All About That Bass

I wouldn't usually review things like music, but due to my interest in feminism and the way the media shapes our society I thought that this particular song would be interesting to discuss. I might not be following the rules of ‘reviews being unbiased’ but hey ho. *All views discussed in this review are my own; the word ‘arguably’ will be used a lot to emphasise this*

Meghan Trainor’s latest song could be considered as another ‘typical pop song’ with its clichéd use of chords and irritable chorus, but it’s far from conventional when you actually pay attention to the lyrics. Everyday we’re bombarded by advertisements that display the image of ‘perfection’ and ‘beauty’; therefore we’re aware of the standards that society sets up for us to aspire to. However, when looking at the lyrics of Trainor’s recent hit it’s quite disappointing, especially as the song is being praised for its ideas about self-acceptance and confidence.

Although Trainor has encouraged some women to be confident about their figure and informs us about the overuse of Photoshop to create ‘beauty’, I can’t understand why she has mixed these ideas with derision of those who don’t fit her image of what’s attractive.

Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two
But I can shake it, shake it
Like I'm supposed to do
'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
And all the right junk in all the right places

Arguably, it’s suggested here that women without curves aren’t seen as feminine or attractive. This links extremely well to the advertisements that we see day after day, telling us that “curves are natural” or “real women have curves”. Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with the idea of encouraging people to embrace their appearance, but expressions like ‘all the right junk in all the right places’ can be harmful to those who are naturally petite. Comments such as this could lead to low self-esteem and obsessions with wanting to look how the media portrays ‘perfection’ to be.

I see the magazine workin' that Photoshop
We know that shit ain't real
C'mon now, make it stop

Here, we’re reminded about the overuse of Photoshop within the media – making women look like flawless goddesses. Of course, we all know that Photoshop is used to make products look more appealing to the public eye, so what do you expect? We live in a male dominated society where men control the majority of the advertisements that reach us. I’m not saying that women are completely out of the loop here, but you have to look deeper into the structure of our society before you can understand why Photoshop is used. At the end of the day, Photoshop is used to please the male eye. It’s never going to be not used because, in reality, would you buy a product that’s advertised as anything less than perfect? It’s how we’ve been conditioned to accept the advertisement campaigns that are forced upon us. 

Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

Now here, I completely agree with the first line because I’m all for loving yourself and accepting who you are because at the end of the day, who’s going to love you if you cannot love yourself? However, in my opinion, Trainor is implying that well-rounded women are more attractive that those who aren’t. To me, she’s hinting that women should focus their happiness on how attractive a male finds them. Loving yourself because a male finds your figure attractive kind of defeats the whole idea of self-acceptance. I completely understand that everyone wants to be attractive in the eyes of someone else, but here it seems like Trainor is purposefully objectifying women to emphasise that ‘a little more booty’ will catch the attention of all men. On the flip side, what if there’s a group of men that don’t like the idea of ‘a little more booty’? What if they find skinnier people more attractive than those with a few more curves? It seems to me that she’s completely disregarding what different men actually find as attractive. 

I'm bringing booty back
Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that
No I'm just playing. I know you think you're fat

Harsh. Is it impossible to write a song about empowerment without shaming those that don’t have curves? Being thin doesn’t make you a bitch. You might be an unlikeable person, but that doesn’t mean there’s a link between bitchiness and skinniness. As Trainor says, ‘every inch of you is perfect’, when skinny girls are perfect too. However, I completely understand the meaning behind Trainor’s comment: ‘I know you think you’re fat.’ This is because women are made to feel as though they’re fat due to the way the female body is portrayed throughout the media. Trainor is in fact making a relevant comment about the way the media perceives the female body. Even if you’re a size 6, there’s always going to be that one advertisement that encourages you to be thinner.

Trainor isn’t the only artist to attempt to make people feel good about their bodies by degrading others for their appearance. For example, there’s Nicki Minaj with her recent hit Anaconda and One Direction with You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful. Basically, it’s difficult to make a statement about one thing without shaming the opposite side of the argument.

Although this may not be my favourite song of the moment, it was brought to light the problems within our society. The media that shapes our society need to move off the idea of attractiveness and body shape and focus more on the important things, like happiness and health. The stereotypes and typical names that have been created for those of different body shapes are harmful; society as a whole needs to consider the impact such a thing can have on an individual. 

Aside from all the perceived negativity, Trainor should be praised for the general idea of the song – encouraging people to accept their appearance and accept others for the way they may look or the way they may want to look. The upbeat melody of the song gives its audience a ‘feel good’ feeling, which is good for their self-esteem. Ignoring the arguable meaning of the lyrics, the song is a real encouragement to those who are struggling to accept who they are or who they want to be.