I was watching SNL a couple of weeks ago when Taylor Swift was both the guest star and the musical act. I know that there's been a lot of media attention given to her lately, mostly because of her song lyrics and music videos. A lot of people, mainly feminists, have criticized her songs for being anti-feminists, for fitting the stereotypical model of the love struck damsel in distress waiting for her Prince Charming. While my feelings on this topic is ambivalent, this isn't what I took issue with during her guest appearance.
During her opening monologue, Swift sang a song that she composed titled "My SNL Monologue Song (La La La)". In the song, she sings about how she likes sparkly dresses and baking (adding fuel to the anti-feminist fire) and parodies all of the gossip surrounding her personal life. However, a good section of the song is spent on her past romantic relationships, both public and private. She includes the lyrics:
I like writing songs about douche bags who cheat on me but I'm not gonna say that
In my monologue
I like writing their names in songs so they're ashamed to go in public
But I'm not gonna say that in my monologue
La la la la la la la la
This is my musical monologue
You might think I'd bring up Joe [Jonas], the guy who broke up with me over the phone but I'm not gonna mention him
In my monologue
HEY JOE, I'm doing real well, hosting SNL, but I'm not gonna brag about that in my monologue.
La ha ha ha
These lyrics make me question her actions and the implications that she provides to anti-feminists. There are two sides that can be taken on this issue. The first is that Swift is a teenager who writes about what she knows best: love and relationships. It could be argued that by her shaming the boys who cheated on her in front of the whole world could be taken as either teenage rashness or even a well deserved feminist punishment. On the other hand, her actions could be taken as a representation of the vengeful actions dealt by scorned women. She could quite well become a representation for vindictive women, giving critics fuel with everything from her looks to her age to her public persona. Her actions make me question the limits of revenge. Is it justifiable because it's a safety method or is it just being vindictive and petty? Is there any essential difference between what Swift does in her songs and all of those websites where scorned women post information and pictures of guys who have hurt them in some way?
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I think this is a really interesting way of discussing Taylor Swift. I had never really considered that feminist might find someone who is slowly becoming one of the most famous young women in the world as shameful by the way that she embodies many female stereotypes in her music. While I think that it's a fair point to say that the way that she represents herself in many of her songs and videos is as "the damsel in distress" I think it's important to look at her as an entertainer overall. I saw a short documentary on her a while ago and I was blown away with the business that she is running. Not only is she the musical director of whole bands (most of which include people much older than her) she also manages the ways in which she travels and who she meets with, she even was an active participant in designing the stage and lighting for her world tour. I would think that being a young business woman and running her own life would be enough for feminist to applaud her and put aside the some of the more pretty song lyrics she has written, after all she is only a teenage girl.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a really good point in your post. When it comes to music and entertainment in pop culture today I always find myself torn between what is just a catchy tune and what is degrading; where do we draw the line? I am not a huge Taylor Swift fan, and do not have much knowledge on the topic of her lyrics, but after reading your post, I went to youtube.com and watched her video "Love Story" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wRkoGKQ8qQ...definetly the damsel in distress. I can't make any assumptions on the rest of her songs, but I do think you bring up a pressing issue in entertainment today.
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