In today’s society women are looked at as weak, or inferior to men for reasons such as appearance, and their caring nature. Many men only see women for their outer beauty and never for their intelligence, causing women to feel that if they are not what the media portrays as pretty then they are not valuable. Countless songs on top radio stations give women the idea that they have to be a particular size, have a certain length of hair, and even be a particular skin color to even be looked at by the male specimen. In reality, a woman’s true beauty illuminates from the inside based on her personality, morals, and values. In the chart topping hit “Girl on Fire” songwriter Alicia Keys uses multiple rhetorical devices in order to contradict this sexist issue and portray a tone of respect to listeners of the male and female sex. …show more content…
This allows the listener to visualize a woman on fire but the woman not being affected by the flames pointing out a woman’s strength and also how much pain she can endure without showing signs of hurt. Further in the song Key’s goes on to say that “she got her head in the clouds, and she’s not backing down” shining a light on the amount of drive and persistence a woman has and how she will stop at nothing to reach her goals no matter how outlandish they may seem. A very powerful message is being given when Key’s says “looks like a girl but she’s a flame, so bright she can burn your eyes, better look the other way”. The use of the hyperbole helps compare a woman to having the power as equal to fire illustrating the emotional and mental strength a woman has in order to endure anything thrown her way, no matter her outer appearance. This statement also exaggerates a woman’s potential, instilling fear in anyone who doubts her, as well giving off the impression that you should never underestimate a woman because she is stronger than what meets the
Christopher Brian Bridges is an African American rapper that goes by the alias Ludacris. His genre of music is mostly Hip-Hop and R&B. In 2006 he released his fifth album called Release Therapy. From that album he released his third single called Runaway Love. He wrote the song with Douglas Davis, Jamal Jones, Richard Walters, and Keri Hilson. The song featured Mary J Blidge, and Keri Hilson who assisted with the background vocals.
Did you know that Katy Perry’s Firework music video got 176,758,000 views on YouTube? The Album it was on is Teenage Dream What year was the song released? 2010 Anything interesting about the song?It is the tenth most viewed video on youtube Thesis Statement In Firework, Katy Perry shows that This song shows pride by proving that you should always be yourself by using belonging, courage, and pride.My First Thesis Point is metaphor Metaphor is used in Firework to show that you got to embrace you’re self and not try to be like anyone else. “Cause baby you’re a firework” how your supports your thesis In this quote, Katy Perry is saying that you may have a slow start but that you will take off and do great in life. This is an example of a metaphor
The rhetorical devices used in the novel and her speech is the way her diction is used, imagery, exaggeration, pathos and ethos. Malala Yousafzai writes about how the girls in her country were being were being restricted from many rights including education. She speaks about her fears, her concerns, and her thoughts about what was happening around her. She also speaks about how she becomes stronger thought her experiencing of the horrible events that happened in her life.
Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women. New York: William Morrow, 1991.
In the current patriarchal society, modern media – including television shows, television commercials, movies, popular magazines, and even hit songs – often portrays women as tall, thin, and beautiful with perfect skin. If not, women are being told how they can become that ideally beautiful person. From a feminist critic’s perspective, both Colbie Caillat’s song “Try” and the music video that goes along with it offer a distinctly opposite than the societal norm, but still important, message often missing in today’s media.
...can also be applied to other groups. She focuses on the experiences of black women as they respond to this limitation, but her underlying ideas can be used to discuss other peoples’ experiences as well, especially in terms of how they define themselves in relation to the controlling images associated with them. While Skylar is not part of the demographic Hill Collins discusses explicitly, she does illustrate the interaction between controlling images and self-definitions, including resistance, and using dialogue and concrete experiences to determine whether knowledge claims are accurate. Most people, regardless of their place in society, experience controlling images, or someone else’s “first impressions” of them, with consequential limitations imposed on their abilities to be who they really are. Thus, it is important to examine how to confront and challenge this.
In mainstream America, black women are often stereotypically portrayed as sex workers, welfare queens, blue-collar service workers, video vixens, and entertainers (Collins 2004). Within these stereotypical depictions, black women are viewed as loud, angry, ghetto, hypersexual, and sometimes violent (Chavous et al. 2004; Childs 2005; Collins 2004; Nguyen & Anthony 2014; Wilkins 2012). In contrast, positive stereotypes of black women showcase them as strong, independent, resilient, loyal to their families and romantic partners, and responsible for sustaining the African American family. These images promote constructive illustrations of black women, even though popularized images negatively portray black women (Chavous et al. 2004;
Rhetoric is defined as “the art of effective speaking or writing; language designed to persuade or impress; eloquence, way with words, gift of gab.” We see rhetorical devices being used in our day-to-day life. Sometimes we might not realize that it’s being used and other times it might be obvious. One of the most common example where rhetorics are used is t.v. commercials. Every commercial uses certain rhetorical devices to capture their audience’s attention and leave an impact on them.
