Does 'Ain't Your Mama' reflect Feminism?

Jennifer Lopez has always been a mega-influence in the music industry and has contributed to several genres including but not limited to, pop, classical and soul music. And like most music videos nowadays, almost all her songs carry some meaning and represent different aspects such as racial circumstances and empowerment of different groups. In this piece, we will be looking at her view on feminism and what the pop-artist has to clearly say about it. As we can see from the title itself, the artist is already talking to the opposite sex by telling them that she isn’t their mom. This itself tells us that the level of love and affection has its limits. The entire video features Jennifer in different scenarios, as a household wife, a female in the workspace and a news reporter. In all these scenes, Lopez attempts to show how women are portrayed after which she shows them how to stand up for themselves.

The music video begins with the artist in a phone booth as it rains, talking - most probably - to her spouse explaining how she is ‘tired and can’t do it anymore’. As she gets to work (as a news anchor) she is soaking wet and exhibits signs of exhaustion; in the background, one can clearly hear the following words – “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for, it’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the Unites States of America”. This is a piece taken directly from Hillary Clinton’s speech in Beijing, China at the Fourth Women’s Conference. Right away, we can see that this is a form of Intertextuality that has been embedded in the music video. Intertextuality, simply described is the shaping or interpretation of a text’s meaning by another text.

She then continues by urging women to get off their chairs and go their windows and declare that they won’t be their man’s mama. The artist chooses to use a mother as the reference points simply because men are often referred to mama’s boy, and in addition to this, mothers are generally known to have the ultimate and unconditional love for their children and will do anything for them. Thus, the artist is showing the audience all these situations that women are subjected to and that they ought to set limits and not give in to everything he wants.

The first instance we see is Jennifer as a stay-at-home wife who is seen bringing dinner to the table as the husband just sits relaxed as he reads the paper. As he reaches out for the meal, she slaps his hand, grabs the whole casserole and pours it all over him. Secondly, she plays the role of a secretary who is busy at work when her boss comes in and stares at her low-cut top which is what one refers to as male gaze. At this point she pulls him by the tie and traps him in the typewriter machine. Finally, another image she portrays is that of an average assistant to a man in the workplace. In this scene, it looks as though she is going over some files with him as they walk towards a conference room; upon arrival, he walks into the room and shuts the door behind him. Out of rage, she heads to the larger work area and asserts her dominance. One of the greatest examples of this is Lopez solving her co-workers Rubik’s Cube and throwing it back to him.

The video then comes to an end with the artist attracting a large crowd of women to the streets as a sign of rebellion through expressive dance. In conclusion, Jennifer Lopez uses this song along with its music video to illustrate how women need to learn how stand up for themselves and not bow down to everything that the male figure is imposing on them.

Semiotics in Hotel California

“Hotel California”, composed by Glenn Frey, Don Felder, and Don Henley, is an iconic classic rock song released in 1976 by the Eagles. It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and is easily the band’s most famous song. Inarguably, the song is a classic of its time, and it is still considered influential in the world of rock music today.

The meaning of the song has been debated since its release, with several different interpretations. In this blog post, I use the concept of semiotics to analyze the song’s symbols and message.

In Message, Signs, and Meanings: A Basic Textbook in Semiotics and Communication by Marcel Danesi, we learn that most, if not every message has a meaning behind it, and usually employs symbols and signs in order to portray that meaning. The concept of semiotics is very important in the analysis of “Hotel California” because it is a song full of symbolic meanings that do not have the same meaning at first glance.

The message behind the “Hotel California” is carried out throughout the song. The “hotel” is a place that although “lovely”, it also traps you, “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”. 

At face value, the basic denotation of the “hotel”, is that it’s desirable, and everyone wants to be there, but that it is also dangerous, and inescapable-once you’re in, you can’t come out. The connotation of this place however, is much more complex than meets the eye.

What the lyrics really represent is the “excess in America” (Wilkins). Through the lens of semiotics, the “hotel” in the song can be interpreted as a symbol for the Hollywood dream. The Eagles are sending the message that America itself is filled with greed, and that people will do anything to be as rich, and powerful as they can, and get the most attention that they can. The message behind this, however, is that once you attain this idealistic mindset, there’s no going back.

The “hotel” represents the excess in places like Hollywood, especially, because that city in particular is held to a standard that it’s where dreams come true, and where big things happen. We often hear of people dreaming of “making it” in Hollywood someday.

