ANALYSIS OF ‘NENENG B’ AS PROMOTER OF

RAPE CULTURE AND WOMEN OBJECTIFICATION

IN THE PHILIPPINES

A Research Paper presented to the

SCHOOL OF SAINT ANTHONY
Lagro, Quezon City, Metro Manila

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements in
Practical Research 1 for
HUMSS

Carual, Kylle Zyrene O.

Gonzales, Angelique Victoria G.
Noriega, Mariene Chelsey V.
Radam, Erica C.
Tumaque, Bryle Daniel A.
Valdez, Vincent Basilio B.
11- Nakpil

Ms. Tiffany F. De la Peña

Research Adviser

January to April 2020

 ABSTRACT

Rape Culture is defined as a social space that normalizes and romanticizes

sexual violence against women. Although, men experience it too, data show that women

are more prone to it. They also face sexual objectification from time to time.

Objectification theory by Fredrickson (1999) as mentioned in Kellie DJ et al’s

work on 2019, states that society has demands on how women’s bodies should look like.

These societal perceptions often become reflected in pop culture and media.

One representation of this is Nik Makino’s Neneng B. The controversial song

made noise in social media for its explicit lyrics which netizens were quick to denounce,

tagging it as purveyor and perpetuator of rape culture and women objectification.

Thus, this study aimed to find out if the said song actually promotes such. Thirty

randomly-selected respondents were interviewed about their insights about it and the

results showed that most of them considered banning as option to stop rape culture.

However, even though that most of the participants claimed they are dissatisfied with

Neneng B, they admitted they remain to sing and dance to it. This just shows how big

of an influence mainstream media holds to the mass.

The findings of this study have concluded that the viral song Neneng B

promotes rape culture and women objectification in the Philippines. Lastly, this

investigation noted that the lyrics was found out to be encouraging S.O. and that it is

highly visible in the chorus.

 Chapter I
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Rape culture pertains to the environment in which normalization of rape and

sexual violence against women is being excused in the media and popular culture

(“What is rape culture?” n.d.). It is perpetuated through factors such as victim-blaming,

justification of men’s natural desires and tolerance of sexually explicit jokes and

harassment. Although it can happen to any particular gender group, female victims

experience it more. Research shows that men blame women more for being harassed,

endorsing less responsibility to male perpetuator (Lonsway & Magley, 2008).

Another problem that female victims face is the sexual objectification (SO) by

men. According to Fredrickson, BL and Roberts, 1997, as cited by Kellie et al., 2019,

SO is the viewing of another person as an instrument to be used for sexual goals. Due

to this society’s perception on what should women’s body look like, often it has become

the basis on how should they dress, behave and present themselves.

Objectification becomes dangerous to women once they internalize these

judgements (Kellie et. al, 2019). It can harm their self-perception that can lead to low

self-esteem. It can also result to greater unwillingness to interact with people (Saguy et

al., 2010).

With this, efforts to address cases of sexual harassment in the Philippines have

been continuously progressing. A visible evidence of this is a former Quezon City

Mayor's ordinance that states how catcalling in any form will be intolerable
around the city as stipulated in Ordinance No. SP-2501, S-2016. However, the number

of rape occurrences in the country continues to increase. CNN supports this claim with

their report released in 2019 stating that from January to October 2018, 7,037 cases of

rape were reported nationwide. These occurrences indicate how every hour, a person

may be getting raped in the Philippines.

On the other hand, pop culture - as a huge influence to the public of today - is

a possible culprit in the promotion of rape culture as well. This is done regularly by

adding hints of sexual objectification in movies, shows, and music, just as the song

Neneng B presented.

Neneng B by the artist Nik Makino was first heard by his audience on May

2019, but it was not until a few months after when it became a breakthrough amongst

the public. Its lyrics reiterated a detailed sexual encounter with apparently a woman

who has a body similar to Neneng B’s (Sam Pinto). It gained mixed reactions from the

netizens after dance covers went viral.

Twitter netizens have repeatedly expressed their disgrace on the song’s

context. Whilst they continue to spread awareness on the said vulgarity of the topic,

numerous listeners remain blinded by its upbeat music and popularity.

Therefore, this study seeks to find out if the aforementioned song contributes

to the worsening normalization of rape culture and SO in the country.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know how the song Neneng B promotes rape culture and

the objectification of women. Specifically, to answer the following:

a. How does Neneng B promote sexual objectification in the Philippines?

b. How does Neneng B contribute to the worsening rape culture of the

Philippines?

Significance of the Study

The results of the study will be of great benefit to the following:

Women. This study shall help women speak up against the patriarchal society

we have today. The researchers will open up the people’s eyes on the way we think

of women, because today’s society, especially men, think of women as objects that

could be easily replaced. The researchers’ study shall improve our perspective on the

wrong thinking we have on objectifying women.

Students. The results will provide them the idea and knowledge on the

concept of rape culture. It's an opportunity for them to recognize their own values and

beliefs in action. At the end of this study, the students may provide a contribution in

stopping the stigma of rape and objectification in the society.

Scope and Delimitation

This descriptive study focuses on the analysis of “Neneng B” as a promoter of

Rape Culture and Women Objectification in the Philippines. The research sample was

comprised of people from 16-28 years of age settling mainly at Lagro, Quezon City.

The prime data gathering method used was an interview to determine the respondent’s

viewpoint about Nik Makino’s song titled Neneng B.

The study did not cover the views and opinions of people outside the said

locale. The possibility of the problem to progress during the span of the research was

not identified and other factors that may affect the study was not investigated further.
 Chapter 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Related Literature

This chapter discusses and describes the rape culture and sexual objectification

of women in the society using published journals, articles, and studies written by other

researchers.

