeat this advertisement for herself. At least bring in someone talented like Homeboy Sandman.
ᚩᛗᚫ ForestDweller ᛣᚳᛉ
September 10, 2020 at 1:16 am
Finally someone calls this out. Minorities and woman want to complain about how society treats them, but when you examine the toxic rap, and gangster culture, you see the most toxic values.
It has nothing to do about race, it has to do with how a large majority of people are perpetuating an insanely toxic culture with corrosive values. You cannot open a narrative about equality and respect, while simultaneously representing an inaccurate, misogynous, drug addicted, victim message. How can you expect to take anyone seriously, no matter what skin color or gender, when they promoting the very values that are their oppression.
D JOHNSON
September 10, 2020 at 1:55 am
Lol!!! Doesn’t want music to contribute to the oppression of others and then goes ahead and raps “the future is female”.
Angelina Marra
September 10, 2020 at 7:24 am
You don’t get it.
D JOHNSON
September 10, 2020 at 7:30 am
@Angelina Marra I get the “double standard”
G Q
September 10, 2020 at 2:49 am
“The future is female” … ok butch
Avan Sinnteal
September 10, 2020 at 2:55 am
If you’re the type that gets all sassy over bits of lyrics you don’t agree with, I suggest you start listening instrumental only instead. I didn’t like her lyrics nor could I rely, but that’s fine, she’s just doing her own authentic thing and I love that.
Damien Brown
September 10, 2020 at 3:22 am
Fully agree I think woman are sexualized to much in the music industry and it normalized but it’s also woman’s or they’s or any other minority to make a song
Angelina Marra
September 10, 2020 at 7:26 am
This is a very important talk. Thank you.
Vijay Pratap
September 10, 2020 at 11:34 am
When someone has to use others name for attention…seriously madame and Gandhi.
Aakhil A
September 10, 2020 at 3:54 pm
Her real name is Kiran Gandhi. Her parents are Meera and Vikram Gandhi.
Envixous Envixous
September 11, 2020 at 8:25 pm
Imagine giving a damn what her name is OP. Do something more useful with your life.
Philip Nichols
September 10, 2020 at 12:12 pm
Try…Bach Cantatas, they will not offend.
V Balaji
September 10, 2020 at 12:42 pm
I would like to know how woman artists in the industry are representing themselves.
Envixous Envixous
September 11, 2020 at 8:24 pm
Women tend to not get “into the industry” unless they meet a man’s standard. So yes, the ones in the industry end up being the women that women don’t want representing them.
Yunyi
September 10, 2020 at 1:08 pm
I totally agree with you❣️
Ryan
September 10, 2020 at 1:36 pm
The message is valid but its buried under what feels like almost a parody of modern activism and feminism.
Lisa Love Ministries
September 10, 2020 at 6:58 pm
Seek God daily.
Romans 10:9
John 3:16-17
sans
September 11, 2020 at 2:10 am
I like this young lady. I will be checking her out more
Sunil Kumar
September 11, 2020 at 4:24 pm
Ears started bleeding after listening to her so called “song”
Envixous Envixous
September 11, 2020 at 8:27 pm
Because your brain can’t handle anything that takes actual thought.
Meep Meep
September 12, 2020 at 7:55 pm
@Envixous Envixous – It’s not “thought”. It’s verbal diarrhea.
King Antunes
September 15, 2020 at 11:32 pm
@Meep Meep *drop the mic*
G Pooh
September 12, 2020 at 2:48 am
This talk is oppressive of my hearing and brain.
Cheryl Swindells
September 12, 2020 at 4:21 am
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thomas De Quincey
September 13, 2020 at 1:41 am
God Almighty! I can see the vapour trails of stale ‘woke’ bullshit eminating from her.
P.S. Only 2.6% of Music Producers “identity” as female. You mean, only 2.6% of Music Producers ARE female.
Irebia Cato
September 13, 2020 at 8:13 am
I like the message she’s speaks about
파랑이이
September 13, 2020 at 1:14 pm
4:35 Umm… This is not Ted that I know.
Zehisa P
September 13, 2020 at 2:50 pm
Did your lyric say u are productive like your ovaries? I feel oppressed now. My ovaries aren’t productive, does that mean Im not productive? Ageism is also a form of oppression.
ITouchTheSky 8GladysWorld8
September 13, 2020 at 8:34 pm
Musics and Nature uplift my spirit. Thank you so much for talking about this topic. Cheers from the top of the mountain.
ZomeaterWWZ
September 13, 2020 at 9:06 pm
Looking at you WAP
Jaliya Héwagé
September 14, 2020 at 3:14 am
Is she the little girl in the matrix?
Anshaj Kumar
September 14, 2020 at 5:11 am
When the name makes you click ted rather than the idea!
JEET PATEL
September 14, 2020 at 12:55 pm
#bullshit this is not the level of Ted talks
Steven Kraft
September 15, 2020 at 4:39 am
So she wants to set up a future that is liberating for everybody, while telling you what kind of music you should be listening to. That’s a very mixed message. And how many of these problematic songs are written by women? Just a week or two ago, “WAP” was number one on the charts, so two female rappers singing about their genitals in a very explicit way. Is that sexist? Could a sexist guy co-opt that song because of its specific subject matter? Probably.
Ana
September 16, 2020 at 6:49 am
*yawn*
just a troll
September 15, 2020 at 6:42 am
This topic would be a great TED video. I think TED misunderstood what it’s audience wants.
But still a thumbs up (only for a very real problem, real issues), though this presentation format isn’t TED standard.