Little Bit of Everything Song by Keith Urban - Song Analysis Essay

Introduction

Popular culture plays an essential role in defining gender expectations; this can occur through the reinforcement or a challenge on ideas of gender. This paper will examine the Little Bit of Everything song by Keith Urban as an example of a popular cultural artifact. The song depicts men's perceptions of women.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Q1. What can you Learn About Gender Based on this Artifact?

The song is about how Urban wants to find the perfect lady (Chapman & Urban, 2013). He wants a lady who is a mix of everything. The song touches on the assumptions about the role of gender in the society. Urban mentions that he wants a lady who can cook for him and dance on the tables. The song conveys the message that women should do house chores like cooking for the man as well as being sexy for their men. Nevertheless, the song makes one believe that it is typical for women to be homemakers.

Q2. How does this Artifact Challenge or Reinforce Traditional Ideals of Gender Behavior?

The song shows that society has not changed despite individuals being familiar with the roles of women and men. The modern generation views women as independent and men doing the heavy work, but in the end, most people still expect numerous duties to fall to women. Some of the lyrics in the song say, "I do what I want and when I want, and she will do it with me" (Chapman & Urban, 2013). This shows that women are supposed to do what men commands because they lack a choice, and men should control relationships. Hence, the song depicts the conservative gender roles as well as views of women being expected to display their sexuality.

Q3. What Influence may Popular Culture Play in Our Expectations of Gender?

Each day, people watch movies and television as well as listening to music. Further, individuals come across various advertisements on the internet or via billboards; all these ideas create a popular culture. However, popular culture is way beyond the media in that it shapes individual behavior and feelings. Feminist theorists use movements in describing ways in which the society portrays the women; this is primarily achieved via popular culture (Trier-Bieniek & Leavy, 2014). Feminists use television programs in exploring issues of how minority women are treated in the developing world.

When people watch television programs they get the intended impression, for instance, girls and women have to conform to a specific standard which is celebrated in popular culture. Women in movies are always expected to be slim, have pretty hair and skin; this shows that women are valued about their sexuality. Therefore, popular culture creates the impression that a woman should be desirable in the eyes of a man, and should behave in a specific manner. Moreover, popular culture depicts women as inferior or submissive to men. This creates a stereotype where men see women as vulnerable; hence men treat women as sexual objects.

Therefore, popular culture can influence individuals' expectations about gender in that they create impressions through various platforms such as songs, music, advertisement, and tv programs. For instance, the popular culture establishes the expectation that women should be slim; this is the reason why women enroll in the gym or weight loss programs so that men can like them. In extreme cases, young girls seek plastic surgery or turn to eating disorders due to low self-esteem emanating from popular culture.

References

Chapman, N., & Urban, K. (Directors). (2013). Little bit of everything [Motion Picture].

Trier-Bieniek, A., & Leavy, P. (2014). Gender & Pop Culture. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.