I know that of all the feminist blogs on the internet, mine is probably the least fun to read. I’m not a gifted humorist at the best of times, being more inclined to meaningless absurdity or hurtful sarcasm than wit or whimsy. When I’m talking about oppression, I get even heavier than ever, since it weighs on my soul and aggravates what Twisty Faster calls the Obstreperal Lobe.
But I love music, too, and have a decent collection of American popular songs of the 20th century. You can’t throw a note far into this collection without smacking some really insulting lyrics for the ladies, either. Some of the very worst of them are almost comic in their bald professions of hate, contempt or patronization of women.
So I’m going to list ten of the worst antifeminist songs I know of, and when I’m done, I’ll rank them according to comments, if I can’t figure out some way to embed a poll in my Wordpress blog (help on this is very welcome).
I want to start with one the worst, and the best. Best, because the melody is by Burt Bacharach, and I do love his melodies, since he is one of the finest composers of popular song around. Hal David wrote a scolding little lyric to this song that so perfectly encapsulates male privilege that you could write a primer on it by simply annotating thes fine lyrics:
Wives And Lovers
Jack Jones
(Burt Bacharach/ Hal David)
Hey! Little Girl
Comb your hair, fix your makeup
Soon he will open the door
Don’t think because there’s a ring on your finger
You needn’t try anymoreFor wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
I’m warning you…Day after day
There are girls at the office
And men will always be men
Don’t send him off with your hair still in curlers
You may not see him againFor wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
He’s almost here…Hey! Little girl
Better wear something pretty
Something you’d wear to go to the city and
Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music
Time to get ready for love
Time to get ready
Time to get ready for love
What an air of menace, essential to almost all of the songs I’ll be presenting! It’s not so much a song as a scolding. The idea of a woman as a member of the sex class is right up front here, with no possible way to excuse or sugar coat the concept. In a way, it’s an important song for women to hear in order to confront the idea that this is what men want from them. Whenever a woman you know denies that feminism is about the liberation of women from male oppression just sing this song. You really don’t need to add much else.
Shiny | 07-May-09 at 3:42 am | Permalink
The sad thing is most women would defend the premise of this song either with evo psych pseudoscience (”Because men are so visual!”) or reaffirming the threat (”If you don’t do it, someone else will.” Translation: “You’re nothing without a man”). Of course, they probably won’t mention the fact that women who do comply with this dictum still get insulted (”Men need space!”) or cheated on (”Men need variety!”)–and that it’s always at the man’s behest to define exactly how the woman is failing. But, rest assured, it is all the woman’s fault always, always, always. Women accept these premises because being the constant scapegoat carries a lesser penalty than being a threat to the established order.
PS I enjoy your blog FWIW. I have had a very, very bad week in terms of just the sheer amount of oppression that men heap on women, and it is nice to think there are men in this world who actually have a problem with that. All too few of them, unfortunately, but it does keep me from vomiting at the mere thought of men, which is the direction in which I was rapidly heading.
sonia | 14-Jun-09 at 9:09 pm | Permalink
funny!
it is hard being a feminist and a music lover, isn’t it? I have a Guns and Roses penchant, and it’s just embarrassing. I also love James Bond?
sense of humor required within limits I guess..