In 1992 Sir Mix a Lot’s song “Baby Got Back” was introduced to the American public and had quite the reaction. It was played all over the country in clubs, on MTV, and the radio. Even though the song was so big, the message behind it was highly degrading to women. All through the song is about women’s backsides. This blog (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2011/05/sir_mix-a-lot_fat_baby_got_back.php) is about an interview with Sir Mix a Lot who has some interesting comments on what he intended the song to be and how he actually feels. From the comments below there are a mixture of opinions on how the song is supposed to be. Some of the comments were harsh; the others were supporting the song and how it’s supposed to be “sexy and fun”, not taken too seriously. The intended audience for this song is mostly teenagers. Burger King tried to sell SpongeBob Squarepants kid meals with this song to try to win younger audiences. Also, movies like Shark Tale, Shrek, and Happy Feet feature this song to the younger demographic. This song shows how women are degraded to just a body part. In this case it’s a whole song about their backsides. It shows men sometimes like the curves, which goes against societies views of having rail thin women. This song is a product of American culture.
Here are some questions to consider:
-How do you feel about some women responding by trying to prove themselves with this song by conforming their own behind?
-How do you feel about this song being more popular with white people?
-How do you think different women react to this song?-How do you think society reacted to the song when it first was released?
-If you were a parent when the song was released, how would you react to it?
-If this song was made 20 years before and after it was released do you think it would be as popular?
-How do you think other cultures would react to this song?
-On the blog, what do you think of Burger King using this song to sell kids’ meals?
-This song was in the movies Shrek, Happy Feet, and Shark Tale. Do you think this song is acceptable in Disney movies?
When hearing “Baby got Back” you can’t help the urge you get to stand up and start dancing, and just to have some fun. After the song came out society probably didn’t know how to react to the song due to the fact that most songs were never that derogatory toward woman. The lyrics are directly saying that guys want girls with big butts. After listening to this song a woman feels that a guy will only like them if they have a big butt, which we all know isn’t the case. If other cultures based our society off this song, they would think that all we care about is the way a woman looks, a small waist and a big butt. I think that Burger King using this song to sell meals is catchy and grabs people’s attention. It’s funny how they change big butts to square butts and base the new song off that. Also, it relates to kids because it is a cartoon.
ReplyDeleteHow do I think different women react to the song? I think that there are some cool ladies out there (myself included!) that understand that this song was made purely for entertainment and monetary purposes. He only made the song because it’s a funny concept and he knew that it would sell. Other women definitely took it personally and got mad. I thought it was funny the way he described why black people didn’t really go crazy for his song like white people did. The truth is, there just aren’t as many African Americans as there are white people in America, so their voice probably gets covered up more. I think both races looked at this song and said, man, he’s got the right idea. I mean, who doesn’t want to sing and dance to a song about butts? It’s funny!
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, this song was a turning point in pop culture. It really highlighted women with curves that weren’t accepted in the fashion magazines at all. Sir Mix-a-lot talks about wanting to make a unique video for this song and showing that men appreciate women. He says, “I still wanted to make it fun and sexy, but at the same time I wanted to let the world know that we think these women are beautiful, not just objects.” I find this statement to be pretty comical and amusing, seeing as how his song and video essentially does objectify women. The men are only interested in these women for their body parts, just as the majority of other rap videos are. Just because the video and song focus on a certain body type that wasn’t highlighted previously doesn’t make it any less degrading towards females. That being said, I don’t think that the song is inappropriate or seen as a degrading thing since it is viewed as a joke. This song has become acceptable in children’s movies and in other childish advertisements because the song is seen as comic relief. It doesn’t use derogatory language or anything along those lines that is unfitting for children. The song in itself is immature and slightly childish. Children find butts to be funny and goofy, so they get a good laugh out of the song being used for comic relief in cartoon movies. The song was never truly taken seriously and therefore wasn’t offensive or discussed in a serious light at all. That’s part of the reason that it was hugely popular, and I predict that it will remain popular for many years to come.