Rape Culture and its Background

Rape Culture exists when rape and sexual assault are being normalized in

situations. Tracing back its origin, it was first given definition to in the 1970s as the

second wave of the feminist movement started. The first scholar to articulate it was

Dianne Herman (1984) who posited that rape will continue to be pervasive as long as

sexual violence and male dominance are glamorized (Burnett, 2016). Since then,

different researchers provided their own meanings to it.

In their book Transforming a Rape Culture, Emilie Buchwald, Pamela Fletcher

and Martha Roth (1933) defined it as “a complex set of beliefs that encourages male

sexual aggression and supports violence against women”. They described it as a

society that perceives violence as sexy and assumes that sexual violence is a fact of

life, therefore inevitable. Wehrs (2019) cited Buchwald et al’s statement, and further

broadened it by describing rape culture as an environment where male sexual

dominance over woman is normalized and pervasive. Additionally, it shames the victims

(men or women) for being survivors of sexual violence, rather than putting the onus on

the actual attackers (Wehrs, 2019).

 Maegan Hildebrand and Cynthia Najdowski (2015) gave a similar definition to it

by stating that rape culture is “reflected in the society by the pervasive endorsement of

rape myths and sexual objectification on women”. They also added that it poses major

consequences. As for instance, individuals may follow these norms to promote and

legitimize rape myths which further help the continuation of the cycle.

There are various examples of how it is purveyed. Sills et. al cited some through

a study they conducted on 2015. Their participants described a “matrix of sexism” in

which elements of rape culture formed a taken-for-granted backdrop to their everyday

lives. They readily discussed examples they had witnessed, including victim-blaming,

“slut-shaming,” rape jokes, the celebration of male sexual conquest, and demeaning

sexualized representations of women.

Rape Culture and Sexual Objectification

The objectification of bodies for sexual interest can also be rooted from the

culture of rape in society. Fredrickson and Robert first proposed the objectification

theory on 1997 and until now, it is being used and cited by numerous scholars (i.e.,

Szymanski et al., 2011 & Kellie et al., 2019). The said theory was projected as an

integrative framework for understanding how women's socialization and experiences of

sexual objectification are translated into mental health problems. It also posits that girls

and women are typically acculturated to internalize an observer's perspective as a

primary view of their physical selves. They found out that this perspective on self can

lead to habitual body monitoring which can increase opportunities for shame and
anxiety, reduce opportunities for peak motivational states, and diminish awareness of

internal bodily states.

Using the same theory, Szymanski & Henning (2007) conducted a study to test

if the model proposed applies to depression in women. Their path analysis revealed

that self-objectification decreased with age and led to habitual body monitoring, which

led to a reduced sense of flow, greater body shame, and greater appearance anxiety.

According to their results, less flow, greater body shame, and greater appearance

anxiety led to depression. However, no significant pathways were found for the

theorized relationships between the self-objectification measures and internal

awareness or between internal awareness and depression.

Similarly, Peter et al. (2019) reported the results of Bayesian multilevel

structural equation models that simultaneously tested Fredrickson and Roberts’

(1997) predictions both within and between persons. They used data from 3

ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies of women’s (N = 268) experiences

of sexual objectification in daily life. Their findings support the idea that indirect

exposure to sexual objectification can increase negative and self-conscious emotions.

However, lagged analyses suggest that the within-person indirect emotional

consequences of exposure to sexual objectification may be relatively fleeting.

Rape Culture and SO on Media Forums

Media holds big responsibility on the discussion of sexual violence in the

society. They hold the power to portray such thus influencing public’s views. According

to Berns (2004), media shapes the way that people think about social problems (such
as sexual violence), and for many of those people, it serves as their sole source of

information. This lack of alternative sources of information becomes problematic as

people who only have experiences of their own can critically evaluate the credibility of

the presented ideas by media (Berns, 2004).

In a study by Thacker and Day (2016), media’s methods of discussing and

portraying rape are examined as primary sources for the perpetuation of rape culture.

The effects of these media representations of rape on the outcomes of real rape trials

are also examined, revealing that media relatively affects the justice criminal system on

the judgment of such cases. This is in support of the previous claim by Bensimon et al.

(2008) that the blaming of victims by media, and the subsequent blaming and

challenging of victims in the justice system, also contributes to the revictimization of

women.

The term media is not only limited to of news outlets. Rentschler (2014) stated

that social media sites can become both “aggregators of online misogyny” as well as

key spaces for feminist education and activism. They are spaces where “rape culture,”

in particular, is both performed and resisted, and where a feminist counterpublic can be

formed (Michael Salter 2013).

Furthermore, Zalesk et al. (2016) discussed the rape culture within and outside

social media. Their study found out that the most prominent theme is victim blaming,

and more victim blaming was found when the accused perpetuators were in pop culture.

Also, it revealed that more perpetuator support was found when accused assailants

were in pop culture.

 Examples of Rape-Stigmatized Pop Culture

Rape culture and SO are not new to the popular media. It can be of form of TV

show, book or even music. Game of Thrones heavily exemplifies it, through their

gratuitous female nudity content. Gjelsvik and Schubart (2016) on the book Women of

Ice and Fire: Gender, Game of Thrones and Multiple Media Engagements claimed that

“audience’s voyeuristic viewing pleasure” kept them to continue watching it “as they

delight in the spectacle of violence and sex”.

Needham (2017) also addressed SO in her work, Visual Misogyny: An Analysis

of Female Sexual Objectification in Game of Thrones which proves that male sexuality

takes precedence in the show.

Another controversial topic in pop culture is the objectification in Fifty Shades of

Grey. Permatasari (2015) found out that SO occurs in the heterosexual relationship of

Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey and Steele’s description fulfills the seven notions

of objectification.

