I Can Bring Home the Bacon…
Ever heard the blues song “I’m a Woman” by Koko Taylor made popular by the lyrics “I can bring home the bacon… fry it up in a pan” ? Well I think it’s safe to say that this song, released in
the late 1970s, was the beginning of a very bad trend in how women perceive themselves and what they allow men to get away with.
The woman who sings this song is basically saying that she will do it all—cook, clean, work outside the house, buy the food, and even take care of her man. Meanwhile her husband or boyfriend lays up and relaxes, enjoying the free ride.
How many women do we see today who are living this exact life? They work their fingers to the bone and are hardly ever thanked for their efforts. When at gas stations, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen women get out of the car (that they are paying) for and pump the gas while the boyfriend sits in the passenger seat. This song was definitely a step backwards for women as a whole. Women: allow men to be men—let them work hard while we relax for a change.
Crazy in Love by Beyonce
People love to “booty shake” to pop star Beyonce’s women songs, but a lot of her songs have a very twisted message for women—especially young girls. Take “Crazy in Love”—in this song she whines about how madly in love she is with a guy who’s “got her looking so crazy.” Now the lyrics by themselves weren’t so bad, though she repeatedly says how much he’s making a fool of her, and she doesn’t care. But it’s the video that turns this real sour.
In the Crazy in Love video she’s the picture of desperation rolling around on the floor to get her boyfriend’s attention. She gets blown up in a car, symbolizing her transformation from an innocent girl to a woman willing to do anything for a man.
This video is bad for young women who already have low self-esteem and are willing to sink to any level to please their boyfriends. One example where you can see the repercussions of this type of message is sexting.
Some young girls are so eager to please their boyfriends that they’re willing to send sexy pictures of themselves to their boyfriends and risk “looking so crazy” in front of the whole school.
It Kills Me by Melanie Fiona
As beautiful as Melanie Fiona is you’d think she’d come on the scene as a poster girl for strong, independent and desired women. But instead she decided to debut with “It Kills Me”—a women song that chronicles her undying love for a man who she knows is cheating on her. Nope, there’s no question about it—she even has his mistress’ phone number. Despite the fact that he cheats on her, fights with her, and doesn’t come home some nights, she still wants to have his baby. Don’t believe me? Read the lyrics here.
This type of song can be so damaging to women, especially young women who are already very naïve about men due to lack of fathers. She is basically telling young girls that it’s okay to be a weak, begging woman who accepts her boyfriend’s bad treatment. Strong young women will resist the message in this song—it is not okay to accept cheating and fighting within a relationship. But what about the weaker minded ones with low self-esteem. It’s concerning that Melanie Fiona herself doesn’t see a problem with this song.
There are countless songs that can be added to this list—what are some more women songs (songs by and for women) that made it harder on women and girls in the 20th and 21st centuries?
Courtesy of AssociatedContent.com
Who is really influencing our young women?