The band’s lyrics recognizes the unrealistic expectations of these “dreams”- a life full of “Mercedes bends” and “pink champagne on ice”, but the song almost immediately tears these expectations down, affirming that although this might be what people think is “the life”, it is actually harmful, and can destroy you, because there’s a point of no return “Last thing I remember, I was running for the door, I had to find the passage back to the place I was before.

The song is clearly making a political message with its denunciation of America’s thirst for fame and fortune. On a cultural level, it also sends a message about the song writers’ lives. They were all “middle class kids from the Midwest” (Wilkins).

They admit to having lived simple, middle class lives and they later became rock stars as the Eagles. Because of their personal backgrounds and the cultures that they grew up in, as well as the culture they witnessed as a famous rock band, at its core, the song is a warning of this kind of success. The message is that there should be caution and skepticism toward this life that everyone claims they want so desperately, in an almost “careful what you wish for” tone.

“Hotel California” symbolizes so much more than just a place you can never leave. Through the use of semiotics, we see that based on their own shared experiences, the writer’s of the song adopt an ominous rock sound to send out a social-political message about the excessive greed of Americans.

Casual but Powerful

  

The Joe Rogan Experience is a conversational podcast started by American comedian, sports commentator, actor, television host, and public figure Joe Rogan. Rogan and fellow comedian Brian Redban launched the podcast in December 2009. The podcast has since become one of the most popular podcasts with over 16 million downloads per month, and thrives from Rogan’s long conversational interviews with a wide range of guests including comedians, mix-martial arts fighters, actors, musicians, authors, political and social activists and many more.

I started listening to the Joe Rogan Experience about three years ago and was immediately drawn in. The podcast has about three or four guests per week ranging from all kinds of people. While there is no specific topic of discussion, Rogan has deemed himself an intellectual, passionate, and brilliant conversationalist who spends a lengthy two to three hours per podcast talking with his guests. During the course of these podcast episodes, Rogan allows listeners to gain a more personal and in-depth perspective of the guests he interviews. While many of his podcast episodes dive into issues such as current events and political and social issues, and intellectual thinking, he also has a brighter side where to talks about the comedy industry and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) where he has become the most influential and recognizable commentator in the sports history.  

The podcast has had massive social and cultural influence over recent years. Rogan is a massive advocate of marijuana and has had a major influence on exposing opioids and promoting the benefits of the previously condemned and still widely illegal substance. Rogan’s podcast is held in LA where marijuana is legal, and often smokes with his guests on the show. Rogan firmly believes in marijuana’s medicinal benefits and often questions why many politicians seem to adopt the opposing approach to the substance. In the podcast, Rogan has had multiple disagreements over this subject with figures like musician Ted Nugent and conservative political commentator Steven Crowder. 

With the growing popularity of The Joe Rogan Experience, there has been a steady rise in influential political and social figures that have appeared as guests on the show. On September 6 of 2018, Joe Rogan and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sat down for nearly three hours discussing current topics such as the benefits and concerns of A.I., environmental concerns and future technologies.

With such a wide variety of guests on the podcast, there is no shortage of controversy. Alex Jones, Lance Armstrong, and Milo Yiannopoulos are all extremely controversial figures that have been invited on the podcast to share and discuss their viewpoints. In the episode featuring Elon Musk, both Rogan and Musk smoke marijuana as they talk about intellectual issues.

While The Joe Rogan Experience is definitely not for everyone, and has been considered controversial by many, it is unquestionably one of the most popular and influential podcasts today. Being completely unscripted and lasting over two hours per episode, the podcast gives a very different perspective to many of the guests on the show while doing so in a very casual manner.

We Didn't Start the Fire

Billy Joel released the hit song We Didn’t Start the Fire which includes short allusions to various significant world events starting from his birth in 1949 up until the release year of the song, 1989. The song is organized nicely in that each stanza represents a decade of time starting from the 40s and ending with the 80s. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and was a No. 1 hit in the United States.

We Didn’t Start the Fire features over 100 one-to-three-word references of newspaper headlines. Many are political or foreign issues during the time such as the JFK assassination, Red China, and the Communist Bloc. Some, though, are references to events pertaining to literature and arts. He mentions several names of artists and actors including Doris Day, Sergei Prokofiev, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and others.

It seems as if he is paying respect to the artists before him who made his career possible but also is grieving their deaths. One example is when he mentions Buddy Holly. Right before he says his name, Joel uses Holly’s signature hiccup “uh-huh, uh-huh”. He does this with other references as well. All of the references are either beginning or ends of careers which evoke two different feelings: one of excitement for beginning and another of grief for the end (usually resulting in death). By doing this Billy Joel takes the listener on a rollercoaster going through all Billy Joel has lived through in only 4 and a half minutes.

