The Fetishization of Women of Color in Media: Thoughts/ Opinions

Being a Latina- Puerto Rican to be specific the fetishization of women of color has always been prevalent in my life from a very young age. I started to hear of the concept of being a “spicy Latina” and how many claimed to want a “toxica” (a toxic woman). Being Latina was something that I was now aware was hypersexualized and I hated it. Our attitude, passion, and anger were something that made randoms horny…. ew. And besides the obvious problems of this sexualization, Latinas were now not taken seriously because oh now it's “spicy and sexy” to get cursed out in Spanish so yeah that’s great… I quickly came to realize that I was not the only woman of color to share this experience but as I became more involved in the media this fact had begun to surround me. Our bodies, facial features, hair texture, and style are all being used to create a sex appeal from the Kardashians stealing the look to songs by males that sexualize w.o.c because that is “okay” in the eyes of the media. 

What amused me the most about this sexualization of women of color is the fact that when a man in the media speaks of it it is perfectly okay but when a w.o.c. tries to reclaim that sexuality it is hyper-analyzed and treated horribly in the media. Take the song WAP for example by Cardi B and Megan the Stallion they did exactly what every male rapper ever had done but because they were talking about their own bodies and sexuality it became the largest uprise that made headlines for being “too inappropriate”. Almost every woman of color in a male-dominated environment becomes hyper-sexualized and criticized for doing the same thing that men do, take Nicki Minaj as another example. From the beginning of her career as a rapper, all anyone can talk about is her boobs and ass, if it’s real, and if (insert male rapper's name here) have had sex with her. Instead of focusing on her talents and accomplishments as a black female artist. This same thing occurs to so many women of color trying to make it in this type of work environment yet their accomplishments get overpassed by the way they look or act which of course is heavily focused in the media based on their ethnicity or race even when not purposeful. This is an issue that is so deeply rooted within our society that it often brushes past those who do not have to experience it in person or within consuming media. Something else that comes to mind is the Kardashians and their modern role in this issue. The Kardashians had gained mass popularization and would and still do profit from the culture and looks of women of color which further adds to the sexualization. Off the top of my head alone I can name countless times that the Kardashian/ Jenner family have had braids in their hair or have gotten surgeries to replicate the bodies and lips of a woman of color… hi Kylie. But yet again when they do these things it is not treated as badly as if a woman of color did the same. 

Though women of color experience so much over-sexualization in their everyday lives, there are many saying a big f*ck you to the system and continuing to own their sexuality regardless of the backlash and sidelines. Not to bring up Queen Megan the Stallion again but she is the main woman I think of when I think about owning their own sexuality and saying who cares if I have sex and show my body no matter how uncomfortable it makes others and owning it no matter how hypersexual the media portrays her. Unfortunately, women of color have and probably will be fetishized and hyper-sexualized forever but it does bring me some peace that we are starting to reclaim our identities and sexuality saying we are more than our appearance we are human.

Written by Celeste Nieves

Photography by Diana Victoria

A Group(ie) Effort: Someone's Gotta Date the Rock Stars...

It’s 2022, and I’m at home, mindlessly thumbing through the countless same-faced suitors N.Y.C. Tinder has to offer. At this point, Tinder had become a hallmark of pandemic hook-up culture—a lawless land filled with hopeful booty-call prospects and ego-stroking conversations. So, there I am, sifting through the day’s cards when the familiar “ping!” goes off; I’ve got a match.

Sigh, another musician…

Wait, he actually looks cool… 

Hold on…..

“Henry” was a guitarist from a local pop-rock group. I’d seen him before on the apps and maybe had exchanged a few words on Hinge or Bumble, but I had never given him a fair shot. After taking the pivotal step of moving from Tinder to Snapchat, we set a date. Since we both happened to be “unemployed” (a working musician in his case), Henry and I met on a random weekday night in Bushwick. Walking from cheap bar to cheap bar, we bonded over our shared music taste; he told me about his band, gloating about their previous and upcoming shows while name-dropping who he’s worked with from the local scene. I was more impressed by his knowledge of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings; regardless, I feigned interest in politeness. The date ended with him walking me back to the subway after sharing a romantic kiss under a streetlight surrounded by bags of curbside garbage and pigeon poop. 

We spoke intermittently for the next few months but talked less as his band grew more popular in the N.Y.C. scene. As happens with most one-time dates, I eventually forgot about him altogether. A month later, his name reappeared on my lock screen. It was a Tuesday, and he asked to see me the following Saturday. I agreed, asking him what he had in mind. He had not responded by Friday night, so I sent him the “we still on?” message…

Silence.

