Last November at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville TN, a bold statement was made on stage by male country music artist Keith Urban (Yahr, 2017). Rising in the charts since then while going through a series of positive and negative reactions, Keith Urbans song “Female” has become a top hits song in the past year. A ballad about respecting women through lyrics that not only acknowledge but praise so many of the things that women are, this bold country song actively responds to the social activism movement of feminism that is going on so heavily in this current time.
Written as in an initial response to the Harvey Weinstein allegations, “Female” is a direct response to the recent flooding of sexual allegations women are coming
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Although the song directly relates to the current feminism movement in not just agreeance but through active support, it also acts as a solitary consciousness-raising song in reference to the ongoing argument over sexual behaviors without verbal consent from the female. This is particularly seen in the line, “When somebody laughs and implies that she asked for it, just cause she was wearing a skirt; Is that how that works?”. Urban sings here sarcastically asking that question in a way that demonstrates his opinion along with the opinion of so many others about how absurd it is that there is even still a question as to whether the clothing worn by a woman justifies a man forcefully committing sexual acts based on the sole fact of a woman’s appearance without verbal sexual consent. Where Urban is actively recognizing just a few of the amazing things women are is included in the chorus where he sings, “Sister, shoulder, daughter, lover, healer, broken halo, mother nature, fire, suit of armor…Baby girl, woman child Female” through such a message of empowerment. Although many
On the night of December 13, 2013 Beyoncé, released her fifth self-titled album on ITunes. The album caught many people by surprise because Beyoncé did not set a date for the album, nor did she use any promotion; she did release a video on her Instagram asking her followers if they “were ready”. The buzz spread through social media like a wild fire. With no promotion or no warning, Beyoncé album took the world by storm and made it for her audience and critics to take in the album and it contents. Many people loved the album for not only its catchy songs, but also the growth and “looser” conservative Beyoncé. On the other hand many people did not feel that her album was growth, but a way to catch up to the overly sexual generation. Beyoncé has always been aware of her sexual side, pop side, and feminist side; this has been documented through her four previous albums. Yet, a lot of people have questioned if Beyoncé a feminist because of the content of her newest album. In order to answer that a person must ask him or her self; what is a feminist, why some people believe she is feminist, why others do not believe she feminist, and whether or not Beyoncé think she is a feminist.
Objectification of women and misogyny is a common trend in song lyrics, but it is often socially accepted and further perpetuated. Finding a song in which the roles are reversed and a woman depicts a man as a sex object is incredibly difficult because when women try to break norms in the music industry, they are often criticized. In “Blah Blah Blah” by Kesha, she reverses the typical gender roles in song lyrics by objectifying men. Kesha has her own struggles within the male-dominated music industry because her producer sexually abused her and trapped her into a record deal. However, Kesha lost her court case, which illuminates gender issues within the music industry and the larger society. In 2010 when Kesha’s songs were popular, people weren’t aware of her battle with her producer. Instead, her lyrics classified her as more of a party figure and people even saw her as “trashy.” This song
Additionally, many sociologists view gender as being continuously created; Risman (1988:10) notes “the pervasive differences between male[s] and female[s].are continuously created by the gendered structures in which we all live.” Sociologists, who would instead view these perceived differences as a product of our society, would heavily dispute the gender essentialist perspective taken in “If I Were A Boy”. Though some academics may not agree with gender essentialism, essentialist beliefs are frequently perpetuated throughout popular culture. Gender essentialism’s four main points were displayed in Beyonce’s hit song “If I Were A Boy,” reinforcing the idea that men and women are nothing alike due to biology and nature (Risman 1988:2).
He goes on to claim that as a man that is happily married he is the perfect person to degrade women in jest of popular culture. He believes that his song is a “feminist movement within itself” because it urges women to free themselves from their square, monogamous sex lives and have some fun (read: having wild sex).... ... middle of paper ... ...
In her song, Caillat comments on the expectations put to women, the effects that trying to achieve them can have, and the importance of breaking free from these expectations. Feminist criticism of Caillat’s song shows that it offers empowerment to women being themselves and learning to be happy with who they are. Although the obvious central message is aimed at women, the underlying message of accepting one’s self and acknowledging that one doesn’t have to strive to meet the media’s standards can also be applied to society as a whole. Men and women alike of all ages can take this underlying message in the song and use it in their own lives in order to learn that it is okay to step outside societal norms and to not worry what others think of them.
There are many instances of degrading and misogynistic lyrics in country music, both historically and contemporarily. There are differences in the lyrics of this genre based on the gender of the artist: gender roles, hypersexuality, and in the resistance or conformity to rigid gender-based stereotypes. The main points of my argument will include how country music lyrics have historically and contemporarily conformed to and defied gender roles and misogynistic stereotypes. This paper will then examine how men are portrayed as sexual oppressors and exploiters to women. As well, I will discuss the lyrical differences between men and women in this genre, including the limiting role of women as objects as opposed to subjects. Next, this essay will address in my paper the unhealthy environment country music lyrics creates for women. Country music lyrics currently and historically portray stereotypical gender roles, and women have limited roles within country music songs as subjects and objects.
