Photo credit (edited), fair use
Early in my Marine Corps career, English electronic dance music (EDM) group The Prodigy released their third studio album The Fat of the Land (1997). Featured on the anthology was a track entitled “Smack My Bitch Up,” which one source describes thusly:
The song caused considerable controversy because of its suggestive title and explicit music video, which depicted scenes of drunken and drug-fueled sexual assault and violence.
The refrain, which consists only of the line “Change my pitch up/Smack my bitch up”, was sampled from the song “Give the Drummer Some” by the Ultramagnetic MCs.
The song also contains a brief medley of Shahin Badar vocalizing alap. In 2010, it was voted as the most controversial song of all time in a survey conducted by PRS for Music […]
The video, filmed entirely in first-person perspective, depicts a drug-and-alcohol-fueled night out through the eyes of a mostly-unseen character […] corresponding with the protagonist’s altered state of mind.
This character first showers and dresses, then drinks vodka and sniffs cocaine before going out. At a bar, the protagonist has several more drinks, sexually assaults multiple women, violently attacks several men, and destroys the DJ’s equipment before running to the toilets to vomit and inject intravenous drugs, resulting in a shaky and disorientated vision.
Later, at a strip club, the protagonist drinks more alcohol while watching nude dancers, and eventually breaks into and steals a car to bring one stripper home to have sex. Finally, after they have sex, a look in the mirror reveals the protagonist to have been a young blonde woman; as the song ends, she passes out on her bed.
Perhaps the drug use, violence, and other questionable behavior depicted in the video weren’t the sole source of controversy. Rather, one element which people likely found disagreeable was that it wasn’t a man who behaved in such a manner, as a woman was portrayed in a violent role.
Framing this matter through the lens of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I consider the ABC model and how it advocates use of thinking that is logical and reasonable (collectively “rational”). As an example, consider the following syllogism as an argument against the song:
Form (hypothetical) –
If p, then q; if q, then r; therefore, if p, then r.
Example –
If men are thought of as the main abusers of women, then portraying women as being similarly violent will be controversial.
If portraying women as being similarly violent will be controversial, then The Prodigy absolutely shouldn’t depict women as behaving in a sexually assaultive manner.
Therefore, if men are thought of as the main abusers of women, then The Prodigy absolutely shouldn’t depict women as behaving in a sexually assaultive manner.
This syllogized belief is logical, though I argue that it isn’t reasonable. Noteworthy, in order to be considered rational an argument, proposition, or belief empirically must remain in accordance with both logic and reason.
Given this framing, it’s irrational to argue that women shouldn’t be depicted as capable of committing sexual assault, rape, or other forms of abuse. Both men and women are merely fallible human beings, not infallible angelic creatures which are all good or righteous.
Thus, I assert that women have personal agency and are capable of using personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”) in the same manner as men. Whether or not people recommendatorily should or shouldn’t abuse one another is a separate matter altogether.
For context, one source reports, “Two-thirds of lesbian women (67.4%) reported having only female perpetrators of intimate partner violence,” identifying lifetime prevalence of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner as 43.8% for lesbians.
To “change my pitch up” is to alter one’s approach to a topic. Regarding violence perpetrated by women, statistics change the pitch up from common misconceptions. For instance, a separate source claims, “Sexual abuse by a woman partner has been reported by up to 50% of lesbians.”
Granting the statistical data as factual, violence in The Prodigy video is feasible. Another source reports, “Around 44% of lesbian and 61% of bisexual women have experienced forms of rape and physical violence by an intimate partner as compared to 35% of straight women.”
If not all individuals who perpetrate violence regarding that statistic are men, then it stands to reason that some or perhaps many women (especially in lesbian intimate partner relationships) are capable of sexual assault, rape, and other forms of abuse. Another source opines:
The issue of domestic violence among lesbian couples may be underreported due to the gender roles that women are expected to play in society; violence perpetrated by women may be ignored due to beliefs that the male social construction itself is a primary source of violence.
The social construction of women is characterized as passive, dependent, nurturing, and highly emotional, and the social construction of men is characterized as competitive, aggressive, strong, and even prone to violence.
I maintain that the gynocentric beliefs expressed in the aforementioned source are irrational. While I don’t condone smacking up men or women, I posit that both men and women behave in this unhelpful manner, to include committing sexual assault, rape, and other forms of abuse.
Perhaps you disagree. Generally, counterarguments are offered, such as, “Men do it more,” “Men have an ability to hurt women during episodes of abuse,” “Women aren’t as violent,” and so forth and so on. However, I reject red herring arguments. Thus, my sole point is “females, too.”
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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Hollings, D. (2024, July 9). Absolutistic should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/absolutistic-should-beliefs
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Max. (2013). Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy (Completely uncensored) [Image; video]. Vimeo. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/groups/447533/videos/44561183
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