This week I have treat for my followers, guest blogger Sharon Denny, an acclaimed author and good friend of mine. Sharon is an avid follower of Opinionated and wanted to share her opinion this week. So here we go...
In 1966, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, musically proclaimed that men rule the world when he recorded the song It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World, a title that Rolling Stone magazine characterized as “almost biblically chauvinistic”. The song attributes all the productive work that goes on in the world to the male gender, but also states that it would all amount to “nothing without a woman or a girl.” This song became a staple of Brown’s live shows and went on to rank number 123 in 2004 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
Let’s fast forward 45 years to 2011, a new time and a new generation of pop culture where things are looked at a little differently. Beyonce´ Knowles, famed pop singer/entertainer and wife of hip hop mogul Jay-Z, has seemed to ruffle some feathers, of roosters no doubt, when she recently came out with the hit song Who Run the World (Girls).
In the lyrics, the question is repeatedly asked: Who run the world? Who run this mother? And the answer every time is: Girls! Even more powerful than the lyrics is the music video where Beyonce´ is backed by a group of similarly attractive women clad in racy clothing, dancing and singing as they proclaim that girls run the world. The lyrics suggest that men love it how the female persuasion is “smart enough to make these millions, strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business.” These lyrics, although they might seem a bit feministic in nature, are powerful enough that they have mesmerized young girls and young women all over the world to the point where they believe that if Beyonce´ say’s girls run the world, then it must be true! Girls do run the world!
When asked what he thought of the song, a male friend clearly expressed that he felt the song is misleading young women and girls all over the world to believe something which is against the will of God and all of nature, and that the message, as small as it might seem to some, has the potential to evoke what could ultimately be a very damaging view by this generation against the design and strength of the traditional family unit.
I admire Beyonce´ as an artist, and I give her two thumbs up for the sound of the song and the dance moves performed in the music video. I’ll even go as far as to say that I do believe that what she’s saying is partly true. In recent years, women have begun playing more significant leading roles in their lives and households than ever before. Women have had to take the reins in many situations and “run” their worlds for whatever reason, so in nutshell, these lyrics do hold some truth. But, even with all that being the case, do the lyrics perpetuate or add to changes that are already taking place in the current generations that some of the world fears will be the fall of mankind?
Just how much weight does music carry and just how much influence do entertainers have on where we’re headed as a human race? As simple as lyrics to a pop song may seem, do you see the magnitude of the affect that they may have over time? How much does it matter to you? Is it a big enough issue that you would consider making such decisions as to not spend money to support certain artists, or to ban certain music from being played in your household, or do you just go with the flow and hope that what you’ve taught your children (if you have any) has taken root in their minds and will help steer them in the right direction when it comes to decision making?
I think that no matter what we teach our children, and no matter how they’re brought up in the home, they’re still strongly influenced by the outside world with generational changes in fashion, attitude, world views, etc. The question is, do we act upon the things that we see influencing our children each and every time, or do we gracefully allow time and evolution to have their way? What say you?
SD Denny
Award-Nominated Author
Titles: The Baker’s Dozen (2007) & HALF (2011)
www.sddenny.com
1 comment:
Whatever your opinion is about the appropriateness of Beyonce’s lyrics, I believe that outside sources more greatly influence our children if we, as parents, do not provide a firm foundation, continued guidance, and a balanced view. The first influences in a child’s life are parents, siblings and others in the household. Is it enough to carry them? If ignored, the foundation can crumble, and our children will be left exposed. In my opinion, we must not only be aware of outside influences but we should be prepared to give a response and re-direct, as necessary. There has to be some balance. Is what we see truly harmful or just different? If just different, perhaps our children should be allowed to exercise a measure of independence? We won’t know which call is right, unless we are aware and involved.
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