The chorus is different from the rest of the song in that it doesn’t reference any events but history as a whole. Billy Joel uses the title ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ over and over again to explain that society isn’t to blame for all of these historical events. He then follows with ‘but we did ignite it when we tried to fight it’. What I got from that line is that when society tries to suppress something or calm it down it can end up making it bigger.

We can also see how Billy Joel felt about all of these headlines when he says, “I can’t take it anymore”. I think Billy Joel created this song not only to pay homage and respect to the various deceased musicians and show how far music has come along but also to portray his feeling about everything that happened. He was tired of all the crazy conflicts overseas and how it affected people domestically. It seemed as though he had all this built up frustration with the world and by releasing this song he also managed to release his anger.

One of Billy Joel’s top songs was not only good because of its sound, but also because of its deeper meaning. Fans are able to go through a timeline in which many exciting, tragic, or stressful events took place and they are able to do it such a short time. People can hear Joel’s emotion and how he feels about all that is happened. This just goes to show how powerful music can be in conveying messages to audiences.

Aretha Franklin's "Respect"

Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” is interpreted as a champion of women’s empowerment as well as a symbol of the nature of womanhood. It lays the foundation for what some see as an iconic feminist song that advocates for the respect of women. Lana F. Rakow discusses the goal of Feminism which is to “critique existing social relations”. The notion of the Feminist agenda has been to examine the portrayal of women in society. Franklin’s song focuses on the idea that men should treat their wives with respect after a long day of work.

Since its release in 1965, “Respect” has been used by various parties to represent different causes, all of which challenge the original song’s notion of the respect of women. Despite of this, the feminist agenda remains to empower and respect women in all aspects of society. The song allowed for a new portrayal of women which eradicated the common perception of women as purely housewives and members who should be dominated by men.

Franklin’s iconic song “Respect” was one of several sparks that eventually set fire to the hegemony that was present in America and the world at the time. The idea that women’s roles were in the home and “real” jobs were left to men and that women were weaker and inferior to their counterparts (men). The new ideology being created due to Franklin’s song was that women were stronger and more capable than they had previously been given credit for, and that they should earn respect for it. The song “Respect” completely shifted the perception of women at the time. The male gaze to observe the women as incapable of being respected was transformed into that of female gaze striving to be respect in a male dominated society.

Aretha Franklin’s song “Respect” had a tremendous societal significant at that time, for it shifted the cultural portrayal of a women. The song’s lyrics rise the question of how women are treated and how they should be treated. The words “All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you get home” highlight the double standards of that time. The women were treated as purely housewives that received no respect. However, they no longer wanted that role, but instead wanted to be respected. The lyrics “is to give me my propers” clearly states the things that woman wanted and expected from society; in this way, she was defying the concept of ideological hegemony that women were supposed to be soft housewives. Through the song, Franklin was able to provide women with the ability to receive their respect, which the male hegemony prevented.

The creation of Franklin’s “Respect” represents the feminist goal to shift cultural perspectives of women. The hierarchical structure set by the dominant male groups that “discouraged women from their own creativity and myth-making” was beginning to crumble, since a new wave of feminist ideas was coming forth. To conclude, the song “Respect” is a pioneer feminist idea that shifted the perception of women as soft housewives into strong hardworking women that deserved Respect.

Just a Girl

Just a Girl is a 1995 hit by No Doubt, sung by lead Gwen Stefani. It contains heavily feminist lyrics through a sarcastic message of exhaustion with women’s treatment. 

No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani sings the song from her own perspective. She communicates the struggles of being a woman in each verse, but does so in a sarcastic way. Directly asking for the poor treatment sarcastically shows her exhaustion throughout the song with lines such as “so don’t let me have any rights.” She communicates her position as a lower class citizen and, through a literal view, tells how she wants the poor treatment. However, the obvious sarcasm not only shows how much she hates the treatment, but also communicates how fed up she is with the treatment. Her phrasing and wording shows how exhausted she is with sexism. This is nothing new to her, she has been facing this her whole life. “Oh, I’m just a girl, Take a good look at me, Just your typical prototype.” The message would lose strength without the sarcasm, as this tactic heavily magnifies how fed up she is in a passive aggressive manner.

