Gender Relations & Music
It has been said that gender conflicts are as old as time. The struggle between the feminine and masculine principle is a phenomenon that exceeds human comprehension. In the years gone by, the degradation of the feminine was a stance greeted and validated by all facets of society like the cultural, religious, legal institutions, etc. Women, also enabled the oppression of other women through their male-identification. In fact, one could submit that this trajectory has been a major pillar of patriarchal ideology.
Today, there appears to be a paradigmatic shift equated with a tsunami which has shaken old belief systems to the core. A veritable space where one has witnessed this evolution, albeit as a non-participating player and active observer, has been within the social media terrain, where male-female antagonism has been fueled to combustible proportions. This friction has percolated from the virtual cyberspace directly into society and is shaping thoughts and opinions. This peculiar transition has been attributed to the feminism whose seeds were implanted in the 1960s, at a time when women were perceived as voiceless, subservient and docile agents.
Then, women education and financial empowerment was derided and chided. They were valued as home makers, baby makers and husband pleasers. A life outside the walls of the home was deemed abominable, although there were exceptions to the rule which could be seen, for instance, within the entertainment terrain, with a rampancy of female entertainers. But, it could be argued that women’s accessibility to this space was due to the perception of the female as objects of pleasure. Women were seldom found within the corridors of political, economic and academic power. They were absent during the process of policy formulations and law proposals or legislation.
With feminism came the blurring of cultural boundaries. On one hand, women accessed education, became high-earners, and became threats to the male ego. And on the other hand, the hand that rocks the cradle became feeble. The occupant(s) of the cradle grew into dysfunctional elements with a narcissistic personality order attributed to the absence of the principal care-giver, the feminine.
Today, the conversation is ongoing. A personal survey on the social media indicates a high level of regret for their negligence of traditional roles. Many decry the stress and burnout which accompanies the work terrain. Many desire to be wives and mothers. Many are saddened by their loneliness and absence of competent partners. It is ironic though, that the relics of the past is being romanticised in the present.
During the advent of feminism, the traditional role of women as wives and mothers was degraded and tainted. Such women were painted by the media as unrefined, unsophisticated and backward, while the career woman was projected as the glamour girl. The women who were susceptible to the gender propaganda joggled career and family. They were christened “Super women” Today, many women are exhausted by the artificiality of this role and now seek the authentic position mandated by nature. They crave marriage and responsible husbands. In the absence of these desires, many have made peace with spinsterhood. Some have pledged allegiance to celibacy due to past failed relationships.
Conversely, the men have since existed as infantilized beings whose irresponsible behavioral patterns have been ignored, until now. Before now, most men could shirk unchallenged their responsibility as providers and protectors of the family. They could keep a harem of concubines to satiate their daily sexual appetite. They could physically and verbally abuse the women in their lives without resistance. They could maliciously deceive women with flowery rhetoric, sweep them off their feet, copulate with them, discard them like disposable utensils and move on to the next prey. The idea of the body count is said to be a proof of masculinity.
According to male propaganda, a man is truly worth that insignia based on the number of women sexually humbled by him. This indicates an invisible war against women that has been oblivious until now. At this moment, a foray into social media discourses shows a pandemic of male loneliness, as the gates to the female heaven has been locked against irresponsible and juvenile men.
Women have decided to take conscious charge of their daily reality through the filtration of undesirable masculine elements, who lack good intentions, purpose, character, goals, etc. Virtually, women have also been admonished that the art of domestication like nurturing their family, cleaning and general maintenance of their personal home space is excessive and ought to be curtailed. They have been told to “look pretty, always”, as it equates their intrinsic and extrinsic value. Men are visual, and that is all that matters!
Consequently, a verbal war against women has escalated through the format of Podcasts which shame women for their unrealistic desires and expectations. Responsible men, who honour, adore and cater to the women in their lives are marked as “Simps”. Men are warned against long-term relational engagements with women. They are admonished to seek untainted virginal women, even though they have been responsible for the creation of the “tainted whores”. And are the enablers of whoredom, because as they say in economic parlance, “ there can be no supply without demand”.
We live in an extremely chaotic moment in history because the gender war’s venue of expression resides within our personal spaces. And music exists as a witness and repository of history at every given epoch. While society influences the lyrics penned by the artist, the latter redirects the reflection on society.
The songs on today’s playlist embody myriad nuances of gender relations, like Sisterhood or absence thereof which can be gauged through women’s fight over men; female authenticity; female material independence and sustainability; the suppression of the feminine; female objectification; female agency; female vendetta; the essence of womanhood; Brotherhood or absence thereof, engendered by the conflict of ownership of a woman; male dominance; the degradation of the masculine; the male psyche; men as ATM’s; self-reflexivity about gender role reversal; resolution of gender conflicts; etc.
ENJOY!
Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston. "It Isn't, It wasn't. It Ain't Never Gonna Be" Through the Storm (1989).
Babyface. "A Bit Old-Fashioned" For the cool in You (1993).
Beyonce. "If I Were A Boy" I Am….Sasha Fierce (2008).
Brandy & Monica. "The Boy Is Mine" Never Say Never (1998).
Case. "Not Your Friend" Open Letter (2001).
Chaka Khan. "The Woman I Am" The Woman I Am (1992).
Cyndi Lauper. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" Twelve Deadly Cyns….And Then Some (1983).
Destiny’s Child. "Independent Woman" Survivor (2001).
Dolly Parton. "Touch Your Woman" Touch Your Woman (1972).
Dolly Parton. "Jolene" Jolene (1974).
Donna Summer. "She Works Hard For The Money" She Works Hard For The Money (1983).
Gladys Knight. "Men" (remixed single edit) /"Men" (Original) Good Woman (1992).
Heavy D. "Sister Sister" Peaceful Journey (1991).
Janet Jackson. "New Agenda" Janet. (1993).
Jay Z. "Girls Girls Girls" The Blueprint (2005).
Jennifer Lopez. "Ain't Your Mama" KISS Kesähitti (2016).
Karyn White. "Super Woman" Karyn White (1988).
Lesley Gore. "You Don't Own Me" Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts (1963).
Lisa Stansfield. "All Woman" Real Love (1991).
Mary J. Blige. "Strength Of A Woman" Strength Of A Woman (2017).
Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney. "The Girl Is Mine" Thriller (1984).
Nancy Wilson. "Free Again" Lush Life (1967).
Prince. "And God Created Woman" Love Symbol (1992).
Queen Latifah. "Fly Girl" Nature Of A Sista’ (1991).
Ray Parker Jr. "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" A Woman Needs Love - Just Like You Do (1981).
Roxanne Shante - "Brother's Ain't Shit" The Bitch Is Back (1992).
Shaggy. "Full Control" Lucky Day (2002).
Shaggy. "Strength Of A Woman" Lucky Woman (2002).
Tina Turner. "Typical Male" Break Every Rule (1986).
TLC. "No Scrubs" Fan Mail (1998).
Vanessa Williams. "Work To Do" The Comfort Zone (1991).
Vanessa Williams. "Betcha' Never" The Sweetest Days (1994).
Whitney Houston. "I'm Every Woman" Soundtrack to the Film The Bodyguard (1992).
DISCLAIMER: The songs on this page belong to the respective artists listed. NO copyright infringement intended.
