WAP & Reproductive Health
By Claire Wang
On August 7, WAP, a song by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion was released. Both the song and the video were an immediate success. WAP debuted at No.1 on US Spotify and Apple Music. The music video racked up 26 million views during its first 24 hours on YouTube. It was undoubtedly a visual feast, showcasing carnal choreography, female camaraderie, and unabashed sexuality. Cardi dismantles gender stereotypes in the very first verse, singing “I don’t cook, I don’t clean/But let me tell you how I got this ring,” completely going against the stereotypical submissive, stay-at-home female figure.
Political Commentary
The song was extremely divisive, garnering widespread praise and condemnation. Shortly after its release, James P. Bradley, a Republican congressional candidate, tweeted, “Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion are what happens when children are raised without God and without a strong father figure. Their new ‘song’ the WAP (which I heard accidentally) made me want to pour holy water in my ears and I feel sorry for future girls if this is their role model!” Conservative talk-show host Ben Shapiro also expressed his disdain openly, commenting, “This is what feminists fought for…This is what the feminist movement was all about, and if you say anything differently it’s cause you’re a misogynist, see?” On the other hand, WAP is also being celebrated for its sex positivity and open discussion of a crucial bodily function. Dr. Daniel Grossman, an OB-GYN and researcher focused on abortion and contraception at the University of California at San Francisco, shared his support for the song on Twitter. "In my medical opinion, it's normal—important even—for women to have a WAP," Grossman wrote. "Vaginal lubrication is common & orgasm experience depends on the individual. We should not shame women who have WAP."
Historical Context
The stigma against vaginal wetness stems from misinformation about the female reproductive tract; people seem to ignore the fact that the vagina uses discharge as a mechanism for self-cleaning. Tracing back to the time of Hippocrates, women were considered to be physically inferior to men because they were “wetter”. Women’s flesh was considered to be more loose and spongy, absorbing more fluid from their food, making them wetter. Menstrual blood was seen as a piece of evidence supporting this view; the uterus’s role was to regulate and pump out excess fluid. Therefore, at the time, medical treatment for women was oftentimes focused on maintaining regular menstruation to prevent the buildup of fluid. In fear of the vagina slipping out of its usual place and causing organ dysfunction, pessaries made up of animal fat or herbs were also inserted to the vagina to support its internal structure, inducing side effects like vaginal dryness as well. It’s not surprising that vaginal dryness and health have since become synonymous. Vaginal hygiene products have since blurred cleanliness and dryness, a proxy for purity.
Perhaps some of the political criticism could be traced back to its historical roots as well. WAP stood out in that it was put out by a Black woman and a Afro-Dominican woman who unapologetically expressed ownership to their bodies and sexual satisfaction.
Starting in the 16th century, when African captives were treated as commodities in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and continuing through the use of black women’s bodies for gynecological research, American history is filled with examples of black women being viewed as objects to be manipulated, consumed, and exploited.
In their lyrics, Cardi and Megan claim, “I want you to park that big Mac truck right in this little garage” and take on the role of agents in their commodification. Although some may argue that the revolution for equality will not happen between these thighs, WAP remains an incredibly important and powerful step on the path to women’s liberation.
Double Standards
In Pop-Culture
This exposes the double standard that exists in our culture — a number of releases by men were also extremely sexual, but these releases received little to no conservative criticism. What about the explicit “Still Be Friends” by G-Eazy, Tory Lanez, and Tyga with 100 Spotify streams and “Magnolia” by Playboi Carti with 400 million streams? Clearly, conservative commentators do not expect male rappers to be “role models” for young people as they do women. People seem to think that the mentioning of sex is only taboo when female artists, particularly female artists of color, explore it in their songs. Designating women as moral role models in our society and allowing men to roam free reinforces the realm of domesticity women have been subjected to since the start of time. And it’s important to note that double standards don’t just exist in pop culture; they’re everywhere.
In Industries
The New York subway rejected ads from a female-owned women’s sexual health company Unbound for being “too sexual” even though no nudity was shown, and nor was the word “sex” mentioned at all. THINX, a period underwear company, also had difficulty getting their ads approved. Even after using pictured pictures of grapefruits as visual metaphors for the vagina, their request was declined. However, Hims and Ro, a medication brand for erectile dysfunction founded by three men, were put up with no problem. Recently, Hims and Ro has expanded into women’s sexual health, selling vaginal lubricants. Yet again, this proves how people have no problem with female sexuality, as long as men are in charge of regulating it and profit from it.
As two of the most powerful women in hip-hop today, Cardi and Megan have never shied away from preaching female sexuality and independence in their music. And during a time when people are actively trying to unlearn their own biases towards black women, this release could not have been more timely.