Robert Thicke’s song Blurred Lines is also found to contain rape culture and

SO. Handforth et al. (2015) used thematic qualitative analysis and techniques from

corpus linguistics to interrogate the way listeners interpret Blurred Lines. The results

revealed that most listeners either interpreted the song as relating to sexual consent

and took offense or felt like it was only a representative of a genre and is unproblematic.
Synthesis

Cole (2019) explained in an article that rape culture is present in a society when

the normalization of sexual violence and rape is brought about by beliefs, values, and

popular myths that promote sexual violence to be committed by an individual to another.

These statements agree to the definition of Wright (2015) that argued how a rape

culture allows the members of the society to interconnect sex and violence and reduce

the importance of sexual violence as a form of assault. Sexual objectification, as

defined by Kellie (2019), involves the perceiving of another individual as an "instrument

to be used for sexual goals". However, Nussbaum (1987), as cited by Jutten (2016),

argued that sexual objectification is solely the "instrumentalization or use" in

congruence with the previous claim.

On the other hand, a study revealed how media reflects a community's belief

towards sexual violence (Baum, et. al., 2018). It was said that the exposure of the rape

culture in media suggests the frequency of rape cases and how the local justice

systems respond. Rather than a mere instrumentalization, Jutten (2016) argued that

the term refuses to acknowledge the immorality of sexual objectification. He explained

that the use of the term normalizes the act of sexual objectification, instead of justifying

the harm done in the act.

In an article by Sorensen (2019), he covered the treatment of rape culture in the

country Denmark and how it is considered as "pervasive". Similarly, it has been

observed by 2015 PNP statistics that in every 58 minutes, an individual is being raped

in the Philippines. It can be concluded from these statements that rape culture

continues to pervade and the number of rape cases continues to increase. Loughnan
and Vaes (2017) presented how sexual objectification eventually leads to self-

objectification. Loughnan followed the claim by stating that self-objectification occurs

when a person begins to negatively see their self the same way their objectifier does.

These effects include a decreased self-esteem, lower cognitive performance, and in

some cases, a severe experience of depression.

Definition of Terms

1. Conquest - The subjugation and assumption of control of a place or people by

use of military force. The term "conquest" was used because there is a battle

between the song and to the audience or the people who are familiar with the

song.

2. Culture - The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement

regarded collectively. The term was used as a part of this research to symbolize

the beliefs of oneself about the song and rape itself.

3. Degradation - The condition or process of degrading or being degraded. The

term "degradation" was used because in the song Neneng B women are

objectified as sex toys, and by that, they are being degraded. Through sexual

harassment many people especially women lose their self-respect because of

the song.

4. Emotional Terrorism - It is also called "Emotional Blackmail" by psychotherapist,

Susan Forward and refers to a form of psychological manipulation that uses,

implies or overt threats and punishments in order to control another person's

behavior. The term "emotional terrorism" was used since it shows blackmail

through word harassment to the people, especially in women.

5. Feminism - The advocacy of women's rights on the basis of equality of the

sexes. The term "feminism" was used in the study to show support in women

especially on their rights.

6. Norm - Something that is usual, typical, or standard. The term "norm" was used

to show the set standards and rights of every individual in our country.

7. Objectification - The action of degrading someone to the status of a mere object.

The term "objectification" was used to show how the song substantiates women.

8. Perpetuator - A person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act. The

term "perpetuator" was used because the composer of Neneng B, Nik Makino

is endorsing women objectification and therefore he is the perpetrator of the

known culture of women objectification.

9. Pop Culture - Modern popular culture transmitted via the mass media and aimed

particularly at younger people. The term "pop culture" was used because the

song is one of the songs in the modern days.

10. Rape - Unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out

forcibly or under threat of injury against a person's will. The term "rape" was use

because some part of the song indicates harassment in women.

11. Social Media - Websites and applications that enable users to create and share

content or to participate in social networking. The term "social media" was used

as a social space for the perpetuation of rape and sexual objectification.

12. Stigma - A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality,

or person. The term "stigma" was used because the song gives dishonor in the

music world.
 Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Characteristic Case Research

The lyrics of Neneng B describes a

sexual encounter with a woman who

Focus or objective has a body like Neneng B’s (Sam

Pinto). With its rising popularity, its

influence on the people becomes

alarming as its lyrics suggests

objectification of women and supports

the culture of rape.

This study analyzed the growing

Focus of analysis culture of rape and practice of S.O. in

the Philippines and how it affects the

perception of people living in Lagro,

Quezon City on Nik Makino’s viral

song Neneng B.
 The data were collected from the

Data to be collected answers and responses given by the

people regarding their stand and

insights on the viral song Neneng B.

The group conducted a random

survey to the people within the vicinity

of Lagro, Q.C., wherein those people

Method of Data Collection deemed as qualified for the interview

underwent series of questions while

being recorded through a devise.

Research Locale

The researchers conducted their study within the vicinity of Lagro, Quezon City,

Metro Manila. Since the area houses many schools and universities, it was easier for

them to find qualified respondents.

Participant Selection

This research needed 30 randomly selected participants aging from 16 to 28 in

order to conduct the study efficiently. The researchers conducted an interview to

respondents that may or may not be listening to Pop Music and asked them with
regards to their views about the lyrics of Nik Makino’s song, Neneng B and how do they

think of it as something that is contributing to the progressing stigma concerning Rape

Culture and the objectification of women in our society.

Instrumentation

The researchers administrated a survey that the participants answered. The

questions were organized into three sets in which would help the researchers produce

the best data needed for the study. The first set of questions was about their knowledge

of Nik Makino’s Neneng B. The second set was to know their personal views and

opinions. Lastly, the third set aimed to discern the participants’ logical thinking about the

spread of Rape Culture and Women Objectification prior to the release of the song

“Neneng B.”

