Ashnikko and her songs: are Gen-Z ladies finally getting fed up?

divination__ · 2021-11-09T21:23:22+00:00

If female empowerment does not look like male empowerment, then its a hoax. Feeling empowered for men sold as educating yourself, becoming financially independent, dedicating yourself to your craft, basically everything to do with true material power in this world. "Female empowerment" is recreated every few decades but never really changes the same formula: it is still about heterosexual dynamics and women in relation to men. It never gives us any true power. This is just what sells right now as opposed to pure and simple self-objectification, but you're never going to get any true political change from the music industry, aka the most exploitative and corrupt industry dominated by creeps and perverts.

The_Cat_Empress · 2021-11-09T19:21:02+00:00

Empowerment =\= Sexuality. How come strong buff men in media aren’t pole dancing and stripping? Only example I saw was Lil Nas X and he ended up taking over Hell in his music video so at least he’s proactive lol I’m just tired of “I don’t take any sh*t from men” and then turning around and rapping about how they suck men off and how good they are in bed. Idk it’s just always bothered me, it’s a double standard that women have to be sexy or wear provocative clothing to seen as powerful. Billie Elish was the only one for a while who seemed to break the mold. But it doesn’t last long.

ceramicunicorn · 2021-11-09T23:03:28+00:00

It being hard to make money as a female artist in a male dominated industry- without sexualization- aside....I don’t really have an issue with expressing oneself aesthetically as a sexual being. I actually find it kind of infuriating when I have to tamp it down aesthetically when I go out. It’s tied into my creativity. That being said, if you’re doing this onstage and you’re a pop star with bodyguards et al, you’re pretty safe in doing it. (I definitely have a weakness for shock value in sexuality too, in combining it with things that are not considered traditionally aesthetically pleasing- it feels like pranking the male gaze).

For me the line is the actual messaging of “we can fuck around with as few consequences as men do”. And I’m sorry, it sucks, but no, that is a fantasy being presented as fact, and we can’t. No matter how famous you are, if you still are living in a female body, you’re still assuming more sexual risk. Men get to do more of that thing than women do, and assume less risk. It’s just a privilege they have.

You know what women CAN do more of though than men? Hold out. Wait it out. For someone deserving. I truly think we have stronger discipline in this area. That’s a privilege we have. We have more potential to escape being slaves to our desire. Without the support of religion (even then they still often fail), men find this incredibly difficult to do. Why cannot THIS- the power to be selective- also be presented as female empowerment?

I truly think it could sell to girls who are getting increasingly fed up with being sexually used and discarded, if the artist just framed it as another example of self-discipline and self-ownership. We already sell “I work hard” and “I exercise” in music, why couldn’t this be an extension of that? Plus, “I fuck a lot” is so old hat, this would be fresh and new. It’s independence to next level, in that it’s a personal choice- mandates from God don’t have to have anything to do with it.

I know, I know, it’s not a narrative that benefits men. But, if girls will spend money on that kind of art, and the execs could profit, why would they care? Rich execs need not worry about such narratives impacting them with a resulting cultural shift- rich LVM will always have access to pick-me’s, sugar babies, etc. The not-rich LVM would be impacted by those narratives, sure, but I sincerely doubt rich men will care about the fates of those men anyway.

I’m waiting on it. I see it in popular Tik Tok accounts. You hear it thematically now and again- divorced from any sort of purity or worrying about being slutty etc- like with Janet Jackson’s Let’s Wait Awhile (and maybe Genie in a Bottle counts?).

But I’m waiting on a female musician to actually fully embrace this middle ground as her brand, in the way that the extremes of “Jesus first” chastity and “I fuck a lot” promiscuity have been. I truly believe there is space to work outside of the confines of Madonna/Whore, if just one artist had the courage to pioneer it.

alpinepunch2021 · 2021-11-10T03:11:07+00:00

This screams sex pozzi liberal hoax. Basically - if a rich and powerful white guy wouldn't do it, then it's probably some bullshit. Also, literally nobody below the age of 40 in North America is sexually repressed anymore, wearing a bathing suit on stage and humping a teddy bear and getting waxed on camera (or in general) isn't remotely cutting edge.

Not that I think you shouldn't listen to her, though. I love Mitski and Lana Del Rey and all of their songs are basically just about bemoaning life as a pickme.

JadeBaby2211 · 2021-11-10T01:02:34+00:00

I used to listen to her on repeat in the fall of 2020, she has some bops. My favorite is "Invitation" because it's so angry. Her Halloween songs are fun too. But like you I became tired that her message was so muddled. I was surprised that she's labeled feminist tbh, she just seems like a someone who's kind of young and lost but has good art direction.

I've been reflecting on how powerful images and music are on my subconscious. Does anyone remember the Rolling Stone magazine cover with some guy holding Janet Jacksons breasts from behind? I was a kid when I saw that and im realizing how deeply it affected me. To see her get both praise, awe and hatred for that photo made me so confused, but ultimately she was able to use that image to gain attention, further her music career and make more money. I really wish that women's sexuality wasn't so inseparable from their economic power. Men can literally go do anything and not have the value of their work be associated with "well do I want to fuck him?"

