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​​ Female __Country Music Stars__

For those of you who don't listen to country music here is a sample from each artist. media type="youtube" key="5bywHGmbnZw" height="340" width="560"media type="youtube" key="0XYh_NhQAkQ" height="340" width="560"

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**__What would Parsons' say?__** 02/21/10 While the song "Love Story" goes along with the fairy tale ideaology, another song by Taylor Swift called "White Horse" contradicts this ideal. Though she talks about the idea of a fairy tale she says "I'm not a princess/ this ain't a fairy tale/I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet/ lead her up the stairwell." This time she's not the one waiting for a guy to make her happy, "and there you are on your knees/ begging for forgiveness/ begging for me/ just like I always wanted/ but I'm so sorry..." "White Horse" is a song about the girl deciding what she wants to do for a change and not letting a guy affect her feelings.**
 * I think that Parson's would have many things to say about female country artists and what they have to say in their lyrics. Specifically I'm going to talk about Taylor Swift and some songs off of her c.d "Fearless." From a young age girls are "programmed" to believe in the ideal love, the song "Love Story" talks about the whole fairy tale fantasy, as a modern day Romeo and Juliet. In the chours she says "you'll be the prince and I'll be the princess/ it's a love story baby just say yes." This is something any young girl or teenager could look at and say that's what they want, and since Taylor writes her own songs, she has most likely experienced believing in being in a modern day "fairy tale," to be in a romance with a guy that's her "Romeo." Parson talks about how "fairy tales are often deemed of marginal cultural importance and dismissed as unworthy of critical attention (135)," but so many girls believe in this ideal. Near the end of the song Taylor talks about how she's waiting for the guy, "Romeo save me I've been feeling so alone/ I keep waiting for you but you never come." This is her basically saying she needs a guy to make her happy, she needs her "Romeo." He eventually comes and proposes, which is like out of a fairy tale. Parsons would say this fits a "romance ideology."
 * Taylor's newest song "Today was a Fairytale" directly supports the fairytale phenomenon. But there are a few lyrics from the song that support the idea of being "different," the lyrics read "I wore a dress/ you wore a dark grey t-shirt/ You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess." This relates to Parson's article when she talks about "a primary goal of gender construction in patriarchal culture is to prepare young girls for romantic love and heterosexual practices (136)," and also when she talks about women being "the object of men's gaze and beauty determines a woman's value (137)." How it relates to the first quote is this is obviously a heterosexual romance, with the guy and the girl. Her wearing a dress and him kind of "dressing down" shows that she needs to be the one to "impress" him relates to the second quote. The way it goes against the ideal is she doesn't look perfect, but who is anybody to say you have to look "perfect?" **

media type="youtube" key="8xg3vE8Ie_E" height="340" width="560"media type="youtube" key="D1Xr-JFLxik" height="340" width="560" Do Rozario would have some interesting things to say about Miranda Lambert's song "Crazy-Ex Girlfriend." She talks about how there is a femme fatale in the fairytales "always using the princess's true love in order to "rule the kingdom herself (43)" and this connects to Lambert's song. She sings about herself finding her ex boyfriend who is with his new girlfriend and she's trying to get in-between them like the femme fatale would do in a fairytale. She talks about looking for them and it took her five bars to find them and she strikes a fight with her. She says his new girlfriend being a "little bitch" and how she wants to fight. "Those pretty girls can play their game/ but their damn well gonna know my name." This is putting females against each other like in every fairytale. Though it doesn't say anything in this particular song about the "crazy ex-girlfriend" getting the man in the end the aticle talks about "the authentic power lying with the bad woman (44)," Lambert talks about having a "pistol/ but I ain't some kind of fool." The weapon is used as a sense of power she has over both the "prince"and his new "princess." Lambert is embracing the idea of being the femme fatale, and finds a certain power through it in this song. Another song that embraces this femme fatale identity is Carrie Underwood's song "Before he Cheats." She talks about how she "Dug my key into the side/ Of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive/ Carved my name into his leather seats/ I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights/ Slashed a hole in all 4 tires/ And maybe next time he'll think before he cheats." Underwood is wearing a "princess mask (46)" that Do Rozario talks about in order to appear as rightfully "destroying" her now ex-boyfriends ride. In both of these songs Lambert and Underwood talk about the new girl as being a "bitch" or a "beached blonde tramp" (as Underwood does), ultimately putting the two against each other. The "good" against "evil," but in neither of the songs does it refer to the man as being an "asshole," a cheater, or any other word she would definately call him in real life. This just gives women an excuse to call another woman a name, whether she "deserves" the title or not.
 * What Would Do Rozario say?** 02/28/10

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 * What Would Lisa Hager say?** 03/07/10

