Gold Diggers from Ancient Rome to Today

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Gold Digger [Clean]

(Ancient Text by Ovid, translated by Rolfe Humphries) and Gold Digger [Clean] (Contemporary Song by Kanye West)

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Both Ovid and Kanye West are fascinated with the idea of money-hungry women and the manipulative acts women will commit to achieve their goals, with both Ovid and Kanye coining the term “gold-digger”. Both passages take a rather misogynistic view of women as deceptive, manipulative, and financially demanding. They both describe specific deceptive acts to swindle men out of money, with Ovid stating that a woman will make you write a check if you don’t have cash to buy her gift. Similarly, Kanye describes a woman making the man wash dishes to pay for their dinner. Both the ancient and modern gold-digger also use physical intimacy to get what they want. Ovid and Kanye warn other men to avoid this type of money-hungry woman.

However, the gold-digger in Kanye’s song is more flashy and straight forward about her expensive taste with her outward appearance. Conversely, Ovid’s gold-digger seems slightly more inconspicuous and deceptive. For instance, Kanye’s song describes a woman wearing Louis Vuitton and driving expensive cars. Ovid does not describe the women as being outwardly flashy or sexy but more cunning and deceptive to lure rich men in, painting a deeper cognitive and emotional motive.

 

Ancient Text Excerpt:

Ars Amatoria
pp.118, lines 420-436

Women have ways; they know how they can swindle a man…Then she will give you a kiss, then she will ask you to buy…If you make an excuse, and say that you’ve no money with you, Give him a check, she will say…I could not possibly count the gold-digging ruses of women, Not if I had ten mouths, not if I had ten tongues.

Key Lyrics:

She take my money when I’m in need
Yeah, she’s a triflin’ friend indeed
Oh, she’s a gold digger
Way over town, that digs on me

Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke

…You go out to eat, he can’t pay, y’all can’t leave
There’s dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves


Click for full lyrics

She take my money when I’m in need
Yeah, she’s a triflin’ friend indeed
Oh, she’s a gold digger
Way over town, that digs on me
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head
Cutie the bomb, met her at a beauty salon
With a baby Louis Vuitton under her underarm
She said: “I can tell you rock, I can tell by your charm
Far as girls, you got a flock
I can tell by your charm and your arm.”
But I’m lookin’ for the one, have you seen her?
My psychic told me she’ll have a a** like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
And I gotta take all they bad a** to ShowBiz?
Okay, get your kids, but then they got their friends
I pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
We all went to din’ and then I had to pay
If you messin’ with this girl, then you better be paid
You know why? It take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend said she used to mess with Usher
I don’t care what none of y’all say, I still love her
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head
Eighteen years, eighteen years
She got one of your kids, got you for eighteen years
I know somebody payin’ child support for one of his kids
His baby mama car and crib is bigger than his
You will see him on TV any given Sunday
Win the Super Bowl and drive off in a Hyundai
She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money
She went to the doctor, got lipo with your money
She walkin’ around lookin’ like Michael with your money
Shoulda got that insured, Geico for your money
If you ain’t no punk
Holla, “We want prenup! We want prenup!”
It’s somethin’ that you need to have
‘Cause when she leave yo’ a**, she gon’ leave with half
Eighteen years, eighteen years
And on the 18th birthday he found out it wasn’t his?!
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger
But she ain’t messin’ with no broke
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head
Now, I ain’t sayin’ you a gold digger, you got needs
You don’t want a dude to smoke but he can’t buy weed
You go out to eat, he can’t pay, y’all can’t leave
There’s dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
But while y’all washin’, watch him
He gon’ make it to a Benz out of that Datsun
He got that ambition, baby, look at his eyes
This week he moppin’ floors, next week it’s the fries
So stick by his side
I know there’s dudes ballin’, and yeah, that’s nice
And they gonna keep callin’ and tryin’, but you stay right, girl
And when you get on, he’ll leave yo’ a** for a white girl
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head, get down
Get down girl, go ‘head

Listen to the song:

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