I love Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.” It’s a fun song with a great beat. I might even say that it’s one of her best singles.
Minaj is doing through music what most of us do physically and verbally – expressing her sexuality. It’s completely natural, and she can do it however she wants provided no one is harmed or forced against his or her will in the process.
“Anaconda” is just this kind of expression. To put it bluntly, it’s about her oh-my-God-look-at-her butt, which is part of what makes this song so much fun, and even though hers may be artificially enhanced, that’s neither here nor there. She loves it, and she’s certainly allowed to express that sentiment.
Furthermore, “Anaconda” is an anecdote, telling the stories of her experiences with Troy from Detroit and motorcycle enthusiast Michael, neither of whom were disrespectful to her, and both of whom loved her rump. They did exactly what she wanted them to do, and apparently, they didn’t complain about it either. Troy “bought (her) Alexander McQueen (and) was keepin’ (her) stylish,” something for which Nicki was most certainly grateful (“Now that’s real, real, real …”). It doesn’t sound like Michael was too shabby either, especially since the Eiffel Tower didn’t have anything on him. In particular, Minaj talks fondly about their shared sex life, which she makes clear was both consensual and satisfying: “(He) let me,” “I let him,” etc.
Now, consider your reaction if a friend had been telling you these stories. After all, it sounds like Minaj had a great time with both men, and you would probably be happy for your friend if he or she was in her position.
So why are so many people shocked by her song? Why are so many people quick to use the words “slutty” and “degrading” to describe a personal expression? To make a long story short, there’s a lot of shame surrounding sex, especially when it’s outside of marriage, and this is especially true for women. Tradition has taught for centuries that it is immoral to have sex before marriage, and even though our society has evolved and continues to do so, it is still news to many that some subscribe to other value systems, including Minaj, who is apparently making the front page.
My advice is this: Keep your morals. Morals are there for a reason. They differ from person to person, and it’s good that we each have our own moral code and can openly discuss and debate them. But my advice is also this: don’t reprimand (or, in this case, shame) others for their morals, and especially don’t criticize others simply for expressing themselves and their experiences, which may or may not fall in line with what you would deem to be “appropriate.”
At the end of the day, Minaj isn’t hurting anyone, nor is she trying to be a role model. She’s trying to tell everyone how much she loves her butt, and maybe she’s even trying to express the empowerment she feels because of her butt and her sexuality. Maybe she samples “Baby Got Back” because she wanted to take something that objectifies women and use it in her own context to throw it back in society’s face.
I don’t know.
But what I do know is that Minaj is entitled to her personal expressions and to her sexuality. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. You don’t have to. But if you’re getting ready to needlessly insult a human being because of what she does consensually with other people and how she expresses is, hold your tongue. Otherwise, you might make yourself into a butt as big as Nicki Minaj’s.
Reid is a sophomore biochemistry and philosophy major from Pascagoula.
-Reid Black
