First things first, Igloo Australia, otherwise known as Iggy Azalea, needs to stop.

I’ll be honest — when Igloo first came out, I genuinely enjoyed her music. She has some pretty catchy songs, primarily “Fancy” and “Black Widow”, and sometimes I still listen to her music. Regardless, I am annoyed with her continued ignorance and idiocy.

HipHop is a creative artistic and socio-political movement/culture that sprang from the disparate ghettos of NY in the early 1970’s

— QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) December 20, 2014

The recent controversy with Iggy Azalea all began when Azealia Banks came at Iggy’s entire existence on Twitter and in an interview with Hot 97. Watch the interview here. Azealia Banks not only called her Igloo Australia, but called her out for her blatant cultural appropriation of hip hop, and how her white privilege helped her within the industry. Many other celebrities joined in on the criticism soon after, the most notable being Q-Tip.

 

Of course, the lovely Iggy Azalea refused to listen to any of her critics. But she took it to another level when she blamed it on misogyny. In her interview with Vanity Fair, Iggy blames the criticism on “the fact that I have a vagina.” I’m sorry, but what Felicia?!

 

 

i find it patronizing to assume i have no knowledge of something I’m influenced by, but I’ve also grown up with strangers assuming that.

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) December 23, 2014

Iggy, do everyone a favor and stop talking. Please and thank you.

Ms. Azalea, I am going to say this nice and simply for you to understand. You. Have. White. Privilege. As a white woman, you have this thing called white privilege. In case you don’t understand what that means, white privilege refers to the inherent privileges you receive because of your white skin. This ranges from being seen as more beautiful to being paid more.  Because of this, your music is received more favorably than a black artist’s music is by the general public. Because of that, you can get away with using a fake accent and having s*** bars, but also winning an American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Album. If you were knowledgeable about this, as you claim to be, you wouldn’t be making so many ignorant comments. You would sit back and accept your privilege.

As a feminist, I am annoyed that Iggy would even think to blame misogyny for the criticism she has been receiving. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she have a vagina. It doesn’t entirely have to do with her skin color either. It has to do with the fact that you are ignorant and refuse to educate yourself or let others educate you. But to be honest, when Iggy first responded to criticism, there was a part of me that couldn’t blame her for her ignorance. She is a white woman, and at the end of the day there is no guarantee that she will be cognizant of Black issues, culture, or her own privilege. However, this doesn’t mean she gets a pass, because ignorance is not permanent. It can be eliminated through self-education.

By blaming it on misogyny, Iggy Azalea exacerbates her ignorance further. Misogyny refers to the hatred of women. The “hate” against Iggy has nothing to do with her vagina, as previously stated. Iggy isn’t the first, and won’t be the last white rap or hip hop artist to be accused of cultural appropriation. When Macklemore won the Grammy for Best Rap Album last year, many criticized him. Just in case it wasn’t clear, Macklemore has a penis, which is not a vagina. Iggy is arguably receiving more criticism because not only was she publicly called out by another artist, but she refused to accept the criticism. Macklemore hasn’t denied his privilege, but Iggy has. Additionally, the criticism does not focus on the fact that she is a woman at all, but on her race. Just in case it wasn’t known, your race is not linked to whether or not you have a vagina.

Iggy should not attribute her failure to comprehend that she has privilege as misogyny. It makes her look even more stupid and ignorant. Maybe instead of posting a tweet every time someone criticizes her, she could pick up a book or use Google to educate herself. But let me sit back and sip my tea and let her bask in her ignorance. Bye Felicia.