USM Professor Publishes Article on Belgian Pop Music’s #MeToo Moment
Wed, 02/22/2023 - 10:37am | By: Ivonne Kawas
Dr. Joanne Burnett, Professor of French and Second Language Acquisition in the School
of Social Science and Global Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM)
has published an article in the prestigious journal The French Review on the topic of sexism and misogyny in the Francophone music industry.
Her article is entitled: "Belgium’s Pop-Music-#MeToo Moment: Angele and Damso Confront Gender Politics, Sexism, and Misogyny.”
Acclaimed Belgian pop and rap music artists Angle and Damso have courted enormous success but also controversy. While Damson’s lyrics are viewed as debasing to women, Angel’s first album Brol confronts societal misogyny. Her first album included an anthem that made waves across Europe, “Balance Ton Quoi,” a world play on the hashtag that went viral #BalanceTonPorc which was France’s #MeToo.
Dr. Burnett highlights that “the complexity of the role of these artists in the larger context of Francophone popular culture offers a chance to gauge the socially critical ways gender politics has played out in the Francophone music world.”
Her research examines these artists and their works from a sociocultural, feminist, and linguistic perspective to better gauge the artistic and the social impact that informs current commentary on feminism, sexism, and misogyny.
As a qualitative researcher, Dr. Burnett’s articles and book chapters include the teaching of second language literatures, the integration of technology in second language classrooms, including online learning, and the Belgian pop singer Stromae.
The French Review is the official journal of the American Association of Teachers of French. The French Review publishes articles and reviews written in both French and English that are devoted to the interests of teachers of French.
Dr. Burnett is part of the World Languages unit in the School of Social Science and Global Studies, housed in USM’s College of Arts and Sciences.