The Power of Talking Mess

Ally Bell Dr. Harris African Lit 22 April 2026 The Power of Talking Mess In Adeerya Johnson’s article, “Dirty South Feminism: The Girlies Got Somethin’ to Say Too! Southern Hip-Hop Women, Fighting Respectability, Talking Mess, and Twerking Up the Dirty South,” she talks about how “talking mess” is more than what people seem. Talking mess is not just being loud or dramatic, however it is a form of power and confidence frequently used by black women. Johnson describes talking mess as “an act of resistance” that allows Black women to “assert their subjectivity and challenge the controlling images that have long been used to silence them” (Johnson 45). Talking mess lets these women express themselves the way they would like and challenges stereotypes and respectability politics. One big part of talking mess is challenging respectability politics. Respectability politics is where black women are supposed to be polite and controlled to be respected. Johnson explains throughout her article that hip-hop stars do not follow these rules at all. They instead choose to express themselves the way they want to and be loud and bold. This goes against respectability politics altogether. They use their songs to call out sexism, racism, and all other kinds of issues no matter what people think. Patricia Hill Collins explains this pressure directly, arguing that Black women have historically faced “a legacy of struggle against the simultaneous oppressions of race, class, and gender” that has long been used to police how they speak and present themselves (“Black Feminist Thought” 22). This connects back to Johnson’s article because it completely gets rid of the idea that women have to be quiet and not speak their mind to be respected. Another reason that talking mess is important is because it can help a woman genuinely express herself. Talking mess can make girls feel very confident when they speak about things that really matter to them. Johnson shows throughout her article that talking mess can bring confidence and creativeness. It can show someone’s true identity, personality, and attitude. Johnson writes that for Southern Black women in hip-hop, “talking mess is deeply tied to pleasure, play, and the performance of a self that refuses to be contained” (Johnson 52). It is so great to see someone actually voice the things they love or show their true personality for the world. Even if others do not like it, it still gives black women a sense of control, power, and confidence. Often times black women are labeled very angry and aggressive when they speak what they feel. Black women are normally judged more harshly than anyone else. Johnson talks a lot about this and addresses the fact that talking mess is a way of taking control of how people see them. By doing this they are taking control of how their personality or image may be portrayed. Their image is finally seen as who they want to be and not what everyone else wants them to be. They are not having to follow any strict rules on how they should act. In Moya Bailey’s “They Aren’t Talking About Me,” it explains why black women are judged the most. Bailey argues that Black women face a unique form of discrimination she calls “misogynoir,” where “anti-Black misogyny… shapes visual and narrative culture” in ways that target Black women specifically because of both their race and gender (Bailey 2). This also explains why talking mess has been put down so much. Talking mess is also a way to resist silence. They resist silence by speaking their truth. Most people are told to say nothing especially when they are treated unfairly. Johnson argues that for Black women, staying silent has never been a neutral act — it has been “a form of survival imposed by a society that was never meant to value their voices” (Johnson 48). This is why talking mess is so powerful, because it is a way for all black women to feel like they have a voice and speak their minds about the way they are being treated. Talking mess can also bring people together. It is not always about arguing or being negative. It can create connections through laughter, shared experiences, and real life conversations. In Black culture, expressive language is very important. Johnson shows that talking mess comes from these traditions. It can be fun while also having deeper meaning. It allows women to connect with each other and feel understood. This shows that talking mess is not just negative it can also be positive and empowering. They can bond over talking mess and even sometimes talk mess together. It is something that can bring a community of black women together. It builds confidence and community at the same time. Some people may argue that talking mess makes black women look bad and that it has a negative effect on them and their stereotypes. However, Johnson shows that talking mess can be super empowering and effective rather than negative. It has a way deeper meaning than people think. It can a lot of times be taken as disrespect instead of just a way of expressing yourself. Some people take speaking the truth as someone being rude to them. Talking mess can also make people think that the stereotypes are now proven. The being loud and aggressive stereotype for black women begins to make people think the stereotype was right just because of them talking mess. Even so, Collins reminds us that Black women’s expressive culture must be understood “within the context of a long history of struggle” rather than judged by standards that were never designed to include them (“Black Feminist Thought” 31). Talking mess can have both negative and positive effects. In conclusion, Johnson’s article shows that talking mess much more than being loud or dramatic. Talking mess is an overall very powerful way for black women as a whole to build confidence, go against respectability politics, and define their own identity. It is also a way for them to challenge the expectations everyone has for black women as well as the stereotypes. It is often criticized a lot, however it comes from a long line of people not liking outspoken black women. It is a powerful way for Black women to express themselves, build confidence, and challenge unfair expectations. It pushes back against respectability politics, helps women define their own identity, and allows them to speak instead of staying silent. As Johnson, Collins, and Bailey all show in their own ways, the pressure to silence Black women has always been rooted in systems of control — and talking mess is one way those women have refused to comply. Talking mess gives these women freedom to not feel controlled and have a voice to speak their mind. Works Cited Bailey, Moya. “They Aren’t Talking About Me.”  Crunk Feminist Collective, 2010. Collins, Patricia Hill.  Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Routledge, 2000. Johnson, Adeerya. “Dirty South Feminism: The Girlies Got Somethin’ to Say Too! Southern Hip-Hop Women, Fighting Respectability, Talking Mess, and Twerking Up the Dirty South.”  Southern Cultures, vol. 26, no. 3, 2020, pp. 40–60.