Heteronormativity in Pop Music

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Taylor Swift - “Picture To Burn”

Is Taylor Swift outing said ex-boyfriend? Or is she implying that being gay is a bad thing? 

Adrienne Rich is the author of the excerpt we read and discussed in class called, “Compulsory Heterosexuality And Lesbian Existence.” Rich says that “Lesbian existence is also represented as mere refuge from male abuses, rather than as an electric and empowering charge between women” (140). Lesbian existence is not talked about very much on the larger scale because of the “virtual or total neglect of lesbian existence in a wide range of writings, including feminist theory” (131). Rich wrote this piece to help the readers think more about, or inspire change in lesbian visibility, the structures itself of lesbian sexuality, and the role of literary criticism relating to lesbianism. Rich argues that heterosexuality should no longer be assumed, and she challenges the lack of lesbian existence in society and feminist literature. “Lesbianism” is looked at as “an alternative lifestyle”. She also argues that heterosexuality is a violent political institution making way for the “male right of physical, economical, and emotional access” to women.

Because pop music is based on heteronormativity, pop artist, Taylor Swift, focuses most of her songs on heterosexual relationships. She exaggerates the misogynistic relationships that she so often finds or found herself in. Swift has built her stardom on the account of her own heteronormativity, writing her hit single Picture To Burn, which is a song that depicts a girl, Swift, who did not get the boy she wanted. Swift’s song talks about how bad the boyfriend she had was, and how there’s no time for tears, so the boy is portrayed as “just another picture to burn”. I guess that doesn’t seem too heteronormative, but let’s take a closer look at the lyrics.

The song starts out with the opening lyrics:

“State the obvious,

I didn’t get my perfect fantasy

I realize you love yourself more than you could ever love me

So go and tell your friends that I’m obsessive and crazy

That’s fine!

I’ll tell mine

You’re gay

By the way…”

The song itself exemplifies a “stereotypical” heterosexual relationship. She says how her “daddy will show him how sorry he’ll be”. The song glorifies heterosexual relationships even though she had a horrible relationship experience. Most songs in pop genre demonstrate heteronormativity, however the line about telling her friends her ex is “gay”, is demeaning and homophobic. Swift is assuming that since the boy doesn’t want to be with her, that he’s gay. As if, since he didn’t want her, the only other alternative would be to date a boy; homosexuality is looked at as an “alternative lifestyle.” Or simply put, it’s just rude. She is using gay as a punishment because he broke her heart.  It is meant to emasculate and make a mockery of him as a means of reasserting her worth and value as a woman. She’s initially saying, if he dumped her, it isn’t because of any wrongdoing; He’s just gay!

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Katy Perry - “UR So Gay”

Similar to Swift’s “Picture To Burn”, Perry’s song seems to be about a girl who is using the term gay in a harsh or degrading type of way to insult her ex-boyfriend who she deemed too effeminate. 

Basically, Perry wrote this song as a response to a break up she had with a skinny-jean-wearing, guyliner-sporting emo ex. Although it’s typical for pop singers to bash their exes or past relationships in mainstream media, Perry’s approach is a tad bit too demeaning to the LGBTQ+ community. Also, the song itself takes a shot at the whole indie/alternative scene, but it also points out stereotypical gender roles in society that her ex had apparently challenged. 

Leslie Feinberg is the author of “Transgender Liberation”, a reading we discussed in class, which explains the significance of gender roles in society and how they affect men and women who either adhere to or are opposed to their gender roles. Feinberg says, “Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with men who are considered ‘masculine’ and women whose self-expression falls into the range of what is considered ‘feminine.’ The problem is that the many people who don’t fit these narrow social constraints run a gamut of harassment and violence” (205). The overall problem with gender norms is not caused by gender roles themselves and how they’re set in our society, but it is a direct cause of other people’s reactions to those who oppose the gender roles. In Perry’s song, she argues that her ex is just “so gay” because he defies the cultural norms, he’s breaking boundaries because Perry deemed his actions “gay”. She stereotyped his behaviors as gay because they don’t go along with the norm. 

