On the surface, Meghan Trainor's single 'All About That Bass' seems like a song about being body positive and loving your body, a fact that many of today's young girls no doubt need to be reminded of. Upon closer inspection however, the lyrics fall short and marginalize 'unattractive' girls by providing another standard of beauty.
In the second verse, Trainor says she has "all the right junk in all the right places", implying that there is a right place to have the proverbial "junk". Later on, she states that "I won't be no stick figure", placing a larger body above a skinny one. She also jokingly calls skinny girls "b*tches", enforcing animosity between girls based on looks. Placing a large body over a skinny one is just as bad as doing the reverse - and is the antithesis of body positivity.
The biggest problem with the song, however, is the fact that Trainor's happiness with her body is based on men accepting her. The song includes the refrain "My mama she told me don't worry about your size, she said boys like a little more booty to hold at night". This brings a girl's happiness back to a boy's opinion of her, and tells girls that approval from men is necessary to be accepted. This idea is reinstated in the line " 'cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase" - again validating herself based on her desirability to men. It seems that while this song is progressive in accepting bigger girls, we cannot get past the point that a girl's worth is based on what a man thinks of her.
As such, we see how the song marginalizes girls who do not fit Trainor's description of beauty by using derogatory names on them video. Furthermore, girls in general are depicted as requiring male approval, an over-used representation that does nothing to advance female rights and raises concern over what girls whom boys don't like are viewed as.
Trainor's video is characterized by a mostly pastel palette, light blues, pinks, and purples are used; as well as flowers, balloons, a bedroom, cupcakes - all very feminine motifs. The video's portrayal of women is very safe, perhaps made to appeal to younger girls.
The fact that Trainor always wears some kind of sweater or tights to 'hide' her arms and legs also proves that she's still bound by societal standards of beauty as she needs to hide the fat. The video also includes a boy that seems to be 'plastic', and Trainor dances around him while he watches in a plastic, unmoving position. He is stereotypically good looking, supporting Trainor's earlier lyrics of boys liking her.
Despite all of this however, the video does have the virtue of not objectifying women. The four dancers that accompany her are kept the same throughout, and we see their faces, making them more than decorative objects that can be interchanged with someone else.
While there are still many problems with this song reflecting stereotypical notions of beauty and promoting a certain 'kind' of being large, it provides a good start, and at least reflects that people are trying to (at least) seem like they care about this issue.
Word Count: 533
I enjoyed reading your response. I almost did All About that Bass as well! I liked how you fully explained how the video and lyrics enforced another double standard on women. I don't understand, however, your interpretation of the sweaters and tights. The majority of people in the video had their arms and knees exposed and weren't bound by "the societal standards of beauty." I would say that through the presentation (ie: bound with clear wrap) of the model-like woman in the video, Trainor tries to present thin women as (literally) bound by the standards. I think it is hasty judgement to assume that she has body insecurities based on her wearing tights and a sweater. Otherwise, I found your post to be great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! :D I see what you mean about the clothing, but I still think it's pretty stark since she's the main singer and she has covered her arms and legs in all her outfits (4-5 I think). Plus I don't think it's about her body insecurities, I think it's more to do with how larger women aren't considered attractive in our culture and so she hides the fat to be more attractive in the eyes of society. Being fat is considered unsightly, and the lead singer covering up shows how society still believes this message.
DeleteGreat analysis on All About that Bass! I enjoyed how in-depth you went in your analysis, such as analyzing the colors used and the clothing worn by the dancers. However, it seems to me that the video takes one step forward and two steps back on the issue of women being accepted in society. Do you think young girls who watch this music video will feel empowered? Or would they even be more conscious of their looks, and feel insecure?
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think that's a really interesting question, and it depends on the age of the girl watching the video. Younger girls may sing along to the lyrics without really realizing what they mean, and only focus on the overarching message. I think the music video has the virtue of being sweet and pretty and attracting audiences easily, and seeing bigger girls look good in clothes and dancing happily would be definitely be empowering. This is especially so in a culture where most models and people on screens are stick thin.
DeleteWhen listening to the lyrics however, the emphasis on male validation would probably make girls who realize what this means feel insecure. It tells them that there's still a standard that they have to fit, and that they have to get boys to like them. This shows the difference between watching the video focusing on the overall message or looking only at the lyrics. It's really interesting to consider, and could be an entire blogpost :)
Solid analysis.Looking forward to your answers to Sohail's questions.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting response to the song. I liked how you included her choice of clothing in the music video. Overall your whole analysis was very well done and informative, you included analysis on the video and lyrics so well done! Enjoyed reading it :)
ReplyDelete