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers gathered data by interviewing random people from Lagro,

Quezon City. They first asked them if they were willing to participate. After they agreed,

consent was asked to have their answers voice recorded. The researchers assured

everything would be treated with utmost confidentiality.

Data Analysis Method

The gathered data were firstly transcribed. Then, they were coded and sorted

out into different categories. The results were interpreted through the essential

meanings accumulated from their answers.

 Chapter 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter describes the analysis of data followed by a discussion of the

research findings. The findings are interpreted to align with the research questions that

guided the study. Data were analyzed to know if the song Neneng B promotes rape

culture and sexual objectification in the Philippines.

How does Neneng B promote sexual objectification in the Philippines?

In Table 1, it was shown how a lot of the respondents agreed that the song

Neneng B is a promotion of rape culture and sexual objectification. Despite admiring

the beat, the respondents appear to have focused on the lyrics, which were described

as very "descriptive", "explicit", and "obscene".

On the other hand, a few of the respondents replied that it is the way one

perceives the message which makes it inappropriate. While others may be too

conservative to approve of the message, some people remain unbothered. Although a

lot of the respondents were completely against the song's message, some of them

were neutral about so, even stating that it depends on the listener if they will continue

listening to it.

It was shown in a study how people usually respond to instances of sexism and

rape culture references in pop culture (Sills, et. al., 2016). The participants in the study
used the term "problematic" to describe the unconscious bias people tend to have

when analyzing these messages in songs. For example, a participant mentioned that

the song Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke was negatively received by audiences because

of its popularity, while the Chris Brown song Biggest Fan did not receive as much

criticisms because it is less popular. In relation to the pop culture of the Philippines

today, Neneng B is one of the only songs wherein audiences decided to raise

awareness. However, it is still well-received by listeners from their lack of knowledge

on the message.

Some of the respondents advised the artist - or rappers in general - to "watch

their lyrics" as well. The beat of the song was unanimously agreed to be good, which

was why there were respondents who believed that with changes to the lyrics, the song

would be much better than it is. However, the song remains to be viewed as an

offensive song with lewd content because of its derogation and objectification used in

the lyrics.

Table 1.

Essential Meaning: The lyrics of Neneng B promotes sexual objectification of women.

Meaning Units Code Category

Feeling ko nagpo-promote siya ng women The lyrics are very Lyrics
objectification, dun pa lang sa lyrics niya kasi descriptive promote
very descriptive sa mga ganung bagay. sexual
Sa totoo lang, totoo naman eh… halata kasi sa It is obvious on objectification
lyrics the lyrics on women
I like the idea that it promotes women The concept of
objectification, pero sa rape culture, kasi rape culture is
masyadong malawak yung rape culture kaya wide
hindi siya kayang o-express sa isang kanta
lang.
… hindi siya nagpapakita ng respect sa mga It is disrespectful
girls nga, kasi may mga women—girls na hindi
open sa mga ganung bagay…kumbaga,
conservative ganon.
Somehow, it’s true kasi sinasabay yung Don’t approve the
message ng Rape Culture and Women lyrics
Objectification and… ay parang yung iba gusto
naman… it’s like the beat but they don’t really
approve of the lyrics.
True, totoo naman kasi na nagpropromote siya It promotes rape
ng rape culture. culture
Para sakin, yung kantang Neneng B promotes It is obvious on
rape culture and women objectification kasi the lyrics
you know, it’s obvious in the lyrics….
The beat is catchy, a lot of it, music-wise is The problem is the
good, but the lyrics is the only problem about lyrics
the song
Of course, it promotes rape culture… most The message of
likely.. yeah, women objectification... the the lyrics is
lyrics… Yung mga pinagsasasabi niya, yun disappointing
lang…
Uhm.. totoo naman kasi based on the lyrics The chorus
yung chorus pa lang nagpr-promote na siya ng promotes rape
rape culture tsaka women objectification culture and WO
Uhh… I honestly think naman na totoo naman Disrespectful
yung sinasabi nila kase it actually promotes lyrics
rape culture and women objectification… yung
lyrics niya kasi medyo hindi respectful sa
babae. Pili lang yung audience na nakikinig
dapat.
I agree, of course, kasi nga 'yung lyrics niya, Lyrics are very
very explicit, so… nap-paint niya 'yung picture explicit
na gusto niyang sabihin… ang problema kasi,
very conservative 'yung country na'tin…
Well I think that it promotes uhmm.. sexual Lyrics are very
harassment because some lyrics are very objectifying
uhmm.. objectifying women in the case of their
body parts that’s why it’s bringing rape culture
It’s true, the lyrics are very obscene, very Lyrics are
offensive to girls and to women in general, and obscene
I really think that it promotes rape culture
because most people use this song as reason
for them to molest or to sexually harass women
Just from the lyrics itself, Neneng B can be Sexual innuendos
classified as a sexual, if not, explicit song. are disguised as
Sexual innuendos disguised as pick-up lines pick-up lines
and music.