This song by Perry tells us that mainstream media believes that if men go against the norm or baseline that they have to be gay, there’s no other reason behind their actions, which is not the truth at all. This piece of media is aimed at indie/ alternative men who aren’t as 100% “masculine” as society wants them to be, and the LGBTQ+ community because it puts homosexuality down as a joke. I know that it is targeted at indie men because the whole video itself and the lyrics show and provide a background story of an indie man who enjoys doing things that are deemed “feminine”, such as wearing makeup, H&M Scarfs. Perry feminized everyday activities to justify her ex’s so called “homosexual tendencies”. I.e., “listening to Mozart”, “vegetarianism”, being skinny, wearing makeup, etc. 

Sexuality is determined by more than just attraction to the same sex. This whole song is triggering in the sense that Perry is trying to profit off of “girl on girl” action in her earlier song, “I Kissed a Girl” but then goes ahead and tells men who aren’t properly masculine to kill themselves with their “H&M scarfs”. Since, you know, that would be the gay thing to do.

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Katy Perry - “I Kissed a Girl”

Perry does a great job of creating a toxic portrayal of both female sexuality and lesbianism (lesbian existence) with her number 1 song of 2008: “I Kissed A Girl”. 

Basically, this song sucks. 

Perry starts the first verse of the song stating that being homosexual or kissing a girl was never what she intended on happening but that it happened because she “got so brave, drink in hand”. Wow! Liquor encouragement; aka, the only reason her “experimentation” began. Because you know, one can only dare to kiss the same sex when they’re drunk.

The second verse broken down is Perry saying that she could not be or is not “in love” with the girl because shes straight, she clarifies that by saying she hopes her boyfriend won’t mind it; essentially, because it’s just a joke, since lesbian existence is sooooooo funny.  Perry’s lyrics demonstrate the patriarchal interpretation of female sexuality as a commodity used and owned by men because she’s only kissing a girl bc shes drunk, and it’s just a joke (to her anyway).

The third verse is basically saying that Perry doesn’t know the name of the girl she is kissing. But she clears it up that it doesn’t matter because, yet again, this is just an “experimental game”; it’s all for fun. Lesbianism is just a “game” that bad girls play occasionally. 

Perry’s portrayal is toxic because it is essentially saying that as long as women only kiss women they don’t know and have permission from their boyfriends to do so, they remain within the realm of “heterosexual privilege”. However, women who identify as queer, bisexual, or lesbian and kiss women are not labeled as “innocent.” On the note of innocence, I suppose I have time to touch on racism in Perry’s music. Mireille Miller-Young, author of “Brown Sugar”, would argue that Perry’s song is only acceptable because she is a white woman fetishizing queer desire for other white women, since the song makes it seem like she’s kissing a girl for male desire. Young says, “White American women are not judged in the same way, nor are they accused of representing the ‘hyper-sexuality of white womanhood’. Yet black women, as individuals, o en come to stand for their entire racial group. Not only are black women performers burdened with representing every other black woman, they are seen to depict only simplistic and denigrating types. Black porn actresses understand that they are seen as archetypical whores and bad women by both the black community and the broader, categorically white, culture” (13,14).

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Why Is Pop Music so Heteronormative?

Because men force sexuality upon females.

Adrienne Rich gives descriptive examples of how men have the ability to both deny and force women’s sexuality.

from page 131 Rich.

Women’s sexuality is more forced because of the idealization of heterosexual romance in art, literature, the media, advertising, etc. (Rich 131). 

So this mainstream media that kids listen to or are otherwise surrounded with everyday portrays only heteronormative romances because they produce a “subliminal message being that sadistic heterosexuality is more ‘normal’ than sensuality between women” (Rich 132). 

Although, the last approaches that tried to draw attention to homosexuality in mainstream media failed terribly, there are singers and songs that portray same-sex desires in an appropriate way. 

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Demi Lovato -  “Cool For The Summer”

Okay, so this song is not as bad as the other attempts to give attention to homosexuality in music, but it’s also not a saint, compared to others. However, I felt as though its analysis was too relevant to leave out. 

