THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 5: MAY 8 | OPINION
Some things wrong with the Grammys: I can’t list them all
Research finds that 61 percent of American women regularly take steps to avoid being sexually assaulted. These conscientious steps range from simple actions such as wearing bright-colored clothes when out at night to completely re-routing their way home to choose the most lit streets. ALLISON MI
As if women didn’t even exist will always be this “what if.” Research finds that 61 percent of American women regularly take steps to avoid being sexually assaulted. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National ALLISON MI Network (RAINN) reported COPY EDITOR that one in nine girls under the age of 18 were sexually “No,” my mom said to abused or assaulted at the me. “Don’t wear those.” hands of an adult, and females She pointed to my ages 16-19 are four times white pair of athletic shorts — more likely than the general my shorts that ended several population to be victims of inches higher than where my rape, attempted rape or sexual fingertips did. It didn’t matter assault. About one in five that it was almost 80 degrees women in the U.S. reported that day and that I would be completed or attempted rape sitting in a cramped car for at some point in their life. two hours straight for driver’s Despite all efforts, ed. She was not going to let there is only so much a can me wear my Speed Up highof pepper spray and a She’s rise shorts, and I knew why. Birdie alarm can do. As in the My driver’s ed instructor is recent horrific case of South male. My London’s driving Sarah partner, Everard, who sits in there is the car, is only so I t doesn’t matter how many wellalso a guy. much lit streets I choose or how bright I changed wearing into the my jacket is, or who I called a a bright leggings. minute earlier to let them know turquoise my location, there will always be jacket, By the time being I was six, this ‘what if.’” on a call stacked with her in-between my colorful boyfriend for part of the time, books about Fancy Nancy and and choosing well-lit streets Pinkalicious were hardcovers can do. And Everard’s case of “My Body Belongs To was an even more egregious Me” and “I Said No!” By the example of how unfair society age of seven, the knowledge can be to women because the that I had to protect myself person designed to protect by reporting to my parents her, a police officer, was the unwanted and inappropriate attacker. interactions with others was The fact that it’s even hammered into my brain considered normal for women better than my times table to take all of these precautions and subjunctive verbs. and to own all of these Today, I feel as if gadgets shows to what extent I’m walking on eggshells. It women have to conform to the doesn’t matter how many design of society, rather than well-lit streets I choose, how the other way around. The bright my jacket is or who I truth is society is designed for called a minute earlier to let men by men, and the problem them know my location, there
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goes beyond the lone, dark streets. Other fields that end up bearing on women’s safety, such as architecture, design and urban planning, are also dominated by men. The overwhelming gap for gender data has led to a one-sizefits-men agenda, meaning that the elements that we encounter on an everyday basis are tested primarily with men in mind. From crash-test dummies based around the 50th-percentile male to desk heights which are designed to suit the average male body, the world is designed as if women didn’t exist. Change needs to come from a reconsideration of these designs, and in the case of Everard and others similarly attacked, we need a reassessment of the individuals assigned to overseeing safety. Conforming society to women will allow us to inch closer to the goal of a country where women’s safety and comfort is equally valued, a place where we don’t have to think twice about wearing shorts, or to feel worried about leaving the house because the sun is setting. A few days ago, my mom and I were looking over the old books she had bought. I flipped through the pages of the “I Said No!” picture book. The cover is of a boy with an assertive face holding up a bright red flag. “Why did you get this for me?” I asked my mom. She looked at the cover of the book, then back at me. “I just want you to be able to protect yourself,” she said. “You hope for good, but prepare for the bad.”
didn’t receive a single nomination for this year, I began to think the Grammys lack of musical taste had repeated itself once again. VISH GONDESI The Weeknd’s ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF single “Blinding Lights” was arguably in contenxxxxxxxEven though tion for song and record Kanye publicly urinated of the year, and even on one of his Grammys set the record for most in the past, he still won weeks in the top 10 of the one for his album “Jesus Hot 100, spending over a is King” in the category year in this position. Contemporary Christian Furthermore, Music. It might be vulhis album “After Hours” gar, but it’s a fitting way peaked at number one to describe the current on Billboard’s charts direction of the show. on April 4, along with I’ve never really setting its own share of cared for the Grammys. records. Watching award shows In light of the has never been a prefevents, the Weeknd erence of mine -- and said that the Grammys for an event which is were “corrupt,” and that supposed to highlight he would no longer be the pinnacle of music allowing his record label achievement, I’ve heard to submit his songs for way too much backlash voting. His voice joins about it to actually tune the many others who in. But even from my have expressed disconoutside viewpoint, it’s tent for the event, recent inherently flawed; the examples of which being Grammys may have all Halsey alluding to voter the glitz and glamor but corruption and Justin they don’t have common Bieber wondering why sense. his album was placed in Just take the the pop category instead selection of Mackleof what he intended to more winning “Best be R&B. At this point the Rap Album” in the same number of artists who year in which Kenderick lambasted the event are Lamar produced “good countless, and a select kid m.A.A.d city,” which few like the Weeknd got an RIAA three times have just cut all ties in platinum compared to general. Macklemore’s one time Reading the platinum, or even this complaints, the most year when H.E.R’s “I prominent issue seems can’t breathe” beat out to be the process. While Roddy Ricch’s “The it’s revealed for everyone Box” in spite of having to analyze, it somehow about 333.5 million less still lacks clarity. To views on YouTube. Sure start, submissions are statistics aren’t the major screened by a variety of factor of these awards, anonymous experts (350 but Macklemore even in total) in their respecapologized to Lamar for tive musical fields, who getting the Grammy, check their eligibility and providing evidence that sometimes the READ THE FULL STORY ON Grammys makes flat-out THEHURONEMERY.COM wrong decisions. And when I heard that the Weeknd
The Weeknd’s album “After Hours” peaked at number one on Billboard’s charts on April 4, 2021. File:The Weeknd at Bumbershoot 2015 (21367628469).jpg by Kayla Johnson from Seattle, United States is licensed under CC BY 2.0