If you don't like the song, just don't listen to it. Don’t listen to the Ways to do if
song the listeners
hate the song
‘Wag gawing bagay yung mga babae Don’t objectify Lessons that
women listeners
So para sa'kin... uh... 'yung karamihan kasi sa Women are being acquired
mga babae 'di ba… yun nga, nababastos 'yung harassed
ibang babae, which is sa'kin totoo, kasi parang
'pag kinakanta nila, iniisip nila babae…
Actually.... Depende siguro sa babae kung It does not The meaning
feeling niya, ginagano'n siya. Pero para sa'kin, promote sexual varies based
hindi siya nakakabastos… objectification on the
Ahhh… depende naman kase siya kung pano Depends on the listener’s
mo ia-ano yung umm.. yung meaning ng lyrics interpretation interpretation
so kung pano mo siya i-i-intindihin…
Siguro ano depende sa perspective ng tao yan. It depends on
Kung yung tao mas gusto lang yung beat edi people’s
yung beat lang. Pero yung in terms of lyrics, perspective
maraming tao kasi yung may ayaw nun.
Agree [on the song promoting S.O] since Girls are there for Message of
based sa song…parang sinasabi na ang babae sex the song
nandiyan para sa sex
Uhm… para sakin kasi hindi naman nag..to- Degrading women
totally nag p-promote ng Rape culture pero ano
siguro yung mga ano dinedegrade lang nila
yung mga kababaihan...yon
 ..okay lang naman yung gumamit ng lyrics pero Maintain the Notes on the
uhm uhhh kailangan pa din natin i-maintain words artist
yung mga words natin kase yung iba
nakakabastos na sa iba.
Para sakin, yung Neneng B, maganda siya and Change the lyrics
catchy in all aspects pero para sakin kung
iibahin nila yung lyrics, I think mas magiging
better siya
Ang opinyon ko do'n... kasi these days Rappers should
maraming songs like that, pero I guess, 'yun watch out for the
nga, watch the lyrics na lang… so siguro the lyrics of their
rappers nowadays should just watch the lyrics. songs
Siguro ano lang.. lyrics lang naman yung naiba The problem is the
don.... siguro.. sa artist na gumawa ng lyrics.. lyrics
di siya siguro aware pagdating sa mga
maririnig ng mismong mga babae sa pagdating
dun sa lyrics..

As seen in Table 2, the respondents saw the message as highly visible,

especially in the chorus. The most well-known part of the song - "Rosas ka ba? Kasi sa

spaceship isasakay kita"- was the one that the respondents mentioned the most. Simply

by using figures of speech to create explicit imagery, the singer was able to portray

sexual objectification.

Other than the chorus, many of the respondents also recognized a line in one of

the verses stating "Chicharon ka ba? Kasi ang ingay mo 'pag kinakain ka". A possible

reason why multiple people responded with the said line from a verse is its rude sexual

innuendos that are not at all difficult to find. As one of the respondents stated, the

message of the song is much more visible because of its direct use of language, instead

of solely being implied.

 In an article by Khan (2017), he expanded on rape culture in music and how

listeners tend to "fetishize" songs with "rapey" lyrics. He suggested that while a song

stands by itself, there is a huge possibility that it reflects the views and opinions of the

artist themselves, also considering that catchy beats are used to attract listeners to be

influenced by the message. An example of this is What Do You Mean by Justin Bieber

in 2015, wherein there were direct statements about the persona being talked about

wants to refuse to the speaker, but they feel forced to accept.

The song's direct message made it seem as if it is women's choice to run after

men while men only give in to their pleas, according to one of the respondents. Not only

is it derogatory, the song also directly showed the literal objectification of women "by

being compared to innate objects and abstracts concepts such as roses, spaceships,

flour, and wheat" before revealing sexual remarks to explain their comparisons.

Table 2.

Essential Meaning: Sexual objectification is highly visible in the verses, most especially

in the chorus.

Meaning Units Code Category

Yung chorus… Parang Neneng B… “Boom parang Neneng Examples of
kasi sa spaceship isasakay kita B ang kaniyang lyrics in verse 1
katawan Ang sarap that suggest
mong titigan...Rosas ka women
“ba Kase sa spaceship objectification
isasakay kita…”
Yung chorus “Boom parang Neneng
B ang kaniyang
 katawan Ang sarap
mong titigan...Rosas ka
ba Kase sa spaceship
isasakay kita…”
Chorus “Boom parang Neneng Examples of
B ang kaniyang lyrics in chorus
katawan Ang sarap that suggest
mong titigan...Rosas ka women
ba Kase sa spaceship objectification
isasakay kita…”
Ang sarap mong titigan… kasi parang “ Ang sarap mong
pinapakita niya na yung mga gano’ng titigan”
babae ang sarap titigan.
Even the ano…”ang sarap mong “Ang sarap mong
titigan” it already promotes rape culture titigan”
Ano… yung rosas ka ba kasi sa “Rosas ka
spaceship isasakay kita ba..bakit..kase sa
spaceship isasakay
kita.”
Yung rosas ka ba “Rosas ka ba?”
Yung part na nagsasabi ng rosas ka ba “Rosas ka
kasi sa spaceship isasakay kita ba..bakit..kase sa
spaceship isasakay
kita.”
Boom, parang Neneng B ang kaniyang “Boom parang Neneng
katawan ang sarap mong titigan kase B ang kaniyang
ano parang sinasabi palang don na katawan Ang sarap
dun palang sinasabi na yung katawan mong titigan...Rosas ka
daw nya ang sarap nang titigan like ba kase sa spaceship
what more pa yung iba nyang meaning isasakay kita…”
kunyari yung sa mga sakong… yung
sa mga bigas ganun parang may iba
pang term ganun
Ahh. Yung parang Neneng B ang “Parang Neneng b ang
kaniyang katawan kaniyang katawan”
Boom parang Neneng B ang kanyang “Parang Neneng b ang
katawan, ang sarap mong titigan kanyang katawan...ang
sarap mong titigan”

