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American Women and Stupid Girls: Misogynistic Lyrics as Faux Social Critique

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards: Spokesmen for Clean Living
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards: Spokesmen for Clean Living

 

Listening to the Rolling Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper” the other day, I was struck by how much the lyrics resembled a misogynistic MRA rant. Ostensibly a song pointing out the hypocrisy of suburban squares attacking the drug culture whilst themselves popping prescription pills, the song extends its “critique” to cover such subjects as the evil of women making cakes from mixes instead of from scratch.  (See below for videos of all the songs mentioned in this post.)

So you go from this bit of, ahem, social criticism:

“Things are different today,”

I hear ev’ry mother say

Mother needs something today to calm her down

And though she’s not really ill

There’s a little yellow pill

She goes running for the shelter of her mother’s little helper

And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day.

To this:

“Things are different today,”

I hear ev’ry mother say

Cooking fresh food for a husband’s just a drag

So she buys an instant cake and she buys a frozen steak

And goes running for the shelter etc etc

Yep, that’s right. Mick’s as bothered by the frozen steak as he is by the dangers of tranquilizer abuse. By the end of the song, the hypothetical freezer-and-cake-mix-using mother has died of an overdose. Told you so!

Misogynistic rock songs aren’t exactly a rarity – hell, “Mother’s Little Helper” isn’t even the worst offender in the Rolling Stones’ disography.

But unlike more straightforward outbursts of misogynistic nastiness like, say, “Under My Thumb,” “Mother’s Little Helper” pretends to be something nobler: a social critique.

The blogger behind the wonderfully arch I Hate the New York Times blog pointed out to me in a tweet that a surprising number of old rock lyrics play this little trick. Taking the form of a “critique of today’s inauthentic & hedonistic society” they are in fact “directed at [a] specific shallow hussy.”

Along with Mother’s Little Helper, IHateNYT suggested I take another look at the lyrics to Paul Revere and the Raiders’ “Kicks.” And, yep, it’s basically the same thing: a critique of drug use in the form of a patronizing lecture to a young woman in search of “kicks,” starting out with this little bit of I-told-you-so, delivered with a sneer:

Girl, you thought you found the answer on that magic carpet ride last night

But when you wake up in the mornin’ the world still gets you uptight

It turns out that the song, written by the songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, was inspired by the drug use of a male friend of theirs – though somehow in the song this specific man became a hypothetical “girl.”

And then of course there is the Guess Who’s American Woman, a sort-of critique of America’s “war machines” and “ghetto scenes” in the form of a long, sneering diatribe against a hypothetical woman:

Now woman, I said stay away

American woman, listen what I say

 

American woman, get away from me

American woman, mama let me be

Don’t come knockin’ around my door

Don’t wanna see your shadow no more

And on and on and on for a very long five minutes and nine seconds.

One of the reasons these songs sound so much like MRA rants is that MRAs like to play the same little game, dressing up their misogynistic sentiments in the form of “social critique.” Thus Paul Elam’s faux-environmentalist attack on female consumers, and all that talk about how single mothers and/or “picky women”  are going to bring about the end of civilization. Heck, some manosphere fat-gal-bashers even pretend they fat-bash out of concern for the well-being of the women they’re ridiculing.

It might be entertaining to transform some of these old woman-hating songs into critiques of woman-haters. “Stupid Girl” by the Rolling Stones might be a good place to start. I mean, seriously?

Like a lady in waiting to a virgin queen

Look at that stupid girl

She bitches ’bout things that she’s never seen

Look at that stupid girl

Those are real Rolling Stone lyrics, not a comment from NWOslave. Have at it.

Here are videos of all the songs I mention above:

 

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Shiraz
Shiraz
12 years ago

Hey Claire, you mean “Repo Men” with Jude Law, right? Not “Repo Man” from the 80s with Emilio Estevez? I rather like the 80s film; the soundtrack had less than perfect people providing the soundtrack, but shit, vintage Circle Jerks and Iggy Pop? Tee-hee.

hellkell
hellkell
12 years ago

Shiraz – Merely that the misandric slant of music these days is so egregious that, indeed, it takes a specific brand of nerve to come out and hold up some selected quotes as misogynist. That’s cruisin’ for a metaphorical brusin’. I’d advise Mr. Futrelle to check himself before he wrecks himself.

Put up or shut up, homeboy.

meltydali
meltydali
12 years ago

Please tell me where you see misandry Steele.

Steele
Steele
12 years ago

As Richard Dawkins would say, Jesus Tapdancing Christ. I’m not going to do your research for you – Kell, Dammit. Especially when it’s such a wide-scale phenomenon. Do your own damn Googling. Here, I’ll get you started:

“You Belong With Me”

cloudiah
12 years ago

1980s Repo Man was one of my favorite movies.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Nah, Shiraz, the Ray Lamontagne song I’m talking about has nothing to do with the movie with Emilio Estevez. That is my favorite movie! I just got a new copy today, as I wanted to watch it this weekend and the case was empty.

