Women pleasuring themselves in pop music videos and lyrics isn’t new – what’s different is that male pleasure is no longer part of the equation

Annie Clark, aka St Vincent, surprised fans last December with a new single Birth in Reverse, which featured the line: “Oh what an ordinary day, take out the garbage, masturbate.” Shortly thereafter, a salacious video for Miley Cyrus’s Adore materialised, in which the singer runs a sly hand down her body to signify that she too will procure her own pleasure – a routine she’s also decided to play up on her current Bangerz tour. Not long after Adore appeared online, Nicki Minaj sneaked up on fans by releasing a remix of the song Boss Ass Bitch and from it sprung the words: “It’s a holiday, playing with my pussy day.” Most recently, on Valentine’s Day, Minaj said on her new single Lookin Ass N*gga that she has no use for unworthy men. In none of these instances is masturbation presented as titillating, prurient or provocative. It is normal and routine.

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