To start off, Lovato’s song is very similar to Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”, in multiple ways. i.e.., “got a taste for the cherry” (lovato)> “the taste of her cherry chapstick” (Perry); “I’mma little curious too” (Lovato)> “I’m curious for you” (Perry), etc. The music videos are very similar too, in the sense that both singers were surrounded by other female characters. Demi and Perry were both dressed very provocative or in sexy clothes maybe to eroticize of fetishize lesbian existence. Although Lovato’s song is similar to Perry’s, Lovato does a better job of accepting or addressing same-sex desires in mainstream pop music. Lovato’s approach is more about self-confession and ignorance being bliss; Drawing attention to normalizing same-sex desire, while Perry’s reflects the trivialization of queer female sexuality and the cultural norms which state that female sexuality exists for the pleasure of men.

Throughout the “Cool For The Summer” music video, there are homosexual make out scenes, but it should be noted that Lovato did not share a heterosexual kiss. However, in one scene, at a party, Lovato was the center shot and it shows her grabbing a female character and they go in for a kiss that ends up being cut short for some reason. However, it is then followed by a different homosexual makeout scene. Although Lovato is not shown in a relationship with a female or with anyone, it leads to the idea that she’s singing about a bi-curious summer fling, nothing longterm. 

I feel as though Lovato is doing a great job in trying to normalize homosexuality or same-sex desires with her song; even though it is not a direct support for homosexual relationships, it’s more about Lovato’s self-confession of her own bi-curiousity or sexual desires. She’s arguing that she doesn’t care if people agree or disagree with her decision, let them judge she’ll do the time. If its considered wrong she doesnt care because it’s her body. Bodily autonomy, she’s reclaiming her body and doing what she wants.

What Lovato’s song is portraying (message of, its my body, I’ll kiss or be with whoever I want) resembles what Angela Davis is arguing in her essay, “Racism, Birth Control, and Reproductive Rights”. It’s similar in the sense that Davis essentially is arguing, in larger scale, that since it’s the woman’s body, it should be the woman’s choice. Although she is arguing it more on the scale of reproductive rights and pro-choice, it’s still relatable to Lovato’s song, because it is her body, so it is her choice who she kisses. Quoting another author, Davis says, “‘The right to decide has been almost wholly denied to woman’” (Davis 356). Lovato is trying to show that it’s possible to reclaim female rights, and body rights. 

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Hayley Kiyoko

Judith Lorber author of “The Social Construction of Gender”,  describes the creation and existence of gender while explaining what it means to and for society. Gender is something that dictates almost every aspect of human existence. Lorber says, “The pervasiveness of gender as a way of structuring social life demands that gender statuses be clearly differentiated” - whether it is acknowledged by many or not, individuals’ experiences vary depending on their gender (58). While explaining the impact gender can have, Lorber examined the infamous world of gender roles and their varying levels of intensity. Because gender is such a significant part of culture, it presents itself in almost everything around us. Whether it be in film or music, the usual breadwinner and dominant father and reserved domesticated housewife storyline has been played over-exemplified and became so predictable. It surrounds everything we do. 

However, Hayley Kiyoko’s song, “Girls like Girls”, goes against all of the gender roles because the music video portrays a girl who essentially has fallen in love with what seems to be her female best friend- who just so happens to have a boyfriend. Although you may be thinking, “wow another predictable ‘queer bait’ storyline”, fret not; that is not the case. In this music video, same-sex attraction between both female roles was actually amplified, given more attention, and more normalized than the initial heterosexual relationship. The hetero-relationship was diminished or mocked because the male character was portrayed as a fool, and as a result the girlfriend mocked or embarrassed him and ended up breaking up. (example below)

Kiyoko switched around roles and produced a more homosexually accepting platform for mainstream music because she isn’t coy about sexuality. She isn’t flirting with implications in lyrics or subtle hints or anything (no queer-baiting). Her music videos are obviously about same-sex desires, and she doesn’t shy away from it at all. And yes it’s becoming more accepting in society and in media, but there’s still this air of “we’re not gonna define it. It’s open to interpretation,” especially in mainstream music. There’s not a lot of, just very plain, “this song is gay and that’s that,” there’s always more that meets the eye and Kiyoko is not like that.

