On this blog, I have compiled three playlists of songs that, when examined as a whole, explore the role, perception and treatment of women across time, space and culture. My first playlist is comprised of popular songs from my own generation which, because I have grown up listening to them, not only are meaningful to me, but which shed light on the varied ways in which girls and women are perceived in today’s society. My second playlist is comprised of songs from the 1960s, which I selected not only because of the social commentary they provide on women, but to explore the similarities and differences in the role, perception and treatment of women over the last forty years. My third playlist is comprised of borderland songs (the “Borderland”) that also offer a social commentary on women; these songs, which have a Latin American or South American origin or influence, were selected to examine how, if at all, the theme of women in music varies from one geographical region to another.
As I listened to countless songs from my generation, from the 1960’s, and from the Borderland, I was surprised by the striking commonality of the themes in this music. The roles, treatment, and perception of women have changed little over time and do not seem to be impacted by the geography of the United States – at least not the geography of the Borderland. All three playlists include songs that address women as lovers and nurturers. In addition, many songs examine the subject of girls coming of age and becoming women – the temptation they pose to men, the ways in which they take advantage of or manipulate men, their desire to be taken seriously as women, or the confusion experienced by some girls as they struggle with the difficult transition to womanhood. Women also are described in some of these songs as heartbreakers, breadwinners, gold diggers, as well as loving partners. However, the most frequent theme by far that transcended all three of my playlists was the theme of women as the objects of beauty, infatuation, sexual desire and physical pleasure. Many of these songs disturbingly suggest a lack of control by men when in the presence of such women; the women often are portrayed in the music like a drug or addiction for which men can not be held accountable. In a number of these songs, the girls and women are compared to ripe fruit, juicy meat or symbols of idyllic beauty.
It is interesting to note that the ways in which women are portrayed and described in the music of today’s teenage and young adult population are considerably more crass, vulgar and offensive than the ways in which women were portrayed in songs addressing similar themes in the 1960’s. While today, a woman is referred to as a “sexy bitch” and words such as “fuck” and “shit” are used with frequency as well as little regard for their social impact, in the 1960’s, the use of such language was unheard of. In songs describing male lust or sexual desire, 1960’s music referred to a woman a “foxy lady” or as “nice” or “sweet”. This cultural shift in the language used to describe women over time has caused me to question the reasons why my generation has come to accept the vulgar, disrespectful and often degrading lyrics used to describe women and relationships without taking offense to these lyrics or refusing to listen to these songs.
Finally, I observed from a comparison of the frequency of the themes permeating my three playlists that a greater number of the songs popular in the 1960’s concern some aspect of female empowerment, reflecting the social and political climate of that decade. Many songs involve strong women demanding respect from their partners, exercising the freedom to leave unhappy relationships, and who have sexual freedom.
For a more detailed commentary on each of the songs in my three playlists, as well as my observations of some of the more striking similarities and contrasts between these songs and playlists, click in the margin on the particular playlist you wish to explore.