Women know that their economic power is somewhat tied into our sexuality, and I think it's hard to really tease apart those factors and create a path where women can gain money in the world without selling their body, especially in the music industry. It's honestly a constant fight to remain true to yourself, and without the FDS community I'd definitely start slipping back into the brainwashing that society constantly forces upon me. I hope that Ashnikko can find her community. She's a great artist but she needs to take care of herself first.

chickenery · 2021-11-09T20:14:21+00:00

When men sing about women, it’s about how great it is to TAKE pleasure using women’s bodies.

When women sing about men, it’s about how great it is to use their bodies to GIVE pleasure to men.

So… who is really empowered?

samedinuitmort · 2021-11-09T20:07:46+00:00

When I see women talking/singing about how men are awful and have hurt them, while still performing sexuality and proving their “sexual empowerment”, I feel for them. I really do. It’s a terribly trapped, lose-lose situation they’re stuck in, and it’s incredibly painful. It can be hard to let go of what’s been your one source of value, worth and power: sex and beauty. Believing in your worth as a woman and a human being WITHOUT your appearance and sexuality can be reeeally difficult, especially when most of the world - including other women - won’t recognize it. Men and most women will still evaluate you or compete with you on the attractiveness/sexiness scale. You need to believe that your brains, your personality, your wit, charm, charisma, humor, perseverance, hard work, knowledge and all that are what make you important, interesting and worthy. Even when most of the world doesn’t validate it. Even when most of the world is not even willing to listen to you unless you’re attractive or sexual. So yeah I have compassion for women who haven’t been able to let go of their “something to prove” stance on their sexuality and appearance… some never manage to fully pull through and see the connection between their pain and their self-objectification.

lansburysoda · 2021-11-09T19:35:06+00:00

Taylor Swift is one of the only top female artists right now whose lyrics & image don’t pander to male sexuality/the male gaze. No surprise that liking her is considered “cringe” in many male circles. Billie Eilish used to do her own thing too, but now it seems like her record label decided she needed to take her clothes off to stay relevant.

SakuraGirl88 · 2021-11-09T22:26:41+00:00

I don't really know about ashnikko. But her, Cardi, Meg, Nicki, etc. It's all the same. They go on and on with this persona about being empowered, when all it is just bragging about being good in bed? Not to mention the fact that everything is controlled by men anyway. And another poster mentioned WAP. For all that bragging Cardi does, she still went back to Offset after he cheated on her.

But as far as the music industry goes, sex sells and gets more attention. But women have to be 10 times as pretty, 10 times as sexual and have to do everything for shock value. They can't win for losing. And sure, they might have a lot of money, but what good is that if your self esteem and self worth are in the toilet. And did you see the news about Saweetie and her bogus contract? It's ridiculous 🤦🏽‍♀️. And I'm not saying you have to be a prude. But women, especially WOC, get boxed into the same Madonna whore complex and can't really escape it.

Constant-Wanderer · 2021-11-10T02:11:51+00:00

For some people, taking control over their sexuality means (whether they realize it or not) that they become hypersexualized, the end result seemingly to be attractive to as many people as possible that they find attractive, so they can reject most or all of them. It’s like a mating ritual on steroids.

I get it, but outside the head of the person doing it, it doesn’t look much different than plain old desperation.

The problem is that the people who do this, the Megan Thee Stallions,the Cardi Bs, they actually HAVE power in their daily lives. They have bodyguards, they have security, they have entourages, hell, they even have people who don’t give a shit about them but will protect them because they depend on their well being for the financial relationship that exists.

Their fans don’t.

So to emulate that attitude and behavior is rarely met with the same results. When Maria in the Bronx puts on a bikini to go to the club, she isn’t going to work her fans into a frenzy, she’s going to get hands put on her. She’s at a risk that her idols are not.

Not exactly empowering.

Some-Air9442 · 2021-11-09T19:02:31+00:00

Oh come on.

A half naked lady in lots of makeup singing about sucking d*ck is “feminist” and empowered? That’s classic libfem.

I thought we were too smart for that here. Smdh.

jingks_ · 2021-11-09T18:24:01+00:00

I wonder about this too and get confused about it. I really like Ashnikko and some of the other female artists out right now like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi, but they give off such mixed messages — on the one hand they take no shit, but on the other hand they’re twerking and rapping about how great they f*ck like that’s the only thing that matters.

It’s like…as empowered women we should be able to enjoy sex and feel in control of our sex lives — most of us have felt taken advantage of sexually at some point, and I can’t speak for every woman but I certainly have been on a journey to reclaim my sexuality on my own terms. But how to do that without falling into the trap of patriarchal norms and internalized misogyny? I don’t know at this point. Still very much trying to understand what that looks like, and I’m not sure women in pop culture are setting the best example.