'Yung ano, 'yung "rosas ka ba? Kasi sa “Rosas ka ba...bakit…

spaceship isasakay kita". kasi sa spaceship
isasakay kita”
'Yung ano... 'yung kapag nilalamig? “Binaba ko sa sahig
tapos siya ay nilamig”
Parang Neneng B ang kanyang “Parang Neneng b ang
katawan. kanyang katawan”
Ang sarap mong titigan, stuff like that “Ang sarap mong
titigan”
Parang Neneng B ang kanyang “Parang Neneng B ang
katawan kase sa spaceship isasakay kanyang katawan kase
kita ayun. sa spaceship isasakay
kita”
'Yung ano, 'yung mismong chorus. Too exaggerated The chorus was
Parang exaggerated lang naman. just exaggerated
Chicharon ka ba?... “Chicharon ka ba...Kasi Examples of
ang ingay mo 'pag lyrics in verse 4
kinakain ka” that suggest
Kasi hindi na siya implied eh. Direct “Chicharon ka ba...Kasi women
niya nang sinasabi yung mga ginawa ang ingay mo 'pag objectification
niya… ayun nga kunwari yung kinakain ka”
chichirya ka ba kasi ang ingay mo pag
kinakain ka, direct na siya hindi implied
kaya masama rin sa mga batang
nakikinig
Chicharon ka ba, baket, kase ang “Chicharon ka ba,
ingay mo pag kinakain ka baket, kase ang ingay
mo pag kinakain ka”
Example ng lyrics? Di ko nga alam Not familiar to the song Unfamiliar
yun.. *laughs*
Wala ako maalala sorry Can’t remember
No answer No answer
Wala na po akong maalala eh. Can’t remember
 Hindi ko siya kayang sabihin nang Sexual intercourse Example of lyrics
verbatim, pero kaya kong... kaya that describes
kong... ano ba... it's... uh... nagd- sexual
describe 'yung isang line ng about sa intercourse
sexual intercourse sa babae... so, 'yun.

In the song, women are also objectified Women are compared Overall message
by being compared to inanimate to inanimate objects of the lyrics
objects and abstract concepts such as
roses, spaceships, flour, wheat, and
then stating a sexual reason for it after.
This can be seen and heard in the
pickup line lyrics.

How does Neneng B contribute to the worsening rape culture in the

Philippines?

As Table 3 had presented, listeners have different sources in which they were

brought to Neneng B. Since it rose to popularity in a short amount of time, it is not

surprising to realize that various platforms introduced people to the particular track.

Although others were influenced by their friends, 20 of the respondents found the song

through social media.

It is, indeed, a reality that social media has shaped how we now perceive

imagery of sexual violence. This was according to Horeck (2014), who discussed in an

article how digital world majorly affects the spread of negative messages, such as

Robin Thicke's song Blurred Lines back in 2014, which had tons of rape culture

innuendos. She explained that social media "promulgate[s] sexually violent discourse"
and makes room for opportunities to degrade women, especially because of its

accessibility to the mass media.

Living in the 21st century, it is much too easy to access these particular sites

and to be influenced by them. With the data shown, it is likely to believe that the youth

of today are more vulnerable to adhere to the kinds of messages similar to the ones

Neneng B had implied. Because the youth are much more active in online, they

depend on popular figures on social media to influence them. In this case, the best way

to prevent so is to properly guide them without major interference.

Table 3.

Essential Meaning: Social media holds a big role in perpetuating rape culture by

allowing songs like Neneng B to play.

Meaning Units Code Category

C Online Interaction Mass Media
C Online interaction
C Online Interaction
C Online Interaction
Social Media Online Interaction
C, social media Online Interaction
Ah, social media Online Interaction
Social Media Online Interaction
C, social media and [B] friends Online Interaction
Social Media Online Interaction
Social Media Online Interaction
Uhm… social media Online Interaction
 Social Media Online Interaction
Sa..sa social media kasi mag.. Online Interaction
Sa social media Online Interaction
C Online Interaction
Social media Online Interaction
Uhmmmm… social media Online Interaction
Uhmm, social media.. sometimes friends Online Interaction
Social Media Online Interaction
B Friends Social
Friends Friends
Friends Friends
Friends Friends
Friends Friends
Friends Friends
B Friends
A Online Music Technology
Uhh.. alam ko narinig ko tong kantang to Online music
through streaming platforms

It would be seen in Table 4 how a huge amount of the respondents felt

dissatisfied about the song and its message. Fourteen of the respondents felt

negatively about Neneng B in general, including its beat, lyrics, and message. As one

may expect from an offensive song, it did not satisfy the listeners to the very least.

Surprisingly, the same number of respondents answered neutral. These

fourteen respondents stood by the statements from Table 1, wherein they continued to

believe that the song is only inappropriate depending on how you perceive it.
 One respondent stood above all by honestly confessing their satisfaction about

the song. It cannot be helped that others will feel this way, because every one of us has

a preference. There are still those who may be aware of the negative traits of a

particular song yet remain an admirer.

Table 4.

Essential Meaning: Neneng B poses contribution to rape culture as it makes most of

the people dissatisfied just by listening to it.

Meaning Units Code Category

B Discontented Disappointed
B Discontented with the song

B Discontented
B Discontented
B Discontented
Dissatisfied Discontented
Dissatisfied Discontented
Dissatisfied Discontented
Dis….satisfied Discontented
Uhh.. dissatisfied Discontented
Ang...Dissatisfied Discontented
Dissatisfied Discontented
Dissatisfied kasi very... ano ba... very Discontented
vulgar song. It's not appropriate for
students or for the young ones na
nakakarinig no'n.
Dissatisfied Discontented
B, neutral Neutral
Neutral Neutral
Uhm…neutral Neutral
 Neutral Neutral
Neutral lang Neutral
Neutral Neutral
Neutral Neutral
Neutral Neutral
Neutral lang naman. Neutral
C Contented Pleased with the
Satisfied Contented song

Through the data recorded in Table 5, it is noticeable how the majority believes

that it is right to ban Neneng B from mainstream media. Twenty-one respondents

expressed their belief that the song does not deserve to be played in streaming

platforms, social media, radios, television, and other forms of media. Compared to

those who believe it should, only 8 of the respondents disagreed that it should not be

banned from mainstream media.