Another good song by Kiyoko to analyze is  “Gravel To Tempo”. In this song, Kiyoko sings about feeling inadequate, before defiantly declaring on the chorus, "I'll do this my way, don't matter if I break...I gotta be on my own." She said “I remember so well what it was like to idolize other people and look for validation from them. But then I grew up, and I realized: The only validation I need is from myself." The video is about a girl (Kiyoko) who likes girls and is coming to terms with loving herself regardless of what people have to say. And it’s in a highschool setting which helps normalize queer tendencies to young children everywhere. She is targeting young curious children by showing them that it’s okay if you’re not 100% comfortable with your sexuality, as long as you know it’s normal, or is normalized. Kiyoko said, “My goal is to inspire my fans to find happiness in themselves earlier on, so they don’t have such a tough time growing up. The world is a hard, difficult place right now. But it can feel a little bit easier if you believe in yourself.” 

This is similar to Rich’s piece “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence”, in the sense that Kiyoko wants to help women loving women to accept their homosexuality, and Rich’s piece emphasizes how compulsory heterosexual orientation had been forced onto women and the oppressions women suffer due to social construct. Rich draws attention to the sexual inequity women experienced as they lived subject to men causing them to lose power and identity in society: economically, socially and sexually. This has lead to women not being given a preference for their sexuality but having heterosexuality enforced on them, especially at young ages. Which Kiyoko is trying to normalize. In some societies, it is socially and scientifically believed that a women having sexual and emotional interest in another women is impossible. Thus denying the existence of lesbians and enforcing heterosexuality on women, diminishing sexuality as a preference or implement.

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Demi Lovato -  “Cool For The Summer”

Okay, so this song is not as bad as the other attempts to give attention to homosexuality in music, but it’s also not a saint, compared to others. However, I felt as though its analysis was too relevant to leave out. 

To start off, Lovato’s song is very similar to Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”, in multiple ways. i.e.., “got a taste for the cherry” (lovato)> “the taste of her cherry chapstick” (Perry); “I’mma little curious too” (Lovato)> “I’m curious for you” (Perry), etc. The music videos are very similar too, in the sense that both singers were surrounded by other female characters. Demi and Perry were both dressed very provocative or in sexy clothes maybe to eroticize of fetishize lesbian existence. Although Lovato’s song is similar to Perry’s, Lovato does a better job of accepting or addressing same-sex desires in mainstream pop music. Lovato’s approach is more about self-confession and ignorance being bliss; Drawing attention to normalizing same-sex desire, while Perry’s reflects the trivialization of queer female sexuality and the cultural norms which state that female sexuality exists for the pleasure of men.

Throughout the “Cool For The Summer” music video, there are homosexual make out scenes, but it should be noted that Lovato did not share a heterosexual kiss. However, in one scene, at a party, Lovato was the center shot and it shows her grabbing a female character and they go in for a kiss that ends up being cut short for some reason. However, it is then followed by a different homosexual makeout scene. Although Lovato is not shown in a relationship with a female or with anyone, it leads to the idea that she’s singing about a bi-curious summer fling, nothing longterm. 

I feel as though Lovato is doing a great job in trying to normalize homosexuality or same-sex desires with her song; even though it is not a direct support for homosexual relationships, it’s more about Lovato’s self-confession of her own bi-curiousity or sexual desires. She’s arguing that she doesn’t care if people agree or disagree with her decision, let them judge she’ll do the time. If its considered wrong she doesnt care because it’s her body. Bodily autonomy, she's reclaiming her body and doing what she wants.

What Lovato’s song is portraying (message of, its my body, I’ll kiss or be with whoever I want) resembles what Angela Davis is arguing in her essay, “Racism, Birth Control, and Reproductive Rights”. It’s similar in the sense that Davis essentially is arguing, in larger scale, that since it’s the woman’s body, it should be the woman’s choice. Although she is arguing it more on the scale of reproductive rights and pro-choice, it’s still relatable to Lovato’s song, because it is her body, so it is her choice who she kisses. Quoting another author, Davis says, “‘The right to decide has been almost wholly denied to woman’” (Davis 356). Lovato is trying to show that it’s possible to reclaim female rights, and body rights. 