Witchy-Woods · 2021-11-10T12:36:13+00:00

Any female artist that uses anime as an inspiration for anything is a red flag for me. Anime and hentai have such a big porn sick and sexist audience. AND the artist almost always ends up being problematic in some way. cough Doja Cat cough

shockingupdate · 2021-11-09T19:15:14+00:00

I have to separate the art from the artist all the time. If the majority of female artists’ journey to empowerment begins and ends at sexuality, it empowers them by securing an income while providing us with nothing but additional pressure to perform. Women will pay for concerts, buy Ashnikko’s merch, and hype up her brand by dressing like her, often for male attention. Men will pay for concerts and encourage those same women to be more like her because look at how eMpoWeReD she is! Ashnikko wins either way, but for the rest of us, we get to deal with more sex pozzy normalization, more males screeching at us to hypersexualize ourselves for their pleasure, and more cognitive dissonance between the media we consume and the lives we live.

Emergency-Feed8216 · 2021-11-09T19:49:14+00:00

Sounds like an NLOG with covert Pickme MO who furthermore is openly trying to appeal to pedos (pigtails).

My generation had the same kinds of NLOG Pickmes that only differed in negligible ways from Z NLOGS. Point being, wherever you go, there you bloody are. Equality, like democracy, is a living revolution, a Sisyphean feat that must be maintained and tended at all times becsuse the rock will invariably roll back down the mountain if we let go of it. There will never be a generation of women that is somehow magically and easily adapted to equality and has a fuss-free formula to maintain it, as if this new generation was genetically advanced. Nope. The struggle will always be a struggle. There will always be misdirected opportunists, hypocrites and traitors (Pickmes) that lower the standards for other women and a minority of real deals. But we can still saw our way forward.

BrightIdeaGenerator · 2021-11-09T20:07:31+00:00

I did listen to 2 of her songs on repeat for a couple months to give me the strength to completely ghost my last situationship (deal with it and hi, it's me) so I'm willing to forgive some of the bullshit for that. Yes, a lot of it is performance, but the music industry is still run by men so it's not a surprise. In some ways its like we are on the edge of an awakening and this is part of that cultural engery.

Jaelismyhomegirl · 2021-11-09T21:13:16+00:00

It’s WAP all over again. Rapping about being empowered and getting yours, while dressed like a stripper and performing bisexuality for the camera.

abstractsadgurl · 2021-11-09T21:39:57+00:00

She is a supporter of hentai btw she mentioned watching it in a genius vid interview

sleepysiri · 2021-11-10T10:43:52+00:00

Her song Slumber Party sexualises and fetishises cheating and bisexuality.

asocialsocialite · 2021-11-10T19:07:51+00:00

This is the same libfem shit that I can't stand.

Empowerment so does not equal sexuality. Be okay with being a sexual creature, however, it's that sort of sex-positive lib shit that states that women can only aspire to being property, and that empowered women understand and accept that they are community property.

There's nothing empowering about it. It still asks someone to 'choose them' as property and disrespect them as a person and cast them aside.

queeninprogress · 2021-11-09T22:51:57+00:00

Gonna be real, I don't like Ashnikko. Slumber Party was the first song I heard and it just feels very porn-inspired, as if lesbians needed MORE association with porn and performing for men.

Muffcakelord · 2021-11-10T01:17:27+00:00

I love her for her sleepover song where she basically sings about having sex with "your girlfriend" because it's one of the few sassy sexual songs i know of that sounds like consensual and enjoyable sex, rather than rape or abuse. She probably needs to stay sexualized to stay relevant so i respect that entirely as it's basically a requirement for women artists to stay afloat. And i love her style. But the sexualized part is misunderstood as feminism when it's really a result of patriarchy. It's the only unfortunate part of her yet you see how it's the thing even her fans recognize the most about her.

xfelugirlx · 2021-11-09T22:02:05+00:00

I really like her and megan thee stallion, they have good songs shitting on men but at the same time they are sexual idk the industry it’s like that

Mysterious_Call_924 · 2021-11-09T21:09:38+00:00

Okay I have to step in here and defend Ashnikko a little bit.

While I agree with some of what everyone has commented, she is NOT in the same category as Megan Thee Stallion or other sex pozzi rappers.

ASHNIKKO IS GAY!!!!

Listen to slumber party; she's talking about sex with other women. It's not about men.

As far as I'm aware, she has never written a song about sucking you-know-what. Her lyrical content always centers her as the agent of her life; she is never a passive object for anyone, let alone men.

Now, I do think the music industries hyper-focus on sexual content in general is something worth having a conversation about. I do think the industry is overly sexualized. But most of Ashnikko's content is not meant to pander to men, it's meant for gay women and queer people.

HOWEVER I can see having a problem with the way she visually presents herself. Ultimately I do think artists should be able to make art without having to become sex symbols in order to sell records.

Title	Ashnikko and her songs: are Gen-Z ladies finally getting fed up?
Author	Competitive_Bar8657
Upvotes	349
Comments	72
Date	November 9, 2021 6:09 PM UTC (2 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/FemaleDatingStrategy
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/FemaleDatingStrategy/comments/qq9k6v/ashnikko_and_her_songs_are_genz_ladies_finally/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/FemaleDatingStrategy/ashnikko-and-her-songs-are-gen-z-ladies-finally.1085022 https://theredarchive.com/post/1085022