The following day, frustrated that I had wasted my Saturday plans on a ghost, I shot him a stern but polite message about not wanting to have my time wasted and to let me know if this was still happening. “Oh, sorry,” he quickly responded, “my bandmates and I were out of N.Y.C. shooting a music video, and we didn’t have any service. I’d still love to see you if you’re down.”

“Yeah, okay, that’s fine. Have any place in mind?” I replied, a little annoyed.

He answered with a Dice link. Dice (a ticket-purchasing app for local events.) This specific event is a show featuring his band and five others. The ticket is $30. 

“What the hell is this?” I think. 

“So my band is playing here tonight. We start at 9, but the event starts at 7. Buy a ticket, and we could leave after my set.” 

“Are you serious?”

“Yea?” 

Is he lacking in the brain function department? Synapses are clearly misfiring.

“So you ask me on a date but want me to buy a $30 ticket to see a concert-- only show up for your band, then leave before the concert ends?”

“Yea”

“I’m not your fucking groupie.” Insulted and frustrated, I removed him from Snapchat while he was typing and quickly unmatched him from Tinder. At least real groupies get comp tickets! But I, as a broke and unemployed 21-year-old, will not spend $30 to see a guy I barely know and his likely-mids indie rock band.

One year later, I attended an annual charity festival hosted by a friend. Lots of indie rock, pop-rock, and pop-punk groups taking the stage, mingling, networking, and, most of all, recruiting new fans to add to their repertoire of Instagram followers. There I am, languidly swaying to the music, when I spot a familiar bush of uncombed hair walking through the door… It’s Henry. As he and his bandmates lap around the venue, they are closely tailed by a cluster of beautiful girls who look plucked straight from a fashionista’s Pinterest board titled “rockstar gf aesthetic.” Henry and I make eye contact briefly; he wraps his arm around one of the girls and proceeds to make out with her. I quickly look away, snickering to myself, half in disbelief that men like that exist outside of the movies and half grateful that somehow, he found exactly what I could not give him-- a picture-perfect groupie girlfriend.  

Hours later, when Henry and his band took to the stage, not only were the girls front and center screaming all the lyrics, but half of the venue was. All eyes were on them, and toes were tapping right on the beat. After their set, the band, groupies, and devout following vacated the venue. The audience had diminished by 70%. 

Since then, this story has remained a funny tidbit, and I share it when some out-of-towners ask me what dating in N.Y.C. is like. Henry and his band continue to make a name for themselves in the local music scene, and while I only ever think about him when sharing this story, I think about that group of girls often. I wonder if, like me, they were random dating app matches. I wonder if those girls follow other musicians, alone or in a group. I wonder if, in the next few years, they will become the next “It” girls through sheer determination and sex appeal. I wonder if they molded themselves specifically for this “groupie” lifestyle; I wonder if it’s worth it for them.

In its nearly 60-year lifetime, the “groupie” label has gone demode to vogue and back and forth, with the fluctuating mores of feminine sexuality. The original “Groupie” was a bright-eyed, oft scantily clad young girl, freshly plucked from the front row, waiting in the wings for their rock-god dreamboat. A crucial figure in rock and roll history, groupies not only embodied the essence of ’60s free-love and unprecedented self-expression, but eventually, they became the first-person historians of some of rock and roll’s most pivotal moments. Now, their best-selling tell-all memoirs and invaluable collection of never-before-seen photos are the only window to the intimacies of Rock royalty, many of whom passed before they could share their own stories. The original groupies, Pamela Des Barres, “Sweet” Connie Hamzy, Sable Starr, Cherry Vanilla, Lori Maddox, and many (many!) more, paved the way for what ultimately became a seismic shift in the liberation of female sexuality.

To get closer to their virtually untouchable rock gods, the girls had to use everything at their disposal– sex, drugs, an ear ready to listen, and a heart eager to please. Groupies and their rock star beaus became entangled in a symbiotic relationship– one gets sex from a Madonna figure, and the other receives validation and acceptance from a world never thought to be attainable by the likes of a suburban runaway. These passion-filled flings established groupies as the muses of rock ‘n’ roll. “We’re An American Band” by the Grand Funk Railroad, “Plaster Caster” by K.I.S.S., “Star, Star (Starfucker)” by The Rolling Stones, and “She Goes Down” by Mötley Crüe are among the most infamous groupie-influenced tracks in rock’s illustrious history.