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Why Is Pop Music so Heteronormative?

Because men force sexuality upon females.

Adrienne Rich gives descriptive examples of how men have the ability to both deny and force women’s sexuality.

from page 131 Rich.

Women’s sexuality is more forced because of the idealization of heterosexual romance in art, literature, the media, advertising, etc. (Rich 131). 

So this mainstream media that kids listen to or are otherwise surrounded with everyday portrays only heteronormative romances because they produce a “subliminal message being that sadistic heterosexuality is more ‘normal’ than sensuality between women” (Rich 132). 

Although, the last approaches that tried to draw attention to homosexuality in mainstream media failed terribly, there are singers and songs that portray same-sex desires in an appropriate way. 

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Katy Perry - “I Kissed a Girl”

Perry does a great job of creating a toxic portrayal of both female sexuality and lesbianism (lesbian existence) with her number 1 song of 2008: “I Kissed A Girl”. 

Basically, this song sucks. 

Perry starts the first verse of the song stating that being homosexual or kissing a girl was never what she intended on happening but that it happened because she “got so brave, drink in hand”. Wow! Liquor encouragement; aka, the only reason her “experimentation” began. Because you know, one can only dare to kiss the same sex when they're drunk.

The second verse broken down is Perry saying that she could not be or is not “in love” with the girl because shes straight, she clarifies that by saying she hopes her boyfriend won't mind it; essentially, because it’s just a joke, since lesbian existence is sooooooo funny.  Perry’s lyrics demonstrate the patriarchal interpretation of female sexuality as a commodity used and owned by men because she’s only kissing a girl bc shes drunk, and it’s just a joke (to her anyway).

The third verse is basically saying that Perry doesn’t know the name of the girl she is kissing. But she clears it up that it doesn’t matter because, yet again, this is just an “experimental game”; it’s all for fun. Lesbianism is just a “game” that bad girls play occasionally. 

Perry’s portrayal is toxic because it is essentially saying that as long as women only kiss women they don’t know and have permission from their boyfriends to do so, they remain within the realm of “heterosexual privilege”. However, women who identify as queer, bisexual, or lesbian and kiss women are not labeled as “innocent.” On the note of innocence, I suppose I have time to touch on racism in Perry’s music. Mireille Miller-Young, author of “Brown Sugar”, would argue that Perry’s song is only acceptable because she is a white woman fetishizing queer desire for other white women, since the song makes it seem like she's kissing a girl for male desire. Young says, “White American women are not judged in the same way, nor are they accused of representing the ‘hyper-sexuality of white womanhood’. Yet black women, as individuals, o en come to stand for their entire racial group. Not only are black women performers burdened with representing every other black woman, they are seen to depict only simplistic and denigrating types. Black porn actresses understand that they are seen as archetypical whores and bad women by both the black community and the broader, categorically white, culture” (13,14).

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Katy Perry - “UR So Gay”

Similar to Swift’s “Picture To Burn”, Perry’s song seems to be about a girl who is using the term gay in a harsh or degrading type of way to insult her ex-boyfriend who she deemed too effeminate. 

Basically, Perry wrote this song as a response to a break up she had with a skinny-jean-wearing, guyliner-sporting emo ex. Although it’s typical for pop singers to bash their exes or past relationships in mainstream media, Perry’s approach is a tad bit too demeaning to the LGBTQ+ community. Also, the song itself takes a shot at the whole indie/alternative scene, but it also points out stereotypical gender roles in society that her ex had apparently challenged. 