One of the factors that heavily influence the continuing propagation of these ideas associated with the sexuality of racialized women is the production and dissemination of media images, symbols and narratives (Brooks & Hébert, 2006, p. 297). As a society who is constantly consuming media culture through various media outlets, television uses a combination of methods in imagery, symbolization, and narration to represent our social realities. Notions of what beauty means are further dictated by fashion and reality television shows, which includes shows that discuss trends, makeovers, modeling, and more. In turn, these television programs often targeted at young women themselves, continue to shape how society views women of color, particularly how women of color are superfi...
I chose these four journal writings because I believe they are the strongest pieces I have written from the second half of the semester. The main focus of these journals was based on readings under the women as objects topic. The oppression of women has led to females being objectified and used as gratification for men. A woman’s body and appearance have become a commodity, especially in the media. Films, television shows, music and advertisements use women’s bodies to attract their audience and sell products. The movie watched in class “Killing Us Softly 4,” highlights this fact while presenting how women are represented throughout the media. The media has set and perpetuated a particular standard of beauty that is restrictive, but for some many women completely unattainable. The women represented in the media are young, thin and have western or European characteristics. Where does that leave the majority of women that do not fall under this category? This leads to women developing eating disorders to achieve an ideal body image that is manufactured through Photoshop and other picture editing systems. Women of color, women with disabilities or any woman that does not follow this standard is not represented within the media. When a few women do break this mold and become famous, they are set at a different standard. These women’s differences become the highlighted feature of their fame. However, the one constant in the media when it comes to women is the objectification and sexualization of women. This sexualization can lead to aggression or violence against women and the perpetuation of rape culture. The images viewed in the media directly impact how women view themselves and how others view women. By examining the issues women f...
Time after time it seems like people have tried to depict what our society true and often hidden image represents. One artist, Lauryn Hill, executed this topic exquisitely in her song “Mystery of Iniquity” produced in 2002. In this song she incorporates several verses from the bible n her lyrics to relate the underlying corruption of the law system on society and how it affects people. The first few lines of the song incorporate the same lyrics in the title where it states, “It's the mystery of Inequity, said it's the misery of inequity, said it's the history of inequity.” Here we see she uses these lines to introduce what she will essentially be discussing throughout the song as this expression is found in the book of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 in
Naomi Wolf's "The Beauty Myth," discusses the impact of our male-dominated society upon women. Wolf argues that women's most significant problems associated with societal pressures are a "fairly recent invention," dating back to the 1970s (6). She explains that women have "breached the power structure" by acquiring rights equal to men in areas such as, education, professional careers, and voting. As a result, Wolf suggests that the "beauty myth" is the "last one remaining of the old feminine ideologies that still has the power to control those women" (3). Considering that the beauty myth is women's last battle, the struggle is increasingly more difficult. Wolf claims that women are currently experiencing "a violent backlash against feminism," noting the recent rise in eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and objectification of women's bodies (3,2). While Wolf accurately defines the beauty myth, she incorrectly states that eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and pornography are recent issues, resulting from an intentional "backlash" against women's rights.
Common expectations seem to indicate gender roles on every individual. The males will play their part in being masculine while the females act an as object. There are several ways one can see how gender roles are played. A way is through hip-hop and rap music in the black community. Joan Morgan, an African American feminist and hip-hop and rap music fan, shows us how gender roles are being played in her community through music. Since Morgan is a feminist, she voices her opinion on the way black men treat black women in her article, “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos.” Morgan states her argument that black men write lyrics ranting about black women to give a self-reflection. The males feel oppressed and express it through music. There are many reasons a male can feel oppressed, whereas one reason is becoming masculine. Michael Kimmel, a sociologist professor at Stony Brook University and the author of “‘Bros Before Hos’: The Guy Code” states that guys tries their best to show that they are manly. To clarify on how the men portray their oppression is to sing of misogyny and self-hatred in disguised hatred toward women. Men expressing their oppression through music tie the guy code of acting masculine and Morgan’s view of men feeling oppressed. Morgan describes black men express their oppression by objectifying black women sexually in music. Jean Kilbourne, the author of “‘Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence” and an activist on advertisement based on public health problems and violence against women agrees with Morgan on women being sexually identified. Kilbourne and Morgan connect to Kimmel by showing how males are seen to be masculine and females are soft and emotional. Morgan’s claims, in “From Fly-Girls to Bi...
...In a nut shell, the overall message in Katy Perry’s song creates a positive impact towards listeners. Repetition in her lyric clearly shows that a person has potential which has yet to be discovered. “Boom, boom, boom/Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon”(37). The lyric tells that when the potential is revealed, it will definitely bring an individual towards unimaginable success in life. Also, for successful people, they are mostly equipped with high self esteem and persistence, Katy Perry once said that “everyone has the spark to be a firework” (Vena) where in her song “Firework,” she reminds her audience to derive strength from their inner self and build their own stone steps towards success. Also, Katy Perry tells her audience that failure will not last forever. Ultimately, people can build a better future of their own if they possess true faith in themselves.
The lyrics of music play an important part of interpreting the meaning of the song. The roles which women have been allowed by the society to embody have changed drastically. Women may question their roles because of what they see portrayed by popular culture or media. Change in female’s identity can be seen in how women are viewed or how they portray themselves in popular culture specifically through music. In general, music continues to...