I so wanted this song to be an anthem to get behind, but it turns out Lily Allen’s It’s Hard Out Here epitomises the biggest problem within the feminist movement: racism.
Update: Lily Allen has responded to critics who argue her song is racist, claiming in a short blog post that her motivations were well-intentioned and she did not mean to be racist. However, as Jezebel points out, an artist’s intentions and the way an audience interprets them do not always align. I’d urge you to consider how Allen might have communicated her messages without – as Lily Edelstein points out below – effectively using black women as ‘props’. Perhaps read about how Women of Colour feel about Allen’s ‘satirical’ piece before getting angry. Parts of her song / music video are brilliant. But that does not mean we cannot be critical of those parts which may not be.
-Hayley (Ed.)
The song seems promising from the outset: an impressively disturbing scene of liposuction where Lily is surrounded by men who are blatantly misogynistic and sizeist. “How do people let themselves get like this?” Her gross white middle-aged manager asks. “Um, I’ve had two babies,” she responds. This short scene aptly captures the pressure that Lily must feel as a woman in the music industry, and it’s probably the most effective part of the video, because she liberates herself from the revolting sexism it creates by getting up and singing.
The fact that she represents the sexism and then rejects it is significant, because that rebellion (or lack thereof) makes all the difference in her attempts to comment on contemporary racist representations of women. Lily’s treatment of the Women of Colour in her film clip is a classic case of ironic racism, where she claims to be progressive and sarcastically challenging the norms, but she doesn’t do anything more than present them. The dancers around her are used like props, especially when she slaps them and giggles (gross). Like with ironic sexism, ironic racism is an act that says, “I know you know that I know I’m being racist, so it’s not really racist.” It is racist.
Allen’s use of black women dancers as props directly references Miley Cyrus’s recent racism, combining cultural appropriation with objectification of black women in particular). To actually challenge oppression we need to change the dynamic. Lily could have teamed up with a WoC and respected her voice and experience. As zombiecate said of Miley, instead “she has prioritized her own agency and independence over the dignity of black women and black culture.”
This represents a fundamental problem in feminism, which has been a predominantly middle class, white woman’s movement for about a century now. It’s understandable that many WoC want nothing to do with feminism when the only empowerment celebrated for women comes at their expense. It’s serious, and for the white feminists out there, it’s something we need to tackle. We need to listen to WoC and we need to change.
My other issue with this video is that it’s still obviously made for the male gaze. It’s unclear which parts are sarcastic and which parts aren’t. Keeping the man in the video and the “banana blowjob” lesson from him is not an empowering message because she doesn’t kick his butt by the end of it. She lets her anger out in the lyrics, but she doesn’t directly rebel on screen. There is no retribution, and the men who treated her so badly don’t face any consequences. That’s ironic sexism.
In talking about the lyrics, there are some gems. She spits in Robin Thicke’s face pretty effectively with the line, “have you thought about your butt? Who’s gonna tear it in two?” She talks about a glass ceiling and slut-shaming, but I’m drawing a big question mark over the word “bitch”. Reclaiming slurs is a hard thing to do and it takes a really long time as well as solidarity with all women.
Ultimately, I can’t not like the line, “Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits,” but it’s not a redeeming feature. I can’t even say that she had good intentions, because her girl-power rhetoric is inextricably linked to alienating Women of Colour. We need to talk about this.
FURTHER READING
There is a lot more to this than I can articulate. Here are a couple of posts that mention aspects of Lily’s racism and sexism that I highly recommend reading, sharing and responding to.
“… in her indictment of mainstream/pop/Hollywood culture, she is also insulting the black culture they ripped it from (much like Lorde). I will twerk until my ancestors wake up and join me, and she better fucking respect me.” …Read More
“Another case of white women using black women as props so that they can “make a statement”. I’m really just bored with white female artists at this point.” …Read More (an amazing and important blog – please check it out.)
