Hip-hop does not equal the ghetto

By Joanna Gistand

Theme parties can be fun, and I am in no way against them. However, when theme parties associated with a particular race are held, they become offensive. How these parties become offensive should be better understood. The Alpha Phi sorority's "Notorious P.H.I." party was a clever idea but, though I believe that the intent of this party was not malicious, the thoughts associated with the party are offensive for the following reasons:

When people think of the rap artist Notorious B.I.G., they think of black people because Biggie is black. Thus, they attempt to mimic the black culture, otherwise erroneously defined as ghetto. Unfortunately, associations with black people are offensive, as evident in the photos displayed in last week's issue.

Why? Because when people think of ghetto, they think black. But, let me remind you, the ghetto is "(n.) an impoverished, neglected, or otherwise disadvantaged residential area of a city, usually troubled by a disproportionately large amount of crime." Nowhere in the aforementioned dictionary definition does it mention race -- why? Because anybody of any race can live in the ghetto.

The problem with the photos is that they deface black people. Since people tend to associate the ghetto with black people, their stereotypes, prejudices and ignorance come to light through their clothing.

Example one: shirts with report cards that show only non-academic subjects with "A's." The point is that black people are only good at physical activities.

Well, let me enlighten you, since it is blatantly obvious you have never been to the ghetto and probably never will, while I have spent most of my life in one. The likelihood that someone is failing every other subject besides physical education is close to zero for the following reasons: if they aren't trying to receive good grades in any other class, they probably aren't going to try in P.E. either, which would be reflected on the report card. They probably aren't attending school period, for whatever reason unbeknownst to everybody else. I know this from working extensively with students in the aforementioned ghetto.

And, believe it or not, black people do more than just sing, dance and play sports, but that is something that the media refuses to portray as well. Think of the black people you actually know before making generalizations of the black people that you see on TV who, again, are inaccurately portrayed.

Example two: since I was not at the party I am only speculating, but almost every time there is a ghetto party, people begin to change their voices to the black people misrepresented on TV and speak as if they are uneducated. It's similar to when people see me around campus and greet me with "haaay girl," as if because I am black I only understand ghetto salutations. A "good morning, Jo" will suffice. It's offensive because what people are assuming by taking on these antics is that black people cannot speak standard English and are incapable of having regular conversations.

Before creating a theme party, you should ask yourself three questions. First, would the people that I am supposedly portraying be comfortable in this environment? Second, would they attend, knowing the format of the party? Third, if a person that I am portraying walked in the door during the festivities, would I stop my antics?

The answers: 1. Probably not. 2. No, because you wouldn't be having the party if you knew that people who were attending would be offended. 3. Yes, and it would be extremely awkward. Please do not confuse ghetto with hip-hop culture. The difference is monumental. You know what a ghetto is, since I defined it for you above. Unfortunately, the ghetto is a place that people have falsely associated with black people particularly; I maintain it to be true that several minority groups live in the ghetto.

Because "ghetto," in its adjectival form, has become synonymous with "things that Black people do," when people emulate ghetto they emulate how they think black people act.

It is offensive, because I don't act like that, my black friends don't act like that and my black cousins don't act like that. Hip-hop culture however, began as a way for some black people and members of other races to express themselves through song, rap, clothing and other means. The media quickly capitalized upon this and began representing black hyper-stereotypes that people have blindly and ignorantly come to accept as truths, as evident in this theme party.

With that said, people should bear in mind what they are attempting to say with their theme parties. I know these events aren't meant to be racist or distasteful, but when these parties are thrown, true feelings about a particular race begin to show, and they can be demeaning and hurtful; so keep it classy.

Joanna Gistand is a senior liberal studies major.