**In Lisa Hager's article about the Powerpuff girls she talks about the opposite of empowering women, that of the Spice Girls saying they "achieve power by using one's sexuality and looks (p.g 64). Though many country music stars obviously use sex to sell their music there lyrics are more empowering then disempowering. In Carrie Underwood's song "Before She Cheats" she talks about getting revenge but this can be seen as empowering to some women. The lyrics saying "I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive/carved my name into his leather seats/ Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats." Taking out the part about messing up his truck, she is saying to not let a guy cheat on you and accept it. Hagar talks about having privilege as white, suburban, middle-class superheroes. The same thing could be said for white, suburban, country singers such as Swift and Underwood. The idea of creating the image of the perfect little girl for the Powerpuff girls you could say that young country female singers are trying to create the best image of what a girl should look like. Or they're being used on magazines to try to convince the public they are the perfect images of a women. There is a similarity between Swift and Underwood, that they are both blonde and quite skinny. While seeing Miranda in concert I noticed though she is blonde, she has a slighter image of a normal body type. Though magazines do so much air brushing to make these ladies look "perfect." **




 * What Would Schrum say? 03/14/10**

** In Schrum's essay "Teena Means Business" she talks about how the image of the teenager is between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, "growing older, younger (137)" and this is most likely the age Taylor Swift's music is trying to target. So it makes sense that teen magazines would future on the cover often, she's what makes them sell. And since the magazine focuses on beauty and appearance as Schrum tells us, she has to be "made up" and dressed pretty. Basically Swift is shown as the "ideal" teen girl that Schrum talks about. Girls think they can capture her look by buying the same make up, dying their hair the same color, or wearing similar clothes. But in reality you could never be like Swift, her lifestyle is highly unattainable. Putting everyday girls on the magazine would possibly be more worthwhile. ** Schrum talks about how when Seventeen was first introduced they wanted "to build a wholesome image (144)," and with putting Swift on the cover in innocent, non cleavage showing shirts they are still promoting that idea. Her hair is also shown loose in her natural curls, and not in a straight glamorous style which promotes a girl-next-door/wholesome look. **
 * The article talks about a factor of influencing popular culture as being a "decrease in full time work force and greater high school attendance (136)" in the 1950's and this still holds true today. Most girls in high school want to be accepted by other girls so achieving the ideal that Swift portrays will help you with that. When Taylor is shown on the cover it's trying to sell magazines that portray her image as being both relatable and untouchable as a superstar. The high school age is between the ages 14 and 18 which is an age that is greatly influenced by popular culture.

**What would Zipes say? 4/04/10**
 * I think Zipes would have many things to say about female country music. First off he may say that it's not necessarily "sexist," because Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert all talk about guys doing them "wrong" and doing them "right." Though there may be more songs about being "done wrong" because in general those are their more popular songs. Zipes talks about characters in Harry Potter being "cute and ordinary" and though obviously being a famous female country singer isn't normal each of these singers have a sense of being ordinary. For example Carrie Underwood was discovered on American Idol and was a normal girl before all the fame. Zipes says "to be phenomenal means that a person or commodity must conform to the tastes of hedgemonic groups that determine what makes up a phenomenon. It is impossible to be phenomenal without conforming to conventionality." And i think that this applies to these singers very well. If they sang music that didn't relate to people well I'm sure their popularity would be quite less. Taylor Swift is a huge phenomenon right now because she sings music that many young girls relate to. Her songs are a balance of "Romeo and Juliet" (Love Story) and "he did me wrong" (Forever and Always). Zipes talks about how if "you've read one, you've read them all: plots are the same" about the Harry Potter books. This can definately be applied to country music, the lyrics all talk about one thing (usually): love. 

What would Beavis/Charles say? 4/11/10 I think that if they were to write an article on popular female country music stars they would say that their music is directed toward female teenagers. The songs don't relate to most guys because they talk about guys doing wrong. The idea that "there is no prearticulated gender identity (page 357)" can be refuted, because through the way they dress and do their hair and make-up may be aimed as appealing to both guys and girls, their music is directed at girls. If a guy says they relate to a Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood song they may be looked at as homosexual because that's the way young people are made to look at each other through the media. I think that while most video games are aimed toward boys, country songs (female) are aimed at girls. The article talks about how "gaming for females often had to be fitted around domestic chores (358)" and this is true in the aspect that female country music stars sing about hating men and loving men ****. It also talks about how the Sims has "the pleasure that lies in experimentation and chaos, rather than in the drive to maintain an orderly house and the norms and expectations of game play (361)." This brings me to question what if Taylor Swift sang about something different than hating an ex-boyfriend would be recieved well? Or is her popularity based on this?**