The rise of groupie culture frustrated men who had less chance to meet their heroes than an attractive girl did. The girls' ease of access and celebrity by association gave them unprecedented glamour and attention—just for being beautiful. In retaliation, the groupie became subject to demeaning labels like “whore” and “gold digger.” Girls who had used their sexual escapades as a claim to fame found themselves defending the same stories that the tabloids initially begged them for. It was a classic Catch-22: women can wear the mask of a sexually liberated doll, but once they start engaging, or worse, profiting off their sex lives, the allure is gone, the facade is shattered, and the woman is left sexed and soiled. The label became a condescending slight for every backstage dreamer. 

It wasn’t until the unbridled angst and grit of the 90s that the groupie began to morph into the waify, heroin-chic character we associate with a “modern groupie.” Still reeling from the misogyny of being a “groupie,” the label found a new life with a new muse, Kate Moss. With her killer style and infamous cocaine habit (plus bad-boy boyfriend, Johnny Depp (gag)), Moss was the poster child of eyeliner-drenched, disheveled party diva.

The new millennium ushered in a new groupie essence, the Video Vixen. Gorgeous girls who made a name for themselves, partying and dancing behind famous hip-hop rappers in their music videos and events. Later, we saw a more passive rock-girl resurgence in 2014 Tumblr’s indie sleaze. The sloppy, grunge aesthetic was drenched in youth and futility. It was a promise that what once was will ultimately come again only. Except, the groupie never did return, at least not in how we’ve come to know.

Current groupiedom finds itself in TikTok’s “Rockstar Girlfriend” aesthetic, which is moreso a parody of indie sleaze than trad groupie. The fact that it isn’t called something akin to “groupie-core” just exemplifies the negative connotation that has followed the label for decades. But, this latest TikTok trend is less about actually DATING a drug-fueled rockstar and more about LOOKING like you would. You don’t have to know a band’s entire catalog; just post a snippet of “In Bloom” by Nirvana while wearing Steve Madden Brocks Buckle Boots on your Instagram story, and you’ll have a D-List influencer in your DMs by midnight. It’s like being in a club that’s playing great music, but everyone is more concerned with how they look and who is looking rather than dancing.

Technically, we are experiencing another shift in the expression of female sexuality with our blasé attitude for thirst traps and Facetune. Plus, with pop music coming around to the “older” sounds of classic, psych, and funk-rock, maybe we will see a new version of the greasy, cherub groupie waiting in the wings for her Tinder date to get off stage and sweep her off to a drug-induced, happily ever after in Rock ‘n’ Roll paradise.

Written by Daniella Fishman

Photography by Mark Bluemle

Creative Director: Sophia Querrazzi

Talent: Tori Olegario, Oli Davis , Johnathan Mingo

The Rise of Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan by Alec Conwell

She’s your favorite artist’s favorite artist, your dream girl’s dream girl, and she is serving CUNT! Chappell Roan has blasted into the scene with catchy queer music reminiscent of both the 80s and the early 2000s. Paying tribute to those who have come before while also creating a new, fresh sound that is sorely needed. This Femininomenon isn’t stopping anytime soon and reminds many of the early days of Lady Gaga or even Cyndi Lauper. While she grows larger every day, Chappell never forgets to give back and donates to queer charities while also inviting local drag artists to open her concerts. She never wants to forget where she comes from and wants to help those communities thrive. As a lesbian from the Midwest, seeing her gain a level of success that only continues to grow is very exciting. Her songs have given me a confidence that I didn’t have before, and can do this for so many other lesbians as Chappell is unapologetically queer. I hope to touch on her music in this article and what makes it so worthy of success and being the new music for your hot girl summer.

Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, starts with a punch, with Femininomenon. While the lyrics may be a bit nonsensical, “Get it hot like Papa John” comes to mind. The song is very fun and upbeat, exactly what a lot of pop music has been missing, and Chappell is bringing back fun pop in full force. The follow-up song, Red Wine Supernova, has very fun, danceable lyrics as well. The song is also unapologetically queer and sexual, something all too often shied away from, especially in combination. With raunchy double entendres like “I heard you like magic. I've got a wand and a rabbit!” Chappell is open about sex and is often specifically lesbian-coded about it. This is quite important, as many lesbians often see a lack of representation in every form of media, and being this explicit means so much to all of us in the community. After Midnight comes next, an ode to clubs and getting into trouble late into the night. It is also an ode to the freedom the club can sometimes give you to follow your inhibitions and just get a bit messy. With lyrics about kissing both your girlfriend and boyfriend, this is another ode to exploring sexuality, and it has fun with it.