“The line ‘I won’t be bragging bout my cars, or talking bout my chains/don’t need to shake my arse for you cos I’ve got a brain’ means she can join Lorde and Macklemore in the bin for White People In 2013 Who’ve Written Songs That Condemn and/or Parody Materialism In Hip-Hop As Though They Have Any Right To (and as though there aren’t deep-rooted historical reasons as to why lots of rap music revels in opulent wealth). Gimme goofy, endlessly loveable 2Chainz snarling BOUGHT A NEW CRIB JUST TO FUCK YOU IN over this puritanical shite any day.” …Read More
Lily Edelstein is a 17 year-old student, artist and feminist. She has been published in the Destroying the Joint anthology edited by Jane Caro, and has been an avid writer since childhood. She blogs about her art and zines, encompassing intersectional feminism, the importance of creativity, and her passion for goth.
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Great article 🙂
I personally don’t think there was too much racism in here, although I do understand where you’re coming from. I mean, although it was mainly black females, there were females of other ethnic groups as well (though the video needed more in my opinion).
The problem I have with it is that even though she’s saying all this feminist stuff, the video unravels it all. I mean, why did she do slow mo butt shakes? Why didn’t she sing all this stuff in his face? Or something to give the same affect? Lily Allen usually sings great songs, but this has been a real disappointment.
I think you’ve sort of missed the point…
If you’re suggesting she unknowingly used the women as props… then you’re suggesting that the rest of the film clip isn’t satirical- which would make her sexist, narcissistic etc.
I believe it’s meant to be a comment- yes, she -is- using them like props, but to make a comment on how that is currently ‘the trend’. Just like the rest of the clip.
I agree with Alysha. I think it was a brilliant video, shining a big uncomfortable light on everything that the ‘controversial’ people or shall we say the ‘mileys’ of the music industry is doing to boost their popularity.
I wonder, is it racist because she used mostly African decent dancers? I think Lily was sending a message to the ‘mileys’ of the industry, on behalf of these women who were her back up dancers. But I see how it can come across hypocritically.
I think this whole topic about having African decent dancers opens a bag of questions like;
Is it racist because the singer is white?
Would it not be if the song/dance had not been ‘sexual’ and perhaps they were dancing ballet?
Would it be racist if it was reversed – white dancers + black singer?
How many different races does a group of dancers need to include to not be racist?
Besides, pop music is not made to be taken seriously unless it’s completely out of hand, Lily’s video? It’s not even close to going there compared to what we’ve seen recently.
I think perhaps /you/ missed the point. The author said “Like with ironic sexism, ironic racism is an act that says, “I know you know that I know I’m being racist, so it’s not really racist.” It is racist.” So, yeah, Allen was commenting on the trend, but she did so by perpetuating it. Which means she’s no better than the people she’s criticizing.
I totally agree!! The whole video is a comment on how females are being portrayed in the media and music industry. It explains the problem through the satire, which I think is an excellent way to get people listening and paying attention. It’s blunt and brilliant.
I thought that the video clip for this song was made as sort of a spoof of almost all pop music videos that have been made recently by using “twerking” in the video and also by having the typical “women against a car scene with champagne.” It was showing how silly all these new trends are and i think she was trying to get people to see that.
I think you missed the WHOLE point of the film-clip, honey
Talk about over-analyzing… WAY over analyzing…
I appreciate this article and I agree that the ‘hard out here’ video clip is offensive and racist in many ways, but can people stop grouping Lorde in with all the racist stuff that has come out this year? Honestly, Lorde is not racist it’s a load of shit. She’s a 16 year old girl from New Zealand, people have to remember that although there is oppression and racism in New Zealand, race works differently there, she has been exposed to different shit than the average American. I read an article analysing every word she said in ‘Royals’ that was trying to prove that she was racist, but I saw no fucking evidence of racism. Gold teeth? Honestly.
The video told a completely different story to the lyrics. The actual song was her internal dialogue, the first line says “I suppose I should tell you what this bitch is thinking,” meanwhile, the video was an satirical enactment of making/producing a videoclip. I thought that was quite obvious. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be IN a kitchen washing car parts, getting sexy with inanimate objects and slut dropping. And she wouldn’t be objectifying black women. The video was all satire.
For me I thought the video was racist as it was sexist – it was both part of the satirical narrative. When she gets out of the hospital bed, it wasn’t a “liberating” movement but for her to enter into the “real” music video (or a music video that was approved by the sleazy label company) where women – particularly black women – are objectified. I thought perhaps she didn’t take it far enough to be translated as satire but that’s the first thing I saw. It’s not as direct as using the letter balloons to call out Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines, but it’s constantly present that I was convinced that the “racist” element was a satirical factor as well.