Here is the Ray Lamontagne song:

And here’s the real thing:

*runs off to the kitchen singing Hombre Secreto*

cloudiah
12 years ago

Top Five Songs – CLEAR MISANDRY

1. Rihanna – Diamonds

So shine bright, tonight you and I
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Eye to eye, so alive
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky

2. Kei$ha – Die Young

Young hunks, taking shots
Stripping down to dirty socks
Music up, gettin’ hot
Kiss me, give me all you’ve got
It’s pretty obvious that you’ve got a crush (you know)
That magic in your pants, it’s making me blush (for sure)

3. Maroon 5 – One More Night

Trying to tell you no, but my body keeps on telling you yes
Trying to tell you stop, but your lipstick got me so out of breath
I’d be waking up, in the morning probably hating myself
And i’d be waking up, feeling satisfied but guilty as hell

And I know i’ve said it a million times
But i’ll only stay with you one more night

Yeah baby give me one more night
Yeah baby give me one more night
Yeah baby give me one more night

4. Bruno Mars – Locked Out of Heaven

You bring me to my knees
You make me testify
You can make a sinner change his ways
Open up your gates cause I can’t wait to see the light
And right there is where I wanna stay

Cause your sex takes me to paradise
Yeah your sex takes me to paradise
And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah
Cause you make feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long

5. Gangnam Style – Psy

Jong su ke bo wi ji man nol ten no nun yo ja
I te da shi pu myon mu ko ton mo ri pu nun yo ja
Ga ryot ji man wen man han no chul boda ya han yo ja
Gu ron gam gak jo gin yo ja

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Steele, I googled like 12 things for my comments while you wrote that. GYPSY DILDO PUNK.

meltydali
meltydali
12 years ago

First of all, Taylor Swift is a purveyor of internalized misogyny. She’s saying the girlfriend in that song isn’t good enough for the boy and that she’d be a much better meeker partner for the boy. She is fighting with another woman over a man and presenting herself and that man in a positive light. The only person being vilified is the woman. How the fuck is that man hating?

cloudiah
12 years ago

Taylor Swift – You Belong with Me

You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, She’s upset
She’s going off about something that you said
She doesnt get your humour like I do

I’m in the room, its a typical Tuesday night
I’m listening to the kind of music she doesnt like
And she’ll never know your story like I do

But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts
She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re lookin for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can’t you see?
You belong with me
You belong with me

Walkin the streets with you in your worn out jeans
I cant help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on the park bench thinkin to myself
Hey isnt this easy?

And you’ve got a smile that could light up this whole town
I havent seen it in awhile, since she brought you down
You say you find I know you better than that
Hey, Whatcha doing with a girl like that?

She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can’t you see?
You belong with me

Standin by, waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know that?
You belong with me
You belong with me

Oh I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night
I’m the one who makes you laugh when you know you’re about to cry
I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams
I think I know where you belong. I think I know it’s with me.

Can’t you see that I’m the one who understands you?
Been here all along so why can’t you see?
You belong with me

Standing by or waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know that
You belong with me
You belong with me

Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me
You belong with me

Shiraz
Shiraz
12 years ago

Claire!!! *Fist bump* I love the film too! Damn, *fist bump again*

Steele, you’re still not making a lick of sense. Try harder…or something.

cloudiah
12 years ago

In high school, I was voted Most Likely to Become a Repo Wife. (By my friends, who hijacked the stupid voting system as a joke.)

hellkell
hellkell
12 years ago

Steele, you should keep resting. Once again, you have nothing.

CassandraSays
CassandraSays
12 years ago

LOL! Guy who song is about, you’re so awesome! Taylor Swift wishes you would notice her instead of that slut you’re dating! Misandry!

Vitamin D
Vitamin D
12 years ago

Is steele having yet a ‘what abpout the menz’ moment? I

Shiraz
Shiraz
12 years ago

Shit, you guys are awesome — cloudiah, claire, hellkell, cassandra.

Unfortunately, I have an early day tomorrow. Goodnight, friends.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Day, night, it don’t mean shit.

I mean, goodnight, Shiraz!

princessbonbon
12 years ago

Obviously misandric since it is not bashing women to the fullest extent possible.

Polliwog
12 years ago

What the hell, Steele. “You Belong With Me” is a terrible, stupid song, and I’ll even give you the fact that Taylor Swift’s entire oeuvre is arguably offensive to people with functioning ears, but misandric? Seriously? Please, please tell us how exactly singing of your undying love for a guy and your loathing for his supposedly terrible girlfriend who just doesn’t “get” him is hateful to men?

Steele
Steele
12 years ago

Says, I can’t even parse that comment. Cupcake, perhaps you should return to Sophomore English, or its equivalent.

lowquacks
lowquacks
12 years ago

@clairedammit

I’ll admit to having been a huge (and I mean huge) G N’ R fan at 14-15ish, and having seen the most recent incarnation live. “Used to Love Her” is, depending who you ask, a sick joke about a dog who had to be put down, a cheap pun (to kill her/tequila), or both. Which doesn’t really necessarily make it better, but…

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Psst, Steele, it was sarcasm. Does that help?

meltydali
meltydali
12 years ago

Steele, thats not a response and you know it. Its a desperate ploy to distract from the shakiness of your position. Please don’t do that. Also since Im on the subject of things you do that only convince me more that you’re wrong name dropping Dawkins for a phrase he most likely would not make is a detriment to your already unconvincing appeal.

clairedammit
clairedammit
12 years ago

Huh, lowquacks, I never heard that. I always thought their lyrics were pretty straightforward. I could see it being about a dog, though.

Story time! Mr. Dammit and I didn’t have an expensive wedding, so a live band was out of the question. The place where we got married had a nice sound system, though, so I made mix tapes for the proprietors to play at our reception. One of the songs on them was Patience by GnR. (Also When I’m 64 by The Beatles. I forget the rest.)

CassandraSays
CassandraSays
12 years ago

That’s OK, Steele, we know how bad your reading comprehension is. We won’t hold it against you since it’s your misandric teacher’s fault.