So, hopefully you watched that video. I wanted readers to view the video first, think, and then proceed with an analysis.
A relatively new form of Caribbean, Dancehall dancing has come to life. A dance which includes highly sexualized, excessive pulsations, aggressive, and occasionally, violent forms of dancing. Dance positions generally but not exclusively, include a man bent upwards while a woman’s bum is against a man’s penis. One may say this is similar to grinding. However, daggering is grinding to the MAX. Daggers make grinders look like nuns. What makes daggering so interesting is that it is now humans are justified to have dry sex out in public. Because it is dancing… Isn’t it?
I can’t say grinding is dancing, therefore I cannot say daggering is a type of dance. Folks, I’ll tell you, this is one of three videos I was able to post without the need of individuals signing into Youtube. ALMOST EVERY VIDEO OF DAGGERING IS BLOCKED DUE TO CONTENT. The name says it all, too. So this should tell you, daggering is not dancing, it’s soft-core porn. Porn with music playing in the background.
Now, if you want to go ahead and say my ass is a racist, I am a white supremacist who doesn’t concern herself with cultural diversity– I’d say go dagger yourself. This is not dancing. This is subordination and domination on the dance floor just as I would say grinding is. However, the difference being the forceful, violent, provocative manner individuals possess while daggering. The woman is the livestock while the man penetrates her, for all she is to him, is livestock.
You may have read one of my pieces before on the origin of the term “Bitch,” but lets refresh our memories, just in case we’ve forgotten.
Bitch originated in the midst of the enslavement of Blacks. In those times, a white, male slave-owner would force himself on a black slave woman however, would only have sexual intercourse in the form of what we call now, “doggy style.” The reason he would only have sex with his slaves in this way was due to his thinking- she indeed was a dog. She was sub-human, I wouldn’t even say she was human. She was an animal. She was not worthy enough to be face-to-face with the slave-master, so he turned her face from sight while he penetrated her from behind.
So lets put this slave-master/slave woman vision to music. And, what do we have? Daggering.
Domination —–> Subordination
The origins of daggering are unknown however, daggering dancing have slowly crept into Caribbean pop culture in lyrics, music, videos, and dance clubs. I would like readers to know that there are hundreds of daggering videos online. Videos I technologically as well as morally cannot put up on this blog. Posting home-daggering videos is a phenomena. Videos of reenactments, competitions, and group daggerings, which I refer to as a dry-sex orgy. Some of these videos consist of women being daggered in trees, men ripping off women’s clothes, throwing women on the ground while groping and groaning, daggering on stages, fences, wheel-barrels, tires…
Women sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, and sometimes, are fearful and shocked. One video shot in a dance club showed a man throwing a woman to the ground and forcing himself on her. Ripped her pants off to only force himself on her again. Finally a group of men realized what was happening and began kicking, punching this man while he was still on top of the woman. But he still didn’t stop. It wasn’t until she escaped from under him.
For those of you who know a little about daggering, you may say I am biased right now. That I am analyzing the brutal sides of this form of dancing, and that if I showed or described “lighter” ways of daggering I would find something similar to grinding. That not all daggering is bad.
However, then I must ask is grinding a justifiable form of dancing? A form of dancing where each partners are equal? Am I justified to say well daggering is a form of dancing for Blacks and grinding is a form of dancing for whites? Sure you can call it dancing, but you are really saying is its fine for a woman to bend over while men can for 5 minutes, try to get off.
But I must say, these are not forms of dancing. It’s a man subordinating a female while simultaneously music is playing in the background. And if he ends up becoming aroused, congrats. Women, we’ve done our job, because ultimately stimulating is our job intentionally or unintentionally, when we grind or dagger. I say, lets just go have sex and skip the backaches. Because at least maybe, mayyybbbbbeeeee, we might get a little something out of it too, rather than just a hurt back.
To end, a man is not more of a man if he grinds. A woman is not less of a woman if she grinds. However, I ask us to critique what we all are actually doing when grinding, and hopefully not, but when we are daggering. We must look at what we are actually all doing when this kind of activity is occurring. Am I actually dancing or am I being dominant, am I being submissive, sexually?
Women we fought for agency for a reason. But we must understand this new freedom and treat it with respect. Grinding and daggering are not ways to express sexual liberation, rather are forms of sexual oppression.
Just think about it, that’s all I am saying. Again, no judgements. Believe me, I am not sitting on a high pedestal right now, even Feminists fall to what is known as, grinding.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
1. Just because you think it’s subordination and domination on the dance floor doesn’t mean it is. Because I’m sure there are plenty of women who enjoy this type of dancing. And go to the dancehall for that specific purpose. If you choose not to partake in this type of dancing (yes, dancing) then that is your decision and if you find it disturbing that’s your opinion and not the prevailing one. And I’m sure plenty of women get off on it like their male counterparts. And you can’t blame a woman being assaulted on this type of dance. She was assaulted because the guy she was dancing with was a deplorable human being. End of story. You’re essentially comparing a form of dance to rape/assault; the two aren’t equatable.