Although the American Girl dolls are the "anti-barbies.. dolls that could teach American history, family values, and self reliance" (166), the Taylor Swift barbie doll i found online doesn't represent any of this. She is dressed in some kind of ball gown and her make up and hair appears to be perfect. However she is featured with a guitar which is non-traditional for most barbie dolls, but it makes sense because obviously she's a singer who plays her own instruments. This is directing us away from "gender-specific behaviors" (169) that we see so often today with toys. I think it is still promoting a certain "materialism" (169) and the "traditional ideas about how girls and women should act, behave, and look" (170) that young girls are shown everyday. Just from looking at the Taylor Swift barbie doll I think the politics of advocacy or "urging a particular value system or course of action" (172) is to be a good singer who also is talented enough to play her own instruments but you still have to look attractive. The article talks about how the "long hair of the American Girls serves as a subtle reminder that girls and women should have tong hair" (177), the Taylor Swift barbie doll has long hair which makes sense because her hair is long in real life, BUT would Taylor Swift have as much popularity if she chopped all her hair off and had a boyish haircut? A fellow country singer of her's, Kellie Pickler had longer hair and chopped it off and I don't think it had an impact on her popularity. However there still a kind of ideology that country music singers are mostly blonde and skinny as Pickler is. **
 * What would Inness say? "Anti-Barbie" 4/ 25/10
 * Taylor Swift Barbie Doll Kellie Pickler before and after**

What would Inness say? "It's a Girl Thing" 4/25/10 I think that Inness would have many things to say about female country singers. The are many male country singers who are popular that I could name off the top of my head, even though I'm not big into country music, but there are only a few I can name that are female country singers. It relates to the article since the article talks about how they're few female action figures compared to male action figures, "More feminine heroes haven't been on patrol since She-Ra left the scene in the late 1980s" (76). And when a female is popular in country music its mostly directed toward females, because if a guy says they love Carrie Underwood most of the time they may be called gay for liking the music. Like in the article how it says that "Boys would not play with dolls, but they bought millions of G.I. Joe action figures" (78). This is the way female country music is to straight guys, if you like their music don't tell anybody. The article talks about how "females can be action heroes, but they must not stray too far from traditional femininity" (90) and in country music women have to fit a specific model. If she isn't singing about her love life and how she (mostly) hates men she won't be popular. And if she isn't "glamorous" in some sort of way whether it be her long hair or make-up she isn't going to be looked at the same way Carrie Underwood is looked at with all the magazines she graces.

**I think African Americans being portrayed as a united group when it comes to the "musical and social history of the ring shout, spiritual, the blues, soul, funk, and hip-hop (9)" and not really being united from the author's point of view is the same in country music. Country music is very much divided musically between the sexes. Females sing about being wronged by males and males sing about being wronged by females. There are the occasional country love songs but it usually is females and males talking about love gone wrong. Men and women are put against each other. When you think about succusful rappers you usually think of an African American man, unless it's Eminem. When Taylor Swift did her rap with T-Pain it wasn't taken seriously because the lyrics were a joke and she wasn't an African American, she was a Caucasian trying to rap. She talks about still living at home, never being in a club, and baking which a self respecting rapper would never talk about. So if any white girl tried to rap she wouldn't be taken as seriously as a black girl. ** media type="youtube" key="FPOiqtf2FTE" width="425" height="350"
 * "The Games Black Girls Play" 05/02/10**

Pretty in Pink 5/9/10 There are many ways that female country music stars can be related to this article. The article talks about how dressing young girls in cutsey things "suggests that her play clothes no longer work for school as boys' play clothes do (14)," and if you look at the role models they look up to like Carrie and Taylor you can tell that they're in fancy clothes 90% of the time. I googled pictures of Taylor and on the first four pages she was shown in a dress in every picture besides one that she was wearing jeans in. The same was true with Carrie, she was shown in one picture wearing jeans, and dress **<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 157.3%;">es in the rest. And even when Carrie is shown with jeans she has a fancy top on that you wouldn't want to "play in." Miranda Lambert on the other hand is shown mostly in jeans and a tank <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 143%;">top. **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> **<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 143%;">Even though Miranda is shown wearing more "casual clothes" her hair is still dolled up and she's wearing jewlery with some of the outfits. All these singers are wearing make-up as well, it all suggests the "how she looks is more important (14)" then anything else. Each of these singers also has a sort of different image. Taylor's fans are mostly between the ages 10 and 19 so her look isn't that sexy. She has a girly look and wears many dresses, she also lets her natural curly hair flow loosely. Carrie's look is a little more grown up and sexy. She wears dresses that are really short and show off her legs a lot. Miranda on the other hand has a more edgy look and tends to wear jeans often in her pictures. The article talks about how "the girls wars mentality we see in the media is most often between girly girls and tomboys (19-20)" but when it comes to females in country music there seems to be a mix of both styles. **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">