“Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce has become a popular song in the media lately, including its latest inclusion in the hit show Glee. I will admit I am a definite Gleek however I have lost a little respect for a show that claims to be progressive, (by battling issues of discrimination and inclusion) after airing such an insulting song. While I am aware that Beyonce was trying to be progressive and show that women can be powerful, I strongly feel she went about it all the wrong ways.
For example in the song it explicitly states “My persuasion can build a nation; endless power; our love we can devour; you'll do anything for me.” Both first and second wave feminists while they were fighting to end women’s oppression they never mentioned the need to establish a matriarchy. Most of my experience is with creating a balance of men and women in power, not a need to establish a female dominated power system.
Not only do some lyrics and the underlying notions of matriarchy get to me but if you have seen the music video it doesn’t leave much to the imagination. I am well aware that music videos in general at present are rather “revealing”. But in a song that is supposed to be radical and an expression of female strength why are all the women in the video parading around in corset’s and fishnets? Their choice of clothing is only feeding into patriarchal notions of male dominance within advertising and media, that women are best displayed as sex objects.
While Beyonce may have good intentions of showing society that women can be powerful, in my mind she went about in all the wrong directions. Women don’t need to rule the world, women just need to be allowed to have a more assertive voice within mainstream society. And if women are about to rule the world in those clothes I am not sure how much of an actual impact they would make in establishing social change. So nice try Beyonce but please try again.
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