Leslie Feinberg is the author of “Transgender Liberation”, a reading we discussed in class, which explains the significance of gender roles in society and how they affect men and women who either adhere to or are opposed to their gender roles. Feinberg says, “Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with men who are considered ‘masculine’ and women whose self-expression falls into the range of what is considered ‘feminine.’ The problem is that the many people who don’t fit these narrow social constraints run a gamut of harassment and violence” (205). The overall problem with gender norms is not caused by gender roles themselves and how they’re set in our society, but it is a direct cause of other people’s reactions to those who oppose the gender roles. In Perry’s song, she argues that her ex is just “so gay” because he defies the cultural norms, he’s breaking boundaries because Perry deemed his actions “gay”. She stereotyped his behaviors as gay because they don’t go along with the norm. 

This song by Perry tells us that mainstream media believes that if men go against the norm or baseline that they have to be gay, there’s no other reason behind their actions, which is not the truth at all. This piece of media is aimed at indie/ alternative men who aren't as 100% “masculine” as society wants them to be, and the LGBTQ+ community because it puts homosexuality down as a joke. I know that it is targeted at indie men because the whole video itself and the lyrics show and provide a background story of an indie man who enjoys doing things that are deemed “feminine”, such as wearing makeup, H&M Scarfs. Perry feminized everyday activities to justify her ex’s so called “homosexual tendencies”. I.e., “listening to Mozart”, “vegetarianism”, being skinny, wearing makeup, etc. 

Sexuality is determined by more than just attraction to the same sex. This whole song is triggering in the sense that Perry is trying to profit off of “girl on girl” action in her earlier song, “I Kissed a Girl” but then goes ahead and tells men who aren’t properly masculine to kill themselves with their “H&M scarfs”. Since, you know, that would be the gay thing to do.

[heteronormativepopmusic]

Taylor Swift - “Picture To Burn”

Is Taylor Swift outing said ex-boyfriend? Or is she implying that being gay is a bad thing? 

Adrienne Rich is the author of the excerpt we read and discussed in class called, "Compulsory Heterosexuality And Lesbian Existence." Rich says that "Lesbian existence is also represented as mere refuge from male abuses, rather than as an electric and empowering charge between women" (140). Lesbian existence is not talked about very much on the larger scale because of the "virtual or total neglect of lesbian existence in a wide range of writings, including feminist theory" (131). Rich wrote this piece to help the readers think more about, or inspire change in lesbian visibility, the structures itself of lesbian sexuality, and the role of literary criticism relating to lesbianism. Rich argues that heterosexuality should no longer be assumed, and she challenges the lack of lesbian existence in society and feminist literature. "Lesbianism" is looked at as "an alternative lifestyle". She also argues that heterosexuality is a violent political institution making way for the "male right of physical, economical, and emotional access" to women.

Because pop music is based on heteronormativity, pop artist, Taylor Swift, focuses most of her songs on heterosexual relationships. She exaggerates the misogynistic relationships that she so often finds or found herself in. Swift has built her stardom on the account of her own heteronormativity, writing her hit single Picture To Burn, which is a song that depicts a girl, Swift, who did not get the boy she wanted. Swift's song talks about how bad the boyfriend she had was, and how there's no time for tears, so the boy is portrayed as "just another picture to burn". I guess that doesn't seem too heteronormative, but let's take a closer look at the lyrics.

The song starts out with the opening lyrics:

"State the obvious,

I didn't get my perfect fantasy

I realize you love yourself more than you could ever love me

So go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy

That's fine!

I'll tell mine

You're gay

By the way..."

The song itself exemplifies a "stereotypical" heterosexual relationship. She says how her "daddy will show him how sorry he'll be". The song glorifies heterosexual relationships even though she had a horrible relationship experience. Most songs in pop genre demonstrate heteronormativity, however the line about telling her friends her ex is "gay", is demeaning and homophobic. Swift is assuming that since the boy doesn't want to be with her, that he's gay. As if, since he didn't want her, the only other alternative would be to date a boy; homosexuality is looked at as an "alternative lifestyle." Or simply put, it’s just rude. She is using gay as a punishment because he broke her heart.  It is meant to emasculate and make a mockery of him as a means of reasserting her worth and value as a woman. She’s initially saying, if he dumped her, it isn't because of any wrongdoing; He's just gay!