These eight respondents do not think the song should be necessarily banned.

It is still music, which may or may not be appreciated by the listeners. However, the

responses paralleled when it came to the fact that the lyrics made the song unworthy

of being reigned an art form. Still, they believe that it should not be banned.

With its explicit messages displayed freely in mainstream media, it will be

difficult to prevent the youth from adhering to the taboo topics the song covered. As

Thompson Since it is much easier to access these kinds of content nowadays, the

exposure allows listeners to be influenced, which is why many agree to the song being

banned.
 With its popularity, it is a risk to allow more minors to listen to Neneng B or any

other song covering similar concepts. These kinds of topics are potential for the youth

to accept violence and aggression (Thompson, Geeves, & Olsen, 2018). Since it is

much easier to access content online nowadays, the youth is very much exposed to

such explicit topics, which was a reason why many agree to the idea of banning the

song from mainstream media.

The majority of these respondents answered yes - it should be banned - with

the song's use of derogatory phrases, comparisons to objects, and body standards. Its

negative impression made them refuse to accept the song as a form of art as well.

Saying "it is an art" in order for it for be played in mainstream media is unreasonable

for the respondents, especially since it will be easier for the mass public to listen to,

despite its negative effect.

Table 5.

Essential Meaning: Banning Neneng B from mainstream media can be a plausible

option since it violates women’s rights.

Meaning Units Code Category

Yes. Yung tono niya maganda… naman, Insulting Lyrics Lyrics are
kaso yung lyrics nya yung maririnig mo sa offensive to the
mga squatter. women and it
Yes. Pag ganung klaseng art… basura Trashy Song violates their
rights
Yes. Actually, lahat naman pwedeng Violating the Rights
matawag na art, kasi nga may nakaka- of Women
appreciate sa kanya pero hindi mo
pwedeng sabihin na art yon kasi kung
nakaka-violate na siya ng rights ng mga
babae.
Of course, definitely yes.. Never siyang Disrespectful lyrics
magiging art. Okay sige, sabihin na nating
yung art kasi maraming nagagandahan
sa art, eh di ba yung Neneng B maraming
ayaw sa Neneng B, so hindi siya
magiging art kung magdidisrespect siya
ng mga women.
Yes. Personally…. because of the fact na Offensive Lyrics
catchy siya kasi maraming teenagers
yung may gusto ng catchy na kanta, pero
no kasi nambabastos siya ng mga
women.
Yeah. For me, all music in general is an Degrading Women
art, but this song specifically isn’t because
it’s degrading women and all that
No. 'Di siya sa'kin art, kasi personal na Violates the rights of
nila inaano... I mean, 'yung gender... women
karapatan ng mga babae na hindi dapat
gano'n 'yung way ng pakikitungo sa
kanila.
Not necessarily banned, but yes. Hindi Offensive lyrics
siya art kasi... um... 'yung mga gan'yang
lyrics. 'Tsaka you can make art/music
naman without using those kinds of lyrics.
Yes. Hindi siya… Hindi siya art kase Degrading and
parang pambabastos sa kababaihan Insulting lyrics
tapos tapos matatawag ba yung art kung
hahaluan mo ng kabastusan..
Yes. I think…ano ba…I don’t think it’s Depends on the Art is subjective
safe to say that it’s an art, pero maybe, Perspective to the perception
uh… kasi art is very subjective, so it of the listener
depends on the creator and dun sa nag- but shouldn’t be
aappreciate nito. an excuse for
Ah, yes. Ah siguro matatawag siyang art, Considered an art w/ disrespect
pinaghirapan siya ng gumawa, pero hindi reservations
katanggap-tanggap yung lyrics
Not really. For me lahat naman ng music Considered an art w/
ay art kasi iniisip siya at trinatrabaho, reservations
pero yung Neneng B, inisip siya…
No. Art siya kasi music pero yung con.. Considered as an
kasi, pero kasi iba pa rin naman kasi yung Art w/ reservations
definition ng art satin.
No. Art naman siya kasi nga naa- Considered an Art
appreciate pero yung lyrics, parang may w/ reservations
discrimination kaya parang hindi na siya
nagiging art kasi gano’n yung lyrics niya.
Yes. Art siya kung art 'yung tingin nila, Considered as an
pero kung tingin nila, yun nga, yung about art w/ reservations
sa pambabastos, e'di 'yun din, 'di na
siya... 'di siya okay.
Yes! Ang g*go … Ang bobo nung excuse Art shouldn’t be an
kasi you know. excuse
Yes. B. I think that it’s ridiculous and it Art is a petty excuse
shouldn’t be used as an excuse because
it’s a petty excuse
No. Art naman siya kasi nga naa- Considered an Art
appreciate pero yung lyrics, parang may w/ reservations
discrimination kaya parang hindi na siya
nagiging art kasi gano’n yung lyrics niya.
Yes. Siguro yung beat, yun yong art. Pero Considered an art w/
yung in terms of lyrics, hindi. reservations
Yeah.. kasi kailangan art is, yes Art maybe
subjective.. so I think na kahit art siya, it's subjective but
not enough of an excuse to put it in should be limited to
mainstream media, kasi mainstream a certain audiences.
media is already accessible to a lot of
people, especially yung mga bata..
Yes. Art siya kung art 'yung tingin nila, Considered as an
pero kung tingin nila, yun nga, yung about art w/ reservations
sa pambabastos, e'di 'yun din, 'di na
siya... 'di siya okay.
'Di naman po. It's up to the creator to... Depends on the
ano... to what he thinks is right. Perspective of the
listener
Yes. Uhh.. I think yung excuse na it's an It’s an art for the
art is parang ako personally parang dun people who likes the
lang sa mga taong ano yun ka-level nun song
yung tipong gusto nila yung ganung
bagay..kaya gusto nila yung song, kaya
siguro..kaya nila sinasabe na it’s an art,
kase uhm..para siyang music
Hmmm, hindi. Siguro art kase sinabe na Art as a form of
daw expression pero dahil nga parang expression
wala daw siyang parang hindi
niya...parang di niya mal...parang hindi
niya nararamdaman kung anong
mararamdaman ng mga babae na
makakarinig sa music siguro nung nag
compose yung composer siguro ayon sa
tingin niya siguro expression yun
Yes. Uhm……’di po [kasi siya art]. Not an art It can't be
considered as
No. What? Foolish. Not an art