2. The term “bitch” dates back to at least 1000 AD according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It originated from the Old English bicce, meaning female dog.
3. Where did you find the information that white slave owners only slept with their female slaves “doggy style?”
4. Referring to black people as “Blacks” is racist.
5. Yes, we fought for agency so we could express our sexuality as we saw fit, free from the judgements of society. Feminism is about choice in all areas of life, and if a woman chooses to dance like this, she is free to do so. By saying “even feminists fall to what is known as grinding” is making a HUGE judgement about how a feminist should behave and placing 1950s-esque standards on them.
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1) I think it’s funny how white people think they know about Black people. How would you know that it is racist when I say Black people. How do you even know if I am white or not? Should I say African-Americans, Africans, Caribbean? Because guess what not every BLACK person is AFRICAN AMERICAN. NOT EVERY BLACK PERSON IS AFRICAN, CARRIBBEAN. Don’t school me on racism when I have studied racism for 3 years now… and probably have more black friends than you do. And thank you for implying that I am a racist. Thank you so much for that.
2) I suggest not reading a Western originated dictionary. And, I actually got this information along with 30 other women in a Women’s Studies class where we discussed the word bitch. I personally believe a feminist scholar over a dictionary.
3) Third of all, I SAID EVEN A FEMINIST MEANING ME, FALLS TO GRINDING. OK? Don’t you dare say I am generalizing all feminists. AND, I am sure plenty of women would agree with me that no they don’t get off while grinding, ok? Maybe masturbating but not grinding.
4) OH,and where the hell did you get that I was blaming the victim? Please girlfriend, that was the last thing I was saying in my blog. How dare you.
5) Feminism is not only about choice, its about overcoming patriarchy, becoming equal to men. To literally not bend over to a man, but stand equally tall with a man.
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1. I said when you refer to black people as “blacks.” Not black people. 2 different things.
2. I did not imply you were racist. I said that you SAID was racist.
3. Really? You have more black friends than me? Really? Wow. The “black friends” argument is one of the most “i’m not a racist, but” arguments out there.
4. I never said ANYTHING about your race.
5. Perhaps you should have worded it “this meaning of the term bitch originated in…” because whether or not you trust a feminist scholar over a dictionary doesn’t take away from the fact that that is how the term came to be. Please don’t try to put me in the imperialist westerner category when you don’t even know me. I commented on what you wrote, not you.
6. I never said you were victim-blaming. Never even said that. I said that blaming the DANCE was wrong. Not the woman.
7. No kidding it’s about overcoming patriarchy. But attaching symbolism to every little minute thing isn’t very helpful. By the logic you’re using, if I have sex doggy-style I’m not a feminist.
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And honestly, I was trying to help your argument by offering some constructive criticism. I never got personal with it.
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I respect constructive criticism and I separate my writings from my character. However, I felt that you were attacking my character. And, that I will say something to defend my humanity. But debating like this, is of no use to anyone.
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I think femhistorian raises a good point, which is the problem with the statement: “In those times, a white, male slave-owner would force himself on a black slave woman however, would only have sexual intercourse in the form of what we call now, “doggy style.” REALLY needs a citation or a source, because it is an absolute statement and really implies that what you described happened 100% of the time, all the time.
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Femistorian, I want to apologize for the responses I made, I had made them in the heat of the moment and should have waited a little while to finally address you. What you ended up receiving were defensive words, and instead you should have seen a response of further elaborating my reasons behind what I wrote, terminology, and tone/humor.
This blog is supposed to be a space where though we have disagreements, we respect one another without making far-reaching judgements. To not isolate anyone and to have all who observe this blog to see it as a safe haven to speak, think, and act, just as Feminism seeks to create.
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I happened upon your blog post because I teach dance in a suburban NY high school. Many of my students are African- American or West Indian, but I have a very diverse student population. I was recently shown pictures of a young lady’s sweet sixteen party where yes, there were pictures of 15, 16, 17 year old female GUESTS at the party in the bent over, “daggering” pose. When I kindly tried to tell my students that this is NOT appropriate for them, nor do I consider it dance they replied that it was “cultural”. I’ve been doing much research on daggering since then and am still inclined to back up my statement that this is NOT dance, nor is it appropriate for young high school girls to perform. I tried to tell them that they have every right to “dance” the way that they want to but once a boy comes up behind them and starts thrusting into their pelvis it starts to look like something else. I also told them that admissions offices for colleges and future employers may not realize the “cultural” nature of such dancing when they search for their facebook profiles and see them bent over at the waist seemingly taking it from behind. I am so upset about this and honestly do not know what to do with my findings, research and feelings. All I know is that those photos will probably follow these girls around for the rest of their lives. And as for dance, sthere is nothing creative about simulating sex on the dance floor, there never has been. It seems it is only being done for shock value.
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