“My Body Is a Temple/I Am the God It Was Built For”: An Examination of the Confrontation of Male Entitlement in the Spoken Word Poetry of Savannah Brown and Hollie McNish

Claire Mccann

doi:10.5334/glo.20

Abstract

Alternative forms of expression, like spoken word and slam poetry, manifest themselves when conventional representations silence certain groups. These alternative forms, however, also hold the capacity to exclude certain individuals as is illustrated by the objectification of women in many contemporary spoken word forms. While the rising popularity of this genre of poetry reinforces the male gaze, certain female spoken word artists refuse to allow this form to erase their own experiences. This essay therefore brings to the forefront the voices of those who have emerged to confront this silencing and assert a female identity not determined by male fantasies. A strategic focus on the poems ‘hi, i’m a slut’ by Savannah Brown and ‘A Poem on Flo Rida’s Blow My Whistle’ by Hollie McNish, explores the effectiveness of the techniques used by female spoken word poets to subvert and even ridicule this male-dominated form, which in turn creates a liberating space in which the voices of women are brought to centre stage.

Highlights

Javon Johnson, notable American spoken word poet, writer, and professor at the University of Nevada, claims that the act of writing and performing poetry is a means by which one can almost paradoxically ‘both escape and confront’ the realities of societies where inequality and discrimination persist (2010: 402)
Spoken word poetry has become a mode of expression for those excluded by dominant discourse and traditional media outlets and some of its forms, like rap and hip hop, emerged to depict black life in the United States, during a century characterised by blatant racism
As a counter to this male gaze, certain female spoken word artists have emerged to assert a female identity not determined by male fantasies

Summary

Claire McCann

Alternative forms of expression, like spoken word and slam poetry, manifest themselves when conventional representations silence certain groups. These alternative forms, hold the capacity to exclude certain individuals as is illustrated by the objectification of women in many contemporary spoken word forms. While the rising popularity of this genre of poetry reinforces the male gaze, certain female spoken word artists refuse to allow this form to erase their own experiences. A strategic focus on the poems ‘hi, i’m a slut’ by Savannah Brown and ‘A Poem on Flo Rida’s Blow My Whistle’ by Hollie McNish, explores the effectiveness of the techniques used by female spoken word poets to subvert and even ridicule this male-dominated form, which in turn creates a liberating space in which the voices of women are brought to centre stage

Introduction

Conclusion