The “ironic racism/sexism” is an interesting point but to directly address the issue by kicking the guy’s ass or teaming up with a WOC’s voice would negate the whole satirical narrative. Like it would be weird if Stephen Colbert didn’t act like an irrational right wing nut job in his show (not saying that this MV is as effective as Colbert’s show).
The point of satire is to mainly illustrate problems and very rarely do they provide solutions. Like I said before perhaps she should’ve exaggerated those elements more to bring them to attention, but personally I thought she addressed racism as well as sexism.
i personally think this video is satire and needs to be stopped taken the wrong way. people are analysing way to deeply into it. gone are the days when music videos and music were there for entertainment.
i get what your saying, i do. but this video is a whole lot of irony and sarcasm. stop analysing.
dont understand why my previous comment was allowed. this article has given me a reason to dislike on fb. gone are the days when music was music. now every man and its dog are over-analysing it. just let it be. allen was clearly being satirical. just everyone take a deep breathe and stop analysing every single idea and fine line.
I don’t think Lily Allen intended to be racist. I genuinely think she means well and is trying to do a good thing by pointing out all of the garbage that we – and she and her colleagues in the entertainment industry – face. Lily Edelstein acknowledges this and gives praise for the brilliant parts of the song. And there are brilliant parts!
That doesn’t mean her art is not being interpreted differently to how she intended it to be. Has anyone spoken to a Woman of Colour about how they feel about it?
Before you lose your shit and get all ragey defensive of Lily Allen, remember that this is a discussion – it is important that we talk about stuff that might not have worked out the way it should or could have.
Check out this brilliant summary at Jezebel this morning. It details Lily Allen’s response to the backlash against her (unintentional) racism and explains why People of Colour might take offence.
http://jezebel.com/lily-allen-doesnt-get-to-decide-if-her-new-video-has-a-1463811287
typical, woman tries something new, to break the glass ceiling and she gets pulled down by other women. Give the girl a break! I am sure there are plenty of male dominated sexist videos to which you could dedicate your time.
Very well said Lily, I too was disappointed with this. Good on you for having the guts to say it
Fantastic article, Lily. You raise wonderful, relevant points. It’s a very interesting topic and your angle was great.
After watching the video clip before any further reading, I did not view the clip as either racist or sexist.
While I can understand that some people may see parts of the video as these things, I do not think the video is, or was ever meant to be seen in this light. “And if you can’t detect the sarcasm, you’re misunderstood.” Yes Lily Allen may used coloured dancers, but there are white women also dancing beside them. I like the point that Ayla makes – would the clip be racist if the roles were reversed? (coloured singer with white back up dancers) or if there was more white dancers? It also raises the point of what racism really is. When does something not become racist anymore? These answers differ in every single person, just like the definition of beauty.
For me, the main issue with the song is the use of words such as “slut”, “tits” and “bitch”. The song is extremely catchy and the lyrics are easy to sing along with, meaning there will be young girls around the world using these disgusting words, without even realising what they even mean. It’s a shame these words had to be used to get her message across.
This video was meant to be a parody. The scenes that you criticised were aimed to be a stab at the likes of Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke, I don’t believe Lily thought I have to use black women for this, which she said on twitter that she didn’t turn down any dancers or preference them on their ethnicity and she would have joined them if she didn’t feel too self-conscience.
Also, so what if she condemn materialism, I agree with that as I’m against it myself, her line‘I won’t be bragging bout my cars, or talking bout my chains/don’t need to shake my arse for you cos I’ve got a brain’ shouldn’t be shamed. Seriously where can you win!
I honestly felt that you putting her in a ‘bin for white people’ was in fact racist (yes, racism can be directed at any race, white, black, philippine whatever). You labelled them so derogatorily for speaking out against materialism, because they are white.
People need to stop trying to twist the message around to suit them. Stop looking to criticise!
nah, i one hundred per cent agree w/ what you’re saying lily. Lily Allen might have had good intentions in making this, and while there are SOME notably good moments, the whole video is p much wall to wall racist garbage. surprisingly, it IS possible to empower women WITHOUT resorting to objectifying and mocking women of colour. who woulda thought???
how is it racist because the dancers are black, would it make a difference if it were all white people or asian people dancing?
