Roundtable: Was Tyga a poor choice of performer for Yardfest?

This is the seventh instalment in a series of online-only Roundtables. This new content form from the Crimson Editorial Board seeks to present a diverse array of high-quality student opinion on thought-provoking issues.

Should Tyga Perform at Yardfest?

It is obvious that we won’t be able to get the artists that our peer institutions get during their spring festivals. Last year’s artist lineup was mediocre at best, and the student body deserves better. However, given the current monetary constraints the organizers face, I understand how our lineup is not as impressive as other institutions’. That does not entitle us, however, to lower our high standards of arts and ethics. It does not matter that apart from “Rack City” and “Faded,” Tyga’s prominence has been rather limited, as an artist’s fame usually is not strongly correlated with the artist’s skill. Tyga’s lyrics, on the other hand, are not only meaningless and misogynistic, but also his other commitments, which include a non-sexual role in an adult film, place him at the bottom of the moral ladder, and he should not be given a stage at this institution.

Even though we might not be able to throw “10, 10, 10, twenties, and them fifties” at artists to entice them, we, as a student body, should be able to get artists that have a somewhat stable moral compass and have artistic talent. We don’t always have to go for the big names. Student bands here are very skilled and should be given a broader stage at Yardfest. On top of that, Yardfest could feature cover, indie, local, and other bands that have talent. While we may not have gotten Adele, or Fun, we could have done much better than Tyga.

Zorigoo Tugsbayer ’15 , a Crimson multimedia editor, is a statistics concentrator in Leverett House.

On the College Events Board’s Decision

By now, I am sure we have all somehow heard of, partaken in, or chuckled at the war over whether Tyga should be removed from the Yardfest line-up. Whatever one’s opinion is, it is universally clear that things have heated up. Fast. But this is not an issue of diverging opinions regarding if Tyga’s lyrics are misogynistic or not. It is not even about whether allowing him to perform speaks to Harvard’s acceptance of “rape culture.” This is a war of practicality: Is it constructive to fight this at the expense of dismantling the whole of Yardfest? It is a matter of those who think fighting Tyga is worth the time versus those who simply “want to have a good time.”

I absolutely do not agree with the victimization of activists and the mudslinging towards those sharing opinions others might not find worthwhile. But I also do not necessarily agree with expressing one’s dissatisfaction with an artist by taking away from others’ right to enjoy the event and music if they so please. Boycotting can equally suffice as an expression of dissatisfaction. As I am largely ambivalent, I do not wish to argue but rather to provide the perspective of someone who has been on the planning side, one largely ignored in this polarized debate.

For the fall semester, I served on First-Year Social Committee (the freshmen equivalent of the College Events Board). While FYSC was not responsible for Yardfest, there are parallels in both organizations’ efforts to satisfy everyone when it comes to event planning. There is simply no way to please everyone, but we try. CEB tried.  Perhaps misguided, CEB’s decision to invite Tyga was in no way an act of closet misogyny. It was an earnest effort to invite a recognized artist whose songs most people probably have and can party to. Yardfest has long been plagued with the stigma of being “lame,” especially in light of other schools’ spring flings (Yale got Macklemore. The injustice!), so can we really blame them for bringing in a familiar name? And considering how little funding they typically get, those wishing for Beyoncé can keep wishing. It isn’t that this cause is not worth fighting for, but perhaps whom you’re fighting never intended to fight. And in this big social media mess, whom are we even fighting anymore? CEB? The administration? It seems we are only fighting each other.

Nancy Liu ’16 lives in Straus Hall. She is a former member of the First-Year Social Committee.

Tyga at Yardfest and Misogyny in Popular Culture

The controversy of bringing Tyga to perform on Harvard’s campus reaches far beyond the internal bubble of the student body and the administration. I am in no way criticizing the genres of rap and hip-hop, but rather, I am specifically concerned with Harvard’s endorsement of the misogynistic lyrics that comprise some of Tyga’s most popular songs, including “Rack City,” “Make It Nasty,” and his cameo in “Bitches Ain’t Shit.” Not only are these lyrics hateful, but they also promote the objectification of women as sexual objects. I find this incredibly pertinent considering April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the culture of victim blaming still largely pervades college campuses and popular media as a legitimate means of dealing with victims of rape and sexual assault.

By paying Tyga to come perform these lyrics on our campus, Harvard is condoning his performance and therefore his messages. Frankly, I find this to be a slap in the face for every student group on campus that actively works to change this rhetoric and the discrimination against women that it reinforces. I question what a “true” representation of the student body’s music tastes might have looked like had the CEB done more crowd-sourcing and outreach to a variety student groups on campus, including organizations such as the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and the Women’s Center.

However, this issue goes beyond the walls of Harvard’s campus. Tyga has a large repertoire of music, most of it innocuous in its representation of women, and some of it even favorable. This leads me to ask the question: Why is it that consumer culture has popularized his songs that contain his most offensive lyrics? For me, the controversy surrounding Tyga’s performance at Yardfest is less about him as an artist and more about the culture that encourages, and even rewards, objectifying and violent representations of women. I believe this is an opportunity to engage in critical dialogue about why this trend exists in society and what we can do to change it.

Kathleen O’Beirne ’15 is a studies of women, gender, and sexualities concentrator in Leverett House.

Recognition is Key

The facts about Tyga, this year’s Yardfest headliner, are well established. First, we know Tyga’s music has been accused of promoting sexism and violence, but they are not especially worse than some mainstream artists in the same genre. Next, we know that Yardfest is run by the College Events Board, which is restricted by a budget and forced to make hard decisions; no artist it picks will ever satisfy everybody. Finally, we know that student dissatisfaction with the artist this year is unusually high, enough to prompt the Office of Student Life to recommend that the CEB reconsiders its choice. What is the appropriate way forward?

I do not have the best solution or most representative opinion. But I do know that the way forward starts with a common recognition of an important point: The goal of Yardfest is to be both fun and inclusive.

What does that mean? Just because you have fun dancing to Rack City does not mean everyone does; some people will be truly offended. Telling them to just stay home is not a real solution, only a dismissal. Just as important, calling people who would enjoy Tyga at Yardfest “misogynists” and demanding that the artist refrain from anything offensive while keeping the event enjoyable for all may be an impossible standard for the CEB. Demanding that principles be upheld all the time has practical limitations.

Perhaps this point is obvious, but the discourse I have seen so far has missed it. Maybe it’s a function of how discourse has evolved that one side is too uptight and the other is misogynistic. Either way, the path forward starts with better recognition of the other side’s valid concerns and leaves behind polarizing language.

Kevin L. Huang ’13 is a government and statistics concentrator in Kirkland House.