“Hazelnut Brazilians macadamia Caucasians double stuffed or thin mint, it don’t matter you getting’ it cuz I got a sweet tooth that’ll never come loose and the fact of the matter is…”

Cookie Jar is the hit single by Gym Class Heroes. This is a song that equates a female to a cookie, and refers to the relationship scene as a cookie jar. While this song may be a hit, the message within the lyrics is one that degrades women; and it is not acceptable.

Producing degrading music about women is not limited to this example; in fact a good majority of musicians today tend to degrade women in their lyrics. The Ying Yang twins, Kanye West, Flo Rida, and yes, Eminem, are just a few of the numerous recording artists who have made women targets of sexism.

Now, I am not debating the artistic ability these artists hold; In fact most songs like Cookie Jar, have good rhythm and catchy lyrics; however it is important to understand that this type of degradation is sexism. Sexism according to the Oxford Dictionary is prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination on the basis of sex.

When you make a woman (or anyone for that matter) an object, rather than a human being, it takes away their humanity and dignity. Women are women; not cookies, not animals, not tricks; they are people. Making them an object (like a cookie) takes away who they are as people.

These objects become their identity; and when women cannot decide that for themselves, it is degrading.

At the beginning of the same song, the lead singer mentions that he tries to stay faithful after his girlfriend finds him with cookie crumbs all over his face. Cookie crumbs, representing the remains of a female he has devoured and evidence that he will continue eating other cookies (females).

Not only does this portray the female as an object, but it also makes them something able to be consumed; lowering their status even further. This gives men control over women, pushing women down to a lower level of existence; a very dangerous idea, one that has been around for many years.

Before the Holocaust took place, Hitler and the Nazi party declared that the Jewish population in Europe are vermin, an inferior race. In the early history of the United States, African-Americans were legally established as an inferior population and viewed as animals. In a session titled African-American Slavery in Texas and Louisiana, The Houston Teachers Institute at the University of Houston said, “They [slaves] slept on straw like livestock and were treated on par with cattle and pigs.” Later the lesson mentioned that slaves were considered sub-human and without feelings.

I give these examples not to frighten women and say that something like a Holocaust or a “female slave trade” could happen if we are not careful, however it is important to understand that preconceived ideas of a people lead to unthinkable measures.

With that, women, please do not be fooled by men. Decide for yourself, have self-respect, and know that you are more than just a cookie.

Jackson Booth is a student at Bellevue East High School. The Bellevue Leader will periodically publish a column written by journalism students at local high schools.

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