Chickenhead is an American English slang term that is typically used in a derogatory manner toward women.[1] The term mocks the motion of the head while performing oral sex on a man, but contains social characteristics and cultural relevance as well, and is frequently heard in popular hip hop music.[2][3] More recent uses of the term have seen it taken back by hip hop feminists and entertainers as a symbol of sexuality and power.[2] "Chickenhead" is also a term used in overseas sex trafficking for individuals that facilitate and monitor a person's transition into sex work.[4]

Etymology

The earliest known use of the term "chickenhead" in American literature is in John Steinbeck's 1952 novel East of Eden. In the novel, the term is used to refer to the working girls of a brothel. There are two uses of the term "chickenhead" in John Steinbeck novels. Both uses are in East of Eden. The first use is in Chapter 16, when Kate, the madam of a brothel, refers to the working girls as "chickenheads." She says, "The chickenheads were in the kitchen, getting ready for their night's work. [5] Kate had them all lined up, inspecting their clothes and hair. She was a short, stout woman with a face like a hatchet. She looked at each girl carefully and then said, 'All right, chickenheads, you're all set.' The second use is in Chapter 44, when Cathy Ames, a prostitute, refers to herself as a "chickenhead." She says, "I'm a chickenhead, and I'm proud of it. I'm the best there is."

Contemporary use of the term may have originated in African-American sexual slang and gained popularity through use in hip hop, notably the song "Unbelievable" by Biggie Smalls from his 1994 album Ready to Die, the 1996 skit "Chickenhead Convention" on the album Muddy Waters by Redman (rapper). Additionally, the song "Chickenhead" by Project Pat (featuring La Chat and Three Six Mafia) introduced this black vernacular term to a more mainstream audience.[6] "Chickenhead" was defined as a "hoochie" or "fellatious woman" when featured on Chappelle's Show.[7]

Rapper Cardi B released a remix of Project Pat's song in 2018, titled "Bickenhead", changing the message from largely mocking women to an expression of empowerment and sexual ownership.[8] The song was largely well received, debuting at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 list in April 2018.[9]

Use of the term "chickenhead" predates this and extends across the demographic makeup of American society. Examples include John Steinbeck's 1952 Novel "East of Eden", in which the (white) proprietor of a brothel indirectly refers to the working girls of her establishment as "chickenheads".[10] Dr. R. Flowers Rivera used the term "chickenhead" more recently, in a poem that identifies it as a woman who is impoverished and an alcoholic lacking empathy.[11]

A chickenhead in the transnational sex trade is typically responsible for facilitating transportation, acquiring temporary lodging, and monitoring activities of the new sex worker, similar to the activities of a "pimp".[4]

Derogatory and empowering

Ronald Weitzer and Charis Kubrin note that "A favorite rap term is 'chickenhead,' which reduces a woman to a bobbing head giving oral sex."[12] Bakari Kitwana argues that many rappers refer to women, black women in particular, with demeaning terms names such as "bitches, gold diggers, hoes, hoodrats, chickenheads, pigeons, and so on."[13] Johnnetta B. Cole argues that hip hop's tradition to refer to black women in such terms disrespects and vilifies them.[14]

In Joan Morgan's When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, she notes the derogatory tendency of the term "chickenhead", and further defines it as a woman who uses sex to achieve the things she wants.[15] As a black, hip-hop feminist, Morgan offers that chickenheads simply use the tools afforded to them when other means are not efficient, and that all women may have something to learn from the use of sexual power.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Richardson, Elaine B. Hiphop literacies. London; New York: Routledge, 2006, ISBN 978-0-415-32928-6, p. 42.
  2. ^ a b Morgan, Joan (1999). When chickenheads come home to roost : my life as a hip-hop feminist. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0684822624. OCLC 40359361.
  3. ^ Hunter, Margaret; Soto, Kathleen (2009). "Women of Color in Hip Hop: The Pornographic Gaze". Race, Gender & Class. 16 (1/2): 170–191. JSTOR 41658866.
  4. ^ a b Chin, K; Finckenauer, J (2009). "Chickenheads, Agents, Mommies and Jockies: The Social Organization of Transnational Commercial Sex". Crime, Law and Social Change. 56 (5): 463–484. doi:10.1007/s10611-011-9329-y. S2CID 143344140.
  5. ^ John Steinbeck, East of Eden 1952
  6. ^ "Project Pat". Billboard.
  7. ^ "I Know Black People Pt. 2 - Chappelle's Show (Video Clip)". Comedy Central. 11 March 2004. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  8. ^ "Cardi B's Project Pat Sample On "Bickenhead" Has Deep Southern Rap Roots". Genius. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  9. ^ "Cardi B Bests Beyonce for the Most Simultaneous Hot 100 Hits Among Women". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  10. ^ Steinbeck, John (2017-07-06). East of Eden. ISBN 978-0241980354. OCLC 974025542.
  11. ^ Rivera, R. Flowers (2000). "Legacy to Our Daughters". Obsidian III. 2 (1): 84–93. JSTOR 44511599.
  12. ^ Weitzer, Ronald; Kubrin, Charis E. (October 2009). "Misogyny in rap music: a content analysis of prevalence and meanings". Men and Masculinities. 12 (1): 3–29. doi:10.1177/1097184X08327696. S2CID 145060286. SSRN 2028129. Pdf.
  13. ^ Kitwana, Bakari. The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2002, ISBN 978-0-465-02978-5, p. 87.
  14. ^ Cole, Johnnetta B. "What hip-hop has done to Black women". Ebony, March 2007.
  15. ^ Morgan, Joan (2000-02-02). When chickenheads come home to roost : a hip-hop feminist breaks it down. New York: Touchstone. ISBN 9780684868615. OCLC 1018087707.
  16. ^ Ards, Angela; Morgan, Joan (October 1999). "Down with Feminism". The Women's Review of Books. 17 (1): 17. doi:10.2307/4023366. ISSN 0738-1433. JSTOR 4023366.

Bibliography

Categories