As some may know, I love the music (with particular emphasis on music) of Kayne West. When you have a song that involves both Kayne West and Nicki Minaj, it is GAME OVER for me. I have been a long-time listener of the song "Monster" and especially Nicki's verse... which is near perfection. I was thrilled when we listened to the song in context with this course. I had never seen the video, but I was unsurprised about its provocative (and that is debatable in itself) and disturbing imagery. But, knowing the controversy surrounding Kanye West always, the watching of the music video piqued my interest in the public reception of the content.
The whole idea of the monster is that it is more than what it stands to be. It is oftentimes something grotesque, disturbing, and provocative, but it is intentional because it serves as this "conceptual arena" for culture to battle out these binaries of what is right/wrong, good/evil, etc. What is exactly provocative about the video, the use of dead (especially white) women? I think that the uncomfortably, and maybe even disgust, that we feel about the use of this imagery should be used to further understand who the "monster" is in this video and what cultural narratives we use to perpetual the fear surrounding this monster. Maybe it's not to video that is so disturbing, but the monsters that we have allowed to be created.
Regardless of my opinion, there is a great article online that furthers the discussion about the song and the video and I hope you give it a read!
here is another fun link, which ranks who has the best verse on the song :)
also, if you wanna know how she wrote the verse, click here
Thanks Sarah! This is a really nice reflection.
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