Dear Meghan Trainor, here’s a few things you need to know if you want to be successful at all in your life– sung to the tune of ‘Dear Future Husband’, of course.
Meghan Trainor’s latest song and music video have got many people pretty worked up. If you haven’t seen it, prepare to be angered; take a look here.
If you don’t understand what’s wrong with the song and video, I’m going to break it down for you…
“Cause if you treat me rightI’ll be the perfect wifeBuyin groceries, buy, buying what you need”
Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m going to define myself as the perfect wife depending on whether I do the grocery shopping or not. Equally, I hope I don’t marry someone (or am ever in a relationship with someone in fact) who expects me to buy them things if they ‘treat me right’, whatever on earth that means in Meghan Trainor’s 1950’s fictitious world.
The video goes even further in portraying Meghan as the idealistic sexy housewife. Despite claiming in the song that she never learned to cook, a clip of her doing just that is still included, embedding the expectation of this as part of the female skill set. She is also shown somewhat seductively scrubbing the floor like a ‘good wife’… most people nowadays actually use a mop rather than degradingly getting on their hands and knees. This whole image is sexist; first of all, because it portrays the good wife ideal as a woman who stays at home to clean and cook dinner, and also apparently has a 9 to 5 job. In addition, this sexualized image of a housewife demeans what many stay-at-home parents, both women and men, do as their full time job every day, reducing it to some corny Disney-esque activity rather than the demanding job that it is.
“If you wanna get that special lovingTell me I’m beautiful each and every night”
Now ‘All About That Bass’ was both praised and slated for the way Meghan addressed female body image. Yes, she was promoting a curvier body image, which of course is great. But she did it by ‘skinny shaming’ and allowing the male gaze to entirely dictate what is and isn’t attractive in a woman. In this song, yet again, she reduces her own agency to something dictated by the male gaze, claiming that a guy simply needs to call her beautiful to have sex with her. Meghan, come on. There is so much more to a woman than what a man says about her appearance.
In addition, the video holds men to equally unreasonable standards. These gender divides have no place in the 21st century. Take this poor guy, for example. He apparently has to prove his strength to be good enough for Miss Trainor, but can only hit hard enough to reach ‘Sad Sack’ on the High Striker carnival game. Is no one else finding this as ridiculous as me?!
“You gotta know how to treat me like a ladyEven when I’m acting crazy”
Or how about knowing how to treat me like an equal human being? I don’t know, maybe I’m asking too much. Also please can we stop equating craziness with women. We are allowed emotions and opinions without that making us ‘crazy’ or ‘hormonal’.
“Open the doors for me and you might get some, kisses”
It just gets worse and worse… just no.
“Buy me a ring, buy, buy me a ring”
Now this is interesting. She’s not asking for loyalty, engagement or even commitment with this line. Just simply a material possession. I feel like women should be able to ask their partners for more emotional investment than that in a healthy relationship.
Oh and Meghan? Don’t even try and be Queen B.