Music Videos Imagery and Lyrics

Jenny Lewis--"Just One Of The Guys"

This music video includes Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway, and Brie Larson and Jenny Lewis uses them to challenge gender norms in her video. The video starts with the four of them playing instruments and singing in a band and is interspersed with them dressed in drag. Just from that they are showing how they are trying to be "just one of the guys" by dressing in tracksuits with facial hair and trying to act strong and tough. It is interesting in this video because they are trying to be just one of the guys, but there is something that is holding them back. Throughout the song, Jenny Lewis touches on having children and how "there's a little clock inside that keeps tickin'." I liked this video because although it seems like it reinforces gender norms and how women only are seen as mothers and nurturers, Jenny Lewis tackles this issue from a position of strength and shows how to be comfortable with yourself. She sings about how there is only one thing holding her back, but she doesn't take this as something bad and even mocks the machismo of men by dressing in tracksuits and doing karate kicks and trying to break dance. Another part of the song that touches on gender norms is one of her first lines of the song, "If I get caught being rude in a conversation with a child bride on a summer vacation..." and it shows that if she, a woman, was with a much younger person there is a different view placed on her than if a man did that. Throughout the video she tries to emphasize the male stereotype and how women play into that, and it is shown through Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart, and Brie Larson. When they first are shown in their track suits, they really try to play into the male stereotype, but as the song goes on they start to have more fun with it and are seen smiling. They make it their own and show that they don't have to be "just one of the guys" and be stoic and strong. They can be goofy and smart too.

Maddie & Tae--"Girl In A Country Song"

Maddie and Tae created a song that challenged the stereotype of women in country music in their song "Girl in a Country Song." The song on its own has a very clear message about how sexist the way women are viewed in country music as just pretty objects just to be admired. The first verse even includes a line on catcalling; "I hear you over there on your tailgate whistling'/Sayin', "Hey girl."/But you know I ain't listening'/'Cause I got a name/And to you it ain't "pretty little thing", "hottie" or "baby"." Their chorus even further points out how bad the stereotype is now and it is great that they put this outrage out there. The chorus discusses how they don't get any respect and it is like all that they are good for is "looking good for you and your friends on the weekend." The song displayed all of these gender norms and talked about how terrible they are and then in the video they try to reverse them. The video starts with the women in bikini tops and jean cut-offs, and then they hit the role reverse lever to have the men wear the "barely there" clothing and dance around "sexily." By doing this it shows how ridiculous it is for the women to be dancing around like that because the men look absolutely crazy doing it. At one point the boys are trying to eat a strawberry seductively and its a laugh out loud moments and then next they try to wash a car in a sexy way. These are things that have been in country music videos and I love that they did the role reversal and pointed out how stupid it all is. I think this video shows a very good example of how to have a role reversal to showcase an issue in a way that makes the viewers question the gender norms in place.