by Gabrielle Jackson
Now, I’m not one for popular culture, but sitting around in bars and cafés for hours on end exposes one to such things. For the most part, it’s been fun, and I’ve been seen bopping along to the tune of my keyboard in more than one hot spot. And then I started hearing the lyrics. And then, even worse, I saw the film clips!
At the risk of revealing of my age and my closet prudishness, I’ve got to say I was shocked. Well, no, shocked isn’t quite right since I realise I’m not expressing a highly original opinion. I’ve heard it said, but until you see it, you really don’t understand. To say I was profoundly disappointed would be more accurate an expression.
Is every song in the top 40 (do they still have such a thing?) about fucking? I use the ‘f’ word on purpose. I have no problem with songs about love or sex, really, my problem is with the way it is represented. Because it really is fucking we’re talking about here, rather more clearly than love or sex or longing or heartache.
I swear I heard a song – by a man – saying over and over again, ‘Tonight I’m fucking you’. I thought to myself, ‘Not if you keep that up, you won’t be!’ with a great hurumph for all womankind. And then I heard Rihanna singing a song about how she’s a good girl but loves a bit of S&M. AND THEN I saw some film clips and realised that, actually, that’s what they appear to want, these women, they want to be fucked. Not loved or longed for; fucked. Almost every song by a woman featured her in some skimpy outfit making suggestive – submissive – motions to the camera.
Beyoncé appeared to be singing a song about girls ruling the world while writhing around on the ground in a pair of underpants. I don’t know if the message we’re to take from this is that girls can rule the world by being fucked by all the men in it. Because, dear Beyoncé, I hate to break it to you, but we’re already being fucked by all the men in the world without having to ask for it.
Beyoncé’s sexuality is so instinctive, so primal, that my nephew, when he was four, exclaimed to my sister upon seeing one of her videos, ‘Oh Mama, I like the way she moves!’ There’s no doubt about it, she’s one sexy woman, and there’s nothing wrong with being sexy. I love Beyoncé, but does she have to go for it in every film clip? Surely, the sum of her talent amounts to more than her amazing body.
Perhaps the wealth of their talent lets Adele and Alicia Keys off the hook for having to submit to this kind of embarrassing exhibition. And I do hope it is the wealth of their talent that has them emerge as the role models for young women, because I really don’t want my nieces and nephews to grow up thinking that the point of being a woman is purely to be desired by a man.
Come on girls, it’s 2013, can’t we do better for ourselves?
This post originally appeared on KebabQuest
Now, I’m not one for popular culture, but sitting around in bars and cafés for hours on end exposes one to such things. For the most part, it’s been fun, and I’ve been seen bopping along to the tune of my keyboard in more than one hot spot. And then I started hearing the lyrics. And then, even worse, I saw the film clips!
At the risk of revealing of my age and my closet prudishness, I’ve got to say I was shocked. Well, no, shocked isn’t quite right since I realise I’m not expressing a highly original opinion. I’ve heard it said, but until you see it, you really don’t understand. To say I was profoundly disappointed would be more accurate an expression.
Is every song in the top 40 (do they still have such a thing?) about fucking? I use the ‘f’ word on purpose. I have no problem with songs about love or sex, really, my problem is with the way it is represented. Because it really is fucking we’re talking about here, rather more clearly than love or sex or longing or heartache.
I swear I heard a song – by a man – saying over and over again, ‘Tonight I’m fucking you’. I thought to myself, ‘Not if you keep that up, you won’t be!’ with a great hurumph for all womankind. And then I heard Rihanna singing a song about how she’s a good girl but loves a bit of S&M. AND THEN I saw some film clips and realised that, actually, that’s what they appear to want, these women, they want to be fucked. Not loved or longed for; fucked. Almost every song by a woman featured her in some skimpy outfit making suggestive – submissive – motions to the camera.
Beyoncé appeared to be singing a song about girls ruling the world while writhing around on the ground in a pair of underpants. I don’t know if the message we’re to take from this is that girls can rule the world by being fucked by all the men in it. Because, dear Beyoncé, I hate to break it to you, but we’re already being fucked by all the men in the world without having to ask for it.
Beyoncé’s sexuality is so instinctive, so primal, that my nephew, when he was four, exclaimed to my sister upon seeing one of her videos, ‘Oh Mama, I like the way she moves!’ There’s no doubt about it, she’s one sexy woman, and there’s nothing wrong with being sexy. I love Beyoncé, but does she have to go for it in every film clip? Surely, the sum of her talent amounts to more than her amazing body.
Perhaps the wealth of their talent lets Adele and Alicia Keys off the hook for having to submit to this kind of embarrassing exhibition. And I do hope it is the wealth of their talent that has them emerge as the role models for young women, because I really don’t want my nieces and nephews to grow up thinking that the point of being a woman is purely to be desired by a man.
Come on girls, it’s 2013, can’t we do better for ourselves?
This post originally appeared on KebabQuest
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