Traditionally, an image of Honky tonk girls permeate the collective unconscious of the American country music (Wilson, 2000). Honkey tonk are referred to bars that play country music and women in country music are represented as corrupted temptresses who sit in honky tonks with painted lips and tinted hair to seduce men or as innocent virgins who are loving and patient (Wilson, 2000). However, contemporary female country musicians reject this traditional view on women because such simplistic dichotomy fails to recognise diverse identities that are adopted by women in a contemporary world (Wilson, 2000). In other words, country music provides a space for female musicians to challenge normative gender roles that dominant culture embraces and
Throughout Ludacris’s lyrics, Ludacris describes himself in a way that portrays him having more power than the woman. Many of his lyrics signify that women are only useful for sexual pleasures and entertainment, whereas males like to have control and a powerful figure; he reiterates this by saying how he is going to “own her” and “make her obey him” throughout the entire song. The woman is clearly being portrayed as a submissive to Ludacris, as the woman has no say in what she is doing while Ludacris is throwing these demands at her such as, “Better call yo ' boss, tell him that yo ' daddy 's home Take a couple days off and take it off” (Ludacris, Sex Room). The last aspect of Ludacris’s song that supports the existence of patriarchy is how Ludacris refers to his woman in a multitude of derogatory terms such as “girl”, “bitch” and “hoe” while he refers to himself as “yo daddy”. In today’s society it is becoming more rare to find songs that reflect women in a positive, respectful, and equal light, which would likely influence society’s view of gender
Misogyny, objectification of women, and sexual assault, defined as “unwanted sexual contact, which includes sexual touching as well as rape” (Matlin, 2012, pg. 1). 294) is all included in this song. These themes are evident in the lyrics that read “Baby I’m preying on you tonight, hunt you down, eat you alive” and “maybe you think that you can hide, I can smell your scent for miles.” These lines imply that the stalker will not stop tracking her down until she is found, no matter what the woman does to hide or protect herself, because of this expression of an active and determined pursuit.
In a news about the 32 years old pop star Beyonce “Gender Equality is a Myth” (CNN Wire 13 Jan. 2014). She wrote an essay about this on Maria’s website, The Shriver Report. She wrote that we need to...
Additionally, I will look at fan feedback of the band and see if even the people who are buying the albums and going to the concerts are even acknowledging the successes of the band as something of merit, or are viewing their music in terms of how the patriarchy tells them to (i.e as a guilty pleasure). This is where I will apply the idea of discourses (whole systems of thought, speech, and knowledge production that structure institutional and social practices, (O’Brien & Szeman, 2014), ISAs, and feminist ideas of patriarchy spurring off Gill’s challenges of postfeminist assumptions of power that “women have not overthrown but rather internalized the disciplinary regime that dictates particular and compulsory ways of looking and acting” (O’Brien & Szeman, 2014), the idea that not only is the band not given respect musically, but perhaps these young women themselves become convinced that their music is more of a “guilty pleasure” than it is “quality
Among the 10 songs that were analyzed in 2016, some of the most common terms that were used to refer to women were “baby”, “broads”, “bitches”, “side bitch”, “lil mama”, “baby mama”, “wifey”, “hoe”, “girl”, “lady”, “woman” and “PYT” (Pretty Young Thing). Each individual song used either two or three of the listed terms when referring women. Furthermore, each song analyzed during this period contains lyrics that were directed towards women in positive ways (labeling them as “Queens”) and negative ways (viewing them as sexual objects). In addition, there were also song lyrics that referred to the way the male character perceives himself. One contradictory example is when artists make character comparisons with men who are stronger or more successful than them, while other artists dictate that their character is original and cannot be mirrored. Specifically, in his song “Panda”, Desiigner makes a hypermasculine reference towards himself in the line: “Man I’m the macho like Randy”. Randy Mario Poffo, also known as “Macho Man”, is an American professional wrestler who has been labeled as one of the greatest pro wrestlers in history. In the song “Broccoli” by D.R.A.M., the male artist’s lexicon perpetuates hegemonic masculinity through his demonstration of competitiveness, dominance, assertion of power
Common expectations seem to indicate gender roles on every individual. The males will play their part in being masculine while the females act an as object. There are several ways one can see how gender roles are played. A way is through hip-hop and rap music in the black community. Joan Morgan, an African American feminist and hip-hop and rap music fan, shows us how gender roles are being played in her community through music. Since Morgan is a feminist, she voices her opinion on the way black men treat black women in her article, “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos.” Morgan states her argument that black men write lyrics ranting about black women to give a self-reflection. The males feel oppressed and express it through music. There are many reasons a male can feel oppressed, whereas one reason is becoming masculine. Michael Kimmel, a sociologist professor at Stony Brook University and the author of “‘Bros Before Hos’: The Guy Code” states that guys tries their best to show that they are manly. To clarify on how the men portray their oppression is to sing of misogyny and self-hatred in disguised hatred toward women. Men expressing their oppression through music tie the guy code of acting masculine and Morgan’s view of men feeling oppressed. Morgan describes black men express their oppression by objectifying black women sexually in music. Jean Kilbourne, the author of “‘Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence” and an activist on advertisement based on public health problems and violence against women agrees with Morgan on women being sexually identified. Kilbourne and Morgan connect to Kimmel by showing how males are seen to be masculine and females are soft and emotional. Morgan’s claims, in “From Fly-Girls to Bi...
Feminism is not only a theory but it is also a cultural movement for change and equality. Feminism has been defined as ‘the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of equality of sexes’.1 Feminism offers representation to all kinds of women, highlights the inequality within society regarding women and challenges these inequalities. Feminism has changed along side the changing position of women in today’s modern society and emerging from these changes are new theories such as post feminism and antifeminism. In this essay I will discuss how both antifeminism and post feminism has challenged the founding concepts of feminism in today’s modern society. I will highlight my points through contemporary media examples such as the work of Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga.
The lyrics of music play an important part of interpreting the meaning of the song. The roles which women have been allowed by the society to embody have changed drastically. Women may question their roles because of what they see portrayed by popular culture or media. Change in female’s identity can be seen in how women are viewed or how they portray themselves in popular culture specifically through music. In general, music continues to...