The next two songs on the album are a little slower and more emotional. They include discussions of failed casual situations as well as failed romantic relationships. Coffee is a more emotional ballad about how hard it can be to meet with an ex after a breakup that you’re still slightly in love with. The feeling of how difficult it is to meet anywhere because every place you’ve been together holds such deep memories. How difficult it is to not cave in and go back to their place simply because you know them and they’ve always been there. It is one of the emotional hard hitters on the album and is quite a switch-up following the more upbeat pop songs. The follow-up song, Casual, is a bit angrier and explicit. It chronicles the tale of meeting the parents, storing stuff at a partner’s house, and they still claim it's a casual relationship. It displays the anger surrounding that situation and how it makes you feel crazy. The song also raised questions over what “knee deep in the passenger seat” really means, with Chappell once again willing to get explicit with lyrics, even in her more emotional songs.

The next three songs are all very fun tracks that chronicle the need for more than just a man, the desire to go home with someone at the club, and how karma can get your exes back for you. Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl is one of my personal favorites and such a good one to scream along to. The beginning is iconic, and the lyrics explicitly state how a man isn’t enough for her and how she needs a super graphic ultra modern girl, just like she speaks to sexuality on the whole. Hearing such an explicit rejection of a man for a woman is so important to so many lesbians, and it is such a switch-up from what is normal in pop music. The next song, Hot to Go!, might be the most silly and entertaining song on the album, even if it's not my personal favorite. Chappell even made a dance to it, which gets people engaged at concerts. She’s simply singing about going home with someone, and it is just so fun, nonsensical, and still amazing. Chappell seems to have the ability to make even the oddest lyrics truly magical when sung to a crowd. My Kink is Karma is another one of my favorite songs. It tells the story of all the bad things that happen to an ex after a bad breakup while you’re thriving. The song is so soothing to sing while remembering an ex or even a bad friend's breakup. It truly is an anthem to those who’ve had the worst relationships but are now thriving. 

For the next three, I’m going to skip around a bit and pull the other three slower songs together. While Picture You doesn’t seem to explicitly state what gender she’s singing about, it heavily implies it is another woman. She sings sensually about taking off her dress and touching herself while thinking of this person. Another song where Chappell freely discusses sexuality and sex in general, a beautifully sung sensual song that I appreciate, is included in the album. The follow-up song, Kaleidoscope, follows a love that wasn’t meant to be. It hits me particularly hard, as I’m reminded of both ex-relationships and ex-friendships. Chappell sings about lost love but still wishes well for the person. She discusses not fully how love works and maybe never knowing but still allowing it to come into your life and stay for however long it does. For me, it is the most emotional song on the album and hits hard after all the earlier upbeat pop songs. Finally, I want to discuss California. This is another personal song for me, as I know the feeling of leaving the Midwest for new, different places. However, I chose the East Coast, while Chappell chose the West. She sings about how difficult it can be to transition to a new place and how you can miss home but not at the same time. She sings about how sometimes plans don’t pan out and life doesn’t always go how you want it to. However, she could never have imagined in 2020 that in 2024 she would be the next rising star. It is very interesting to see where she came from and how she’s come from there.

The final three songs to discuss are more upbeat pop anthems. Guilty Pleasure once again seems to be another song about a woman. About how she feels both guilt and pleasure towards her sexuality. I feel like a lot of lesbians, especially depending on where they’re from, feel this when they first come to terms with their sexuality. I love how she sings the song not as a confession but more of an admission. She wants this pleasure to continue, and she doesn’t care about the consequences. It is nice to hear a song like this. Naked in Manhattan is another explicit song about the first time with a woman. Another song that is so important to hear as a queer person. She sings about how the first time would go in the city and calls for her partner to touch her. She also states in the beginning how boys stink, and she finally wants to try women. Such a refreshing take from the all-too-often boy-obsessed pop music that is on the radio. Finally, I want to discuss what, to me, is the most defining song on the album, Pink Pony Club. This is an anthem to being yourself, no matter who you are. It truly feels like a queer album and a fuck you to those who try to put us in a box. How we shock our hometowns in the midwest and south with queerness and eccentricity while still stating that these things exist everywhere, even in the towns that don’t want it. This is a defining song for Chappell, and seeing it sung even on a screen at Coachella was awe-inspiring. The crowd looked so explicitly queer, and everyone is stating that they are different and proud, and I love this so much. Chappell does inspire so many queer people to be open and free.

Overall, it is so exciting to see a lesbian pop gaining so much popularity. Her new song, Good Luck Babe, even got pretty high on different charts. She inspires others to be open and free while supporting local drag queens and queer communities throughout the Midwest. She calls back to her roots while still moving forward and changing. Community is important to her, and so is inspiring others to be their authentic selves. It is very interesting to hear her discuss how she sees Chappell as a drag persona and what she means for the industry in general. I am so excited to see where she goes next and know she’ll go far.

Written by Kat Reed

Illustration by Alec Conwell