Yes. ‘Di yun..okay.. kase ano kanta yun Not an art an art as its
ganon. Pero kasi yung lyrics.. pero ewan lyrics
ko yung ibang tao kasi sa tingin nila art disrespects
yon.. ewan ko. women
Yes. kasi parang ano... medyo baduy kasi Funny but disgusting It is an art
ano... medyo kadiri lang, pero because the
nakakatawa. song is
humorous
Uhmm.. no. Kase kanta siya kaya yun Considered as an Songs are
art considered an
art
Yes. Because it was stolen Stolen Beat The beat was
illegally used
without the
permission of
the owner
Yes!! Well, art is an art, art can be Respect other We should
performed by a lot of person but ano, people opinions respect and
uhmm.. people should be able to respect acknowledge
other people’s uhm.. own opinions other people’s
own views
Research Paradigm

The figure below shows below exhibits how rape culture can oppress a woman.

The black spots all over the woman’s body symbolize where she might have been

touched without her consent. Moreover, the black spots could also be disclosed as the

body part where a woman received any words of objectification. In our research, we

showed the number of reported rape cases in the Philippines based on official statistics.

This illustration shows that there are cases of rape and sexual harassment experienced

by women who are yet to be reported.

Figure 1.
Research Paradigm
 Chapter 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the

study.

Summary of Findings

This study was conducted for the purpose of analyzing the song, Neneng B, as

a promoter of rape culture and women objectification in the Philippines. The researchers

found out the following:

1. The lyrics of Neneng B promotes sexual objectification of women.

2. Sexual objectification is highly visible in the verses, most especially in the

chorus.

3. Social media holds a big role in perpetuating rape culture by allowing

songs like Neneng B to play.

4. Neneng B poses contribution to rape culture as it makes most of the

people dissatisfied just by listening to it. Lastly,

5. Banning Neneng B from mainstream media can be a plausible option

since it violates women’s rights.

Conclusions

As an influence for a lot of people today, pop culture finds subtle ways to send

messages to audiences, no matter how positive or negative. Because of this, it

becomes a usual occurrence to witness references to violence, graphic themes, and

so on and so forth. This study focused on Neneng B by Nik Makino, which brought

about such conservative issues with the suggestive lyrics it had. Heavy implications of

rape and sexual objectification were presented in the lines, yet it still remains a favorite

for some Filipinos. It is easy to assume how Neneng B, as a part of pop culture itself,

is a major promoter of sexual violence today.

On the basis of the respondents' answers, it could be observed how negatively

most of them responded to the song. It is shown how visible the message appears to

those who listen to the song and how obvious the references to rape culture and SO

were scattered around the lyrics. However, it can also be seen that the respondents

continue to dance or sing to the song despite their awareness, proving its influence to

the mass. It was also revealed that most of the respondents were introduced to the

song through social media, which is the most effective way for the artist to spread their

work. With this, it is observable how Neneng B does, indeed, promote rape culture and

SO.

Repeated cases of explicit songs covering taboo topics are becoming more and

more common in current music. Notable songs include What Do You Mean? and even

classics, such as Baby It's Cold Outside. Using catchy beats like Neneng B, it is easier

to influence listeners through messages in songs (Khan, 2017). The most significant

situation, much similar to Neneng B, is the chaotic incident regarding Blurred Lines

back in 2014. Horeck (2017) explained that the digital world is becoming a platform

wherein users are free to degrade others, especially women. Both Neneng B and

Blurred Lines promulgate sexual messages and with their popularity, it shows how

important it is to acknowledge these kinds of situations.

 To sum it up, it is apparent how negatively the song Neneng B affects its

audiences. Since a lot of the youth of today are vulnerable to these kinds of content in

media, spreading awareness on the issue is a must but it is not enough. Eradicating

the stigma of rape and objectification in the society is a gradual process. Furthermore,

it is vital to open up about the misogynistic discourses that continue to be reiterated

today.

Recommendations

After the analysis of the song Neneng B, it is found out to have promoted rape

culture and women objectification. However, this study is only limited to such. Thus, the

researchers would like to recommend ways to improve this study:

Women. Future studies can focus on the opinion of women only since they are

the most affected by this. It would be great to know their full insights about it, age-

based.

Students. The students can research more about this and/or analyze other

OPM songs that may have been perpetuating rape culture and women objectification.

The topic can also be further expanded by comparing the subject song to other songs

as a means of triangulation of data.

Other recommendations beyond the significance of study are as follows:

Respondents. The participants of the study with the same topic may also

include musical artists to achieve further meaningful data. This will help get more insight
on the technicalities of a song and its lyrics. Likewise, sample can also include the

opinions of elderly Filipinos to see similarities and/or differences of perceptions.

Factors. Lastly, other factors can also be studied along with the variables

presented in the study. For example, globalization and toxic media can be a factor in

the promotion of rape culture. These can be studied as factors that influence the song.
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