#SurvivngCardiB’s Bull — t
Young Girls Aspire to Be Like Cardi B — Yikes!
In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Cardi B vowed to be a “better example for young girls”. She continued, “I realized, after Halloween, a lot of little girls, they be looking up to me”. Yikes! To think that young adoring girls look up to Cardi B is frightening if you are parent. Nothing against Cardi B, but with recent videos of Cardi B resurfacing on social media, describing her past exploits with men, it’s cringe worthy to think that young girls look up to her.
It’s not surprising though that Cardi B’s rise from stripper to millionaire rapper would be glamorized and championed by most of the entertainment industry. To many, she is an example of the “American Dream” that so many aspire and believe to be existent in American culture. In fact, Esther Bouquet (2017), wrote a glowing article about Cardi B’s meteoric rise entitled, Cardi B: The Feminist Role Model America Needs: Her Success is Our Success. In the article, Bouquet depicts Cardi B (whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar) as a sympathetic figure that overcame tremendous odds to get where she is now. According to Bouquet (2017), through hard work and perseverance, Cardi B has become one of the most influential female figures of our generation. Here is how Bouquet (2017) describes Cardi B’s plight to greatest:
“So… how did a poor, first-generation, abused black woman become a millionaire with so much going against her? How did she escape her disheartening, almost hopeless situation? She became a stripper.
Stripping gave Cardi B financial independence. From there, she transitioned seamlessly from social media star to Love & Hip Hop reality show star, and finally, skyrocketed to permanent fame as a groundbreaking female rapper. She worked hard to support herself and her family and continues to pay her mother’s bills.”
Pump the Brakes on the Victimhood of Cardi B
Let me be clear, I am not writing this essay as a hit piece against Cardi B. I just think it is prudent to highlight some aspects of pop culture that can be detrimental to youth and adults alike. Let’s be fair, Cardi B isn’t the only entertainer, male or female, to be an exotic dancer prior to making it big in the industry. Lady Gaga, Eve, Chris Pratt, Brad Pritt, Amber Rose, and Channing Tatum to name a few, all stripped prior to becoming prominent in the entertainment industry. However, I find it interesting that specifically for Cardi B, there seems to be this aurora of victimhood that surrounds her. For instance, as I mentioned previously, recent videos have surfaced on social media of Cardi B a few years ago describing how she used to drug guys and rob them when she used to be a stripper. She continues to rant about how people in the music industry feel as though her success was given to her. Cardi B laments that she worked hard to be where she is and that her followers support her music because it is good. During her tirade, Cardi B seemingly starts to cry about her past plight and the difficulties she faced then and now. See the video below (NSFW).
No one is immune from scrutiny. Especially the individuals who are in positions of influence over other individuals. Teachers are evaluated by their supervisors and pupils. Politicians are voted out of office as a device of holding them accountable to constituents. Entertainers are no different. Moreover, what if this was a male rapper talking about how he used to drug and rob women because he didn’t have any other options to survive? Although not a rapper, Bill Cosby is currently sitting in prison for drugging and raping a multitude of women which he denies.
Moreover, where are all the #SJW’s (social justice warriors) within the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community to disavow Cardi B’s exploitation of transgender “women”? Video surfaced of Cardi B describing how she would exact revenge on a cheating boyfriend. By getting him wasted and having a threesome with a transgender women without him knowing he just engaged in a ménage à trois is Cardi B’s way of getting back at a man that cheated on her. See video below (NSFW).
What the heck is wrong with this chick? Who does things like this? I must say, after I watched her in the first video talking about how she had to strip and drug men to survive I felt sorry for her somewhat. I can even understand how she worked her butt off to be successful in the music industry, because it does take talent to have stage presence and a work ethic. But having a threesome with a tranny to spite a guy that cheated on you? Really? Doing something like that isn’t about surviving, it’s strictly about being evil, vindictive and manipulative.
Enjoy It While It Last
As of now Cardi B is one of the hottest acts around. She has major endorsement deals with several companies including, Reebok, Pepsi, Fashion-Nova, and Tom Ford to name a few. Her star power is undeniable and it’s only a matter of time before she will be in movies. In fact, Cardi B will make her movie debut in “Hustlers”, ironically a “stripper scam flick” (Blistein, 2019)
Nevertheless, there will come a time when physical attributes will wither away. At this point all an individual has to offer is their intellect, spirit and their legacy. In the distant future what will Cardi B offer to society besides fake boobs, thick thighs, and profanity laced tracks?
References
Baxter-Wright, D. (2017 July 12). 9 celebrities who used to be strippers. Retrieved from https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g10289451/9-celebrities-who-used-to-be-strippers/
Blistein, J. (2019, March 19). Cardi B to Make Film Debut in Stripper Scam Movie “Hustlers”. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/cardi-b-movie-casting-hustlers-810293/
Bouquet, E. (2017, October 30). Cardi B: The Feminist Role Model America Needs: Her Success is Our Success. Retrieved from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cardi-feminist-of-the-year
Lamarre, C. (2017, November 2). Cardi B Vows to Be a “Better Example” for Young Girls: “I’m Gonna Change for you” Retrieved from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8022857/cardi-b-better-role-model-girls-instagram-post
Ogungbuyi, B. (2018, November 5). Source Report: Cardi B Continues To Make Money Moves. The Source. Iggy’s Moving Too! Retrieved from http://thesource.com/2018/11/05/source-report-cardi-b-continues-to-make-money-moves-iggys-moving-too/
