The Other Side of the WAP: A Response
Recently, I read Aliyah Perry’s piece, “‘WAP:’ Empowering Women’s Sexuality.” (https://medium.com/@anperry_25625/wap-empowering-womens-sexuality-f3458ecf0c86) And I loved it. Perry discussed many of the reactions by prominent conservative men to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s recent hit, WAP (aka, Wet A** P***y). These conservative men were openly very critical of the music, pointing to it as a representation of the faults of modern feminism and the degradation of women caused by the left. As a response to these naysayers, Perry responded by saying, “It’s the fact that these high-profile individuals use their platforms to criticize women before they will use it to advance women in society for me” (Perry). I couldn’t have said it better!
I definitely listen to WAP in the car. And I definitely am a little bit in love with Megan Thee Stallion.
And I love female empowerment. I love the incorporation of sexuality and a woman’s right to enjoying sex into contemporary, third wave feminism. However, I can’t help but feel that a lot of female experiences that are separated from just sex get lost in this sex positive fray.
Because for a lot of women, having a WAP is simply not a medical possibility! It sounds grotesque, but it’s true. A lot of female experiences are sowed up with trauma surrounding sex, and the extent to which that sort of trauma stems from patriarchal values. This is as much a feminist issue as is flaunting one’s WAP.
It could be said that the song itself doesn’t negate the experiences of these women, and I would agree with such a statement. The song simply celebrates that women can and do enjoy sex. However, some of the discourse surrounding “WAP” involves the implicit putting down of women who do not possess the aforementioned claim to fame, with one Twitter user responding to a very annoying condemner by saying, “If you don’t got that gorilla grip just say that,” (Pesqueda). Although this may have been intended as a light hearted clapback, it shamed the experiences of women who can’t relate to “WAP,” making it seem like they’re uptight or genetically inferior, when really, it’s often out of their control- often due to some form of sexual trauma. The comment seemed as though it was intended to insult the critic by saying that her vagina wasn’t wet enough and therefore this is reflective of her personality. And there comes the issue.
And plus, not every woman even has a vagina! I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a song for vagina possessors, but to imply that someone is less than if they don’t possess the coveted WAP? That’s damaging in more ways than one. I don’t want to be annoying and sound like one of those people who complains about everything, and I don’t mean for this piece to come off as a complaint. I simply was inspired by Aliyah Perry’s piece to bring up my hottake about some of the discourse that has arisen recently surrounding the song. I wanted to speak to the idea that WAP “makes women feel liberated, confident, and sexy” (Perry). And it does! And I love that it’s on the radio.
But those on Twitter might want to consider being more careful about the implications of their assertions. After all, feminism is about women, WAP possessors or not!
Works Cited
Pesqueda, Neena. “Conservatives Slam Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Over ‘WAP’ Lyrics.” Rogue Rocket, 10 Aug. 2020, roguerocket.com/2020/08/10/conservatives-slam-wap-lyrics/.
Perry, Aliyah. “‘WAP’: Empowering Women’s Sexuality.” Medium, Medium, 10 Sept. 2020, medium.com/@anperry_25625/wap-empowering-womens-sexuality-f3458ecf0c86.