It’s different because white people haven’t historically suffered from violence, oppression and repression based on their race. so when Lily Allen decides to use them as props for mockery in her video, that’s actually not really ok. Beause it is continuing a legacy of degradation and mockery of black culture.
Marcelle you have a very narrow view of history if you think white people haven’t been oppressed. But more to the point my question is why we’re the dancers seen for their colour and not for their sex? Funnily I didn’t see them as a colour. Is that just me then?
Judi: “I didn’t see them as a colour.”
Please. I dare say everybody saw the sex of the dancers, Judi, and if you notice that then it isn’t such a leap to also notice skin colour. Your comment is disingenuous.
Lily Eldenstein I don’t know if “racist” is the right term for the clip, but you are spot on about this point – too many (white) feminists are completely oblivious to intersectionality, the reality of racial politics, or racism (subtle and overt) in media.
Lily Allen makes a clip for the US market, that includes the lines “Don’t need to shake my ass for you cos I’ve got a brain”, and the clip features only extended close ups of Black women’s asses shaking and their body parts. A very good example of “oblivious”.
And btw, presenting exactly what would feature in a clip you are supposed to be parodying (which she did in the dance sequences), is not parody.
I don’t want to throw my feelings all over the place, I’ll ask just one question: Where are the white people in Beyonce’s videos?
Do we call her racist when her videos are predominantly “Women of Colour” as you put it? Which by the way, is racist in itself suggesting that there are white people and then there’s everyone else clumped together.
And racism runs both ways despite historical issues. If as a black person you call a white person a racist name, it doesn’t excuse the racism because your ancestors were racially oppressed.
I think this video has been completely and utterly over analysed and people need to check themselves before they throw around the racist accusation
Hang on, hang on.
Can I just say – There is actually two “white” girls in Lilly’s video, dancing behind her. Therefore, all of your arguments are invalid. I can’t believe how utterly ridiculous this article is. It makes me want to implode.
My heritage is African American. Do I find this offensive? No. The women in the video are sensational dancers. Lilly is using them to parody certain issues but they are not in the video specifically because they are black. stop over analyzing. have you noticed the only people who over analyze this stuff are white people trying to be all high and mighty?? I hate blatant racism but this video isnt it. There are far worse forms of racism in media and pop culture that could be discussed. pretty soon its going to be politically incorrect to call a blonde person blonde or a brown haired person a brunette because your identifying them by their appearance. Just bullshit.
I totally agree with this! There is a difference between racism and just acknowledging how we’re different. If I’m a white brunette then I should be able to say that without feeling like it’s a bad thing. If my friend is a black lady with frizzy hair then that’s cool too. We’re different, but that’s not a bad thing at all.
OK, if the nit-picking gloves are on…
“Her gross white middle-aged manager asks.”
I’d be careful about using broad derogatory words like ‘gross’ – to me that sounded ageist. For example, why not say: objectionable, thoughtless, callous, self-absorbed, mercenary…I can think of others, but your moderator will no doubt cull them!
I dunno, depends on what you want to say, but putting ‘gross’ so close to ‘middle-aged’ made me raise an eyebrow and wonder why you used a slang synonym for ‘disgusting’ in this context. If I’m inferring, then take this as an example of how easy it is to infer and take offence.
Incidentally, I don’t agree with your argument. I believe you missed the point of Lily-songwriter’s song/clip and wedged a social paradigm onto what was a music industry critique, and the music industry is a tangled web of influences, social and artistic. What I find a concern is the reclamation of musical forms that have been so incredibly influential to modern music that it’s difficult to avoid them whatever one’s ethnicity. Maybe we all could hang around WOMAD a bit more, and share human musical narratives, because music should be connecting us, not hedging us in warring camps based on race.
Other contributors have covered most of my thoughts, so there’s no need for me to repeat what they’ve already said.
That said, you write very well, Lily-writer! Not to take your obvious skill and thoughtfulness away from you.
What would have been appropriate for you? Mechanical, robotic dancers? You’re looking into it too much. Those dancers look happy they got the gig. That’s what it is like in showbiz. Getting the Gig. There is no racism. Anyway, it’s a bloody good beat. Congrats Lily! I thought the message was from a feminist place and the pressures to look good are with us even more. And how tests still need to be passed & reminders of the nature of the beast we typically are. eg. “I’ve just had 2 babies”.