To contrast with the sarcasm in each verse, she scatters in a direct message of her exhaustion throughout the song. Most commonly, she repeats “oh, I’ve had it up to here!” Her sarcastic verses build up a feeling of guilt, then, at the end of each, her direct, aggressive conclusion hits hard as a finisher. This format is perfect to build sympathy, and it allows her to communicate her human nature instead of being seen as an object. If she was to communicate in a more aggressive, less sarcastic format, she would come off as hot-headed and would be dismissed. If she was to use a more subordinate tone, without the obvious exhaustion, it could easily be overlooked. This format, on the other hand, is perfectly aggressive enough to catch attention and make the wrongdoers uncomfortable, but at the same time, is civil enough to gain relatability and support from others. This relatability is a big part of the message. While she discusses her personal experiences, she does so in a manner that all women could relate to.

She feels completely trapped in the sexist stereotype. “I’m just a girl in the world. That’s all that you’ll let me be! Oh, I’m just a girl, living in captivity.” She is confined by oppression, but she found that she can get her message out through songwriting. Easily relatable lyrics with a direct yet not over-the-top tone transform the song from a catchy new-wave tune to a meaningful statement. She can be confined in society, but her words spread far. 

In Just a Girl, Gwen Stefani sends a heavily feminist message of discontent and exhaustion with treatment towards women in 1995 society. By using sarcasm, she creates a passive aggressive dynamic within the lyrics that attracts attention without being too aggressive as to put off potential allies. The whole song comes together as a relatable piece for modern women.

Jamila Woods: poet, singer, soldier

In the summer of 2016, Chicago native Jamila Woods released HEAVN, an album exploring the identity politics of black womanhood in America. Released amidst the dawn of #BlackLivesMatter, Woods’ music dives head first into the historically entrenched violence against black people. Yet, as a poet and soul vocalist, she does so all while maintaining an air of vibrancy. This post will primarily analyze the track “Blk Girl Soldier”, which encapsulates these characteristics. Ultimately, by invoking the enchanting power of “black girl magic” and drawing parallels to prominent black women of eras past, Woods presents an optimistic anthem for racial justice.

Photo form https://jamilawoodswrites.com

“Blk Girl Soldier” sounds upbeat and poppy. It’s driven largely by Woods’ silky vocals, which are accented by lively percussion, groovy synthesizer and buoyant backup singers. While the song’s energetic sound does not conceal its emotional weight, it does reveal to listeners that its message remains hopeful.

Central to Woods’ theme is “black girl magic,” a term coined by activist CaShawn Thompson to describe the historical achievements of black women. From movies like Hidden Figures highlighting black, female NASA engineers to the media emphasizing black women’s role in blocking Roy Moore from the senate, there appears a mass recognition of this long marginalized demographic. In chorus lines “see she’s telepathic, call it black girl magic,” Woods seizes upon this movement, celebrating an unnamed black girl who stands for millions of accomplished yet forgotten black girls before her.

Despite the optimistic message of black girl magic, “Blk Girl Soldier” remains laden with references to racial trauma. In the first verse, Woods sings, “We go missing by the hundreds,” referring to the preponderance of missing black women in America, fueled by a system of broken policing. “They put her body in a jar and forget her,” she continues, alluding to South African Sarah Baartman, a black woman who was paraded around Europe in the 19thcentury due to her large buttocks, and posthumously displayed, grotesquely, in a French museum. In another line, the artist declares, “The camera loves us, Oscar doesn’t.” Here, Woods highlights the tension between white society fetishizing black women in cases like Baartman while under crediting their accomplishments in the arts (i.e., the #OscarsSoWhite movement). Through these potent examples, Woods illustrates how the world has constantly defined and subjugated black women.

Despite this trauma, the theme of “Blk Girl Soldier” is resistance. Woods expands the scope of her project by naming the historical figures from which she draws inspiration. In the third verse, she explains, “Rosa was a freedom fighter and she taught us how to fight,” referring to, of course, Rosa Parks of the Montgomery bus boycott. She repeats this pattern by replacing Rosa with Assata Shakur, Sojourner Truth and other black revolutionaries. Further, Woods threads this timeline together with poetic observations such as “last century last week.” Although the subjugation of black women has proven long lasting, so too has the tradition of resistance.

In conclusion, listeners can read “Blk Girl Soldier” through a lens of identity politics. As Greg Smith discusses, the danger of such artifacts lies in their inability to accurately portray an entire, diverse demographic defined by traits other than race and gender. After all, perhaps not all black girls want to present themselves as soldiers of resistance. Nevertheless, Woods aims to counter a history of white people defining her identity for her. Whether as “angry black woman,” “welfare queen” or passive victim, white society has long controlled the narrative surrounding what it means to be a black woman. To this, the artist says no more. In calling attention to the power and excellence of black women throughout space and time, Woods reclaims her agency.