Op-Ed: “WAP” Has So Much More to Offer Than Just P***y
And Even If It Didn’t, Who Gives a F**k?
By Jessica Wise
Warning: This article isn’t for your kids. I’m not responsible for them, and neither are Cardi and Megan.
August has been a great month for black and Latina women in music. Millennial hip hop princesses Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion just Tuesday morning hit #1 on the Hot 100 charts for their iconic single “WAP.”
While this bop came with its own aesthetically dazzling video, as well as a slew of misogynistic criticism, a candid interview with Zane Lowe, and social media debates, there are so many sides to this seemingly baseless song about a woman’s cookies.
Here’s what I’ve taken from the “WAP” song, video, and criticism around it.
Some people just hate women. Some people just hate black women. So you might as well do whatever you want. Black and brown women are killing it right now. We’re running for political office, and winning! Yet Kamala Harris is being dragged down instead of celebrated, and Stacey Abrams continues to be robbed. Black women are earning more degrees than anyone in the country. Women are opening businesses and making their own money. Now, they’re too uppity. Their standards are too high once they demand excellence from their mate, and that’s why they’re single. But when they express their desire to slow down, become a homemaker, and be taken care of, then they’re gold diggers. If a woman turns down a man’s advances, she’s a bitch. But if she is the pursuer, she’s thirsty. If a woman chooses to be modest, she’s a prude. But when Cardi and Megan create a video doing the same dance moves men pay to see at Magic City, they’re immoral sluts who need fathers and brains. Pick a lane, misogynists.
Divine femininity is more than the hippie, white/light-skinned-washed image in your head. Divine femininity is defined as an awakening of creation, sensuality, collaboration, and intuition (Source: Bustle.com). It’s not an aesthetic. It's energy. The women in the “WAP” video are mothers, orphans, dancers, wives, influencers, success stories, and more, coming together to create a celebration of what is still considered one of the most complicated frontiers—the vagina. This is not the first time this has been explored. We’ve seen it in the most celebrated artwork in history, from literally every painting of the Venus to Beyoncé in Lemonade. Just because Cardi and Megan are covered in garden snakes instead of wet drapery, and spitting lyrics about sex in a less than subtle way instead of whisper singing to alternative R&B instrumentation, doesn’t mean the project is less artistic or ethereal. Even with that being said, there are several nods to the divine feminine. The music video takes place at a posh mansion with bodacious and nude sculptures for fountains and decor, reminiscent of classical venues like the Palace of Versailles. The constant presence of wild cats and, most of all, water are an ode to the power, fertility, youth, and versatility of the vagina in its prime. These women are in their twenties, so they too are in their prime. Why wait for a man to acknowledge the power they literally carry within themselves?
This song and this video ooze sex positivity and ownership of the body. There’s twerking, nudity, tangling with snakes, and water everywhere. Best part? There are no men there to ogle these ladies who are just living luxuriously and having a good time. Everyone has a room of their own and a commonplace to dance and express themselves. It’s every woman’s dream slumber party!
Get over Kylie Jenner’s feature and applaud the featuring of dark-skinned women, Latina women, and women who aren’t that “famous” yet. Cardi B handpicked each woman to participate in the project, because she liked them and wanted them to do well. Yes, Kylie Jenner is on that list, but who cares? Normani came through with all of her dance training. Rosalia continues her ascent after an iconic Grammy performance. Newcomers Rubi Rose, Sukihana, and Mulatto got the biggest mainstream features in their careers so far. While we’re busy petitioning to have Jenner removed from the video, we could be celebrating this creative opportunity for the other women.
Carole Baskin is a white feminist. I don’t want to give her too much attention, because she’s distracted from this epic project enough. However, who told the one-hit wonder of Netflix to open her mouth about computer-animated wild cats? Baskin and her flower crowns are not fooling anyone. Her baseless criticism of these artificial creatures being present, and allowed to roam much more freely than her caged animals, is a futile attempt to steal the spotlight from these black and brown divas and villainize them as her miniseries begins to take a dip in viewership.
Women CAN collaborate peacefully. Again, Cardi B chose these collaborators because she likes them and wants them to succeed. If the only women you know are competitive in an unhealthy way, get a new crowd. Watch the people around your girl group as well. What outsiders are in everyone’s ear to pit you against each other? While not all women are angels, we must also look at how society has created this competitive nature within our gender. Who starts these rumors? Who compares us to one another with the notion that there can only be one seat for a woman at the table? Women in hip hop have to deal with these same issues. “WAP” reminds us that there’s room for everyone.
Branding is everything. The ex-stripper Hustler and the Hot Girl got together to make an anthem that empowers their fan base and builds their personal brands as sex positive female rappers. Both ladies are known for being straight shooters and open with their sexuality, all while raising kids or completing a degree. Megan Thee Stallion has been solidifying her longevity in this industry over the last year, collaborating with other heavy hitters like Chance the Rapper, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé. By jumping on the song with Cardi B, she both shows her versatility and reminds us of her “Hot Girl” brand that started it all. After an Oscar-snubbed film debut that takes us back to her stripper roots, Cardi B emerges from nine months of being a wife and mother (and in quarantine, of course) to remind us that she hasn’t lost any of her sex appeal, nor has she gone anywhere. She, too, solidifies her brand. “WAP,” and the merch and conversation that follows, is a lesson for everyone in branding their own projects. How do you tie your collaborations into your company’s super-objectives? What message does this project send, and does it match with the message and mission of your business? How does this play in the long-run?
This is ALL about female empowerment. On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Cardi B and Meghan Thee Stallion teamed up with CashApp and Twitter to send $500 grants to women-owned businesses.This was the kind of prize anyone could cash in on. Instead of some lengthy application and ridiculous hoops to jump through, all applicants had to do is comment pitching their business with the hashtag #WAPParty. It was like an online elevator pitch. While $500 isn’t a whole lot of money in the grand scheme of some businesses, it’s still a significant effort to make sure more female entrepreneurs get some extra support that they may not have otherwise.
So before you dismiss “WAP” and these women, think about what it is truly doing for women. You also have the option to just listen to something else.