ReplyDeleteI have heard this song several times before on the radio but had never really thought about the meaning that in depth. I always just thought it was quite funny and listened to it when it came on the radio. When I think more about the meaning, I could see how some women would be offended by this song but also how some may like it. Some women may be offended because the song is degrading women and referring to them as a body part. This song also puts a lot of emphasis on the body type of a women saying that they should be in shape, with a flat stomach and a large butt. On the other hand, some women like the song because of the fact that it mentions bigger women. In today’s society we put so much emphasis on being thin, and the fact that this song mentions bigger women changes that stereotype that all women must be very thin to be accepted.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind when I hear the song Baby Got Back by Sir Mix A Lot is just a fun, upbeat, likable song. I don't go straight for the lyrics, more for the music. I will admit that I do not like this kind of music, but I have heard this song over and over and over again. I personally do not mind the song because its a fun song to get down to, but other people might take offense when you break down the song and what Sir Mix A Lot is really saying in this song. He is basically telling the world that he loves big butts. That unless you have a big butt, he will not like you. When you break down the lyrics, this song doesn't look the same, it becomes a bit dirtier. I think people around the world look at music like this and then look at us like we have a disease or something. As a music major, I listen to a lot of things that not many people do, but I listen to them for the actual music. Not because it is extremely popular, and if you want to fit in you should know how this song goes. When it comes to using it as advertisement for Burger King, I don't think its that bad. Cartoon shows have turned to song into something fun and playful and have really overlooked the mean of the songs true meaning. I don't see any harm or foul in that, and I don't think people should make such a big deal about the song, because that's all it is, a song. Women react to this song less than anybody. Its a great song to get down to and that is what we want in a song, not something 100% pure, but something that puts a little boogie into our step.
ReplyDeleteIt sure has been awhile since I last heard this song. I think that song is just trying to have fun while at the same time capture the attention of the audience just like Mr. Anthony said in his interview if he sings about “Baby got a job” or “Baby got brains” it most likely won’t sell. Although at the same time depending on your interpretation of the lyric it is narrowing down on a select group of women and how men find them “sexy”. But, the original context is promoting weight watching incorporating sex appeal, it may not be right but that is what the music industry is trying to sell as an image. To me from my perspective I find that this song is more popular with white people since the common trend is white minority in this case want to be incorporated and assimilated into this black image. While the black community just doesn’t really care and it is something they already know. I believe when the song first hit home. Like always depending on the person most women would use this as a statement to justify being obese etc. by confusing what it actually meant, or feel subjective, or don’t care as it doesn’t target them, or feel the need to conform to this image. As for society like any new idea it was probably denied but over time gain popularity. Even into today it gains popularity and is being used to advertise and marketed to the younger audience. Even if it is made today I believe it would be still popular since it is catchy and just a fun song. In the end you make you make of it, how you feel about this song and how it is used marketing is dependent on how you feel about it. It may not be right or wrong but this is what the music industry is about. As for me you are already bombarded on a daily basis as to what is supposed to be “sexy” subconsciously by the media this is no different. Are you also going to say that all advertisement is bad also?
ReplyDeleteIf this song is released today, I might have ignored it cause songs like this are too common to draw my attention. But I’d like to say that it’s daring when I know it was produced 20 years ago. Furthermore, it is hard to imagine that it was made 20 years earlier (that is 1970s). I am a huge rock fan and I know that 1970s things were difficult for rockers even they were just talking about traditions and politics. Even the biggest rock bands we honor today, such as the Beatles, the Doors, the Who and the Rolling Stones, suffered form conservatives at that time. So I can’t not imagine people’s attitude when they knew this song at that time, Sir Mix a Lot might be killed lol. I can accept this song and regard it as a cool stuff, but I might be mad if I have children, I must take measures to censor it within my family. The blog talks mentions the change that can be seen in gyms within white girls. That is funny. The way people appreciate beauty is changing all the time. Today we view slim women as attractive women, but there was a time when society prefered fat ladies. When told that this song was in the movies like shrek, I am astonished. I never realized that when I was watching those movies. I guess a lot of people will not notice that as well. Thus, its appearance in Disney doesn’t means Disney’s acceptance. Producers of those movies used this song, or parts of it, in order to make the movies more interesting, maybe just because of the melody or the rhythm.
ReplyDeleteSir Mix A Lot’s song has become a craze over time as a fun song that creates many laughs. Needless to say, this was not the intention of the song when it first was produced. At the time though, the song was a first of its kind, basing its message off of the shape of a females body. The song talks about the “coke bottle” figure that men want, specifically the artist. This is a perfect example of how music is a communicator to its listeners, as many women saw this as a calling to become large and round. Many may see this as a bad thing, but when looking at the positives you can say the song did communicate the idea that extreme skinniness as not the only attractive way a woman can look. Curves are attractive and just as much a natural part of a woman’s body. A point that could be made is the song helps combat the problem of anorexia within women and women models as it promotes the thickness of certain female body parts. Many women took this song as an anthem and an initiative to create a new type of sexiness that has now shaped the hip-hop industry. Sir Mix A Lot references this when he talks about how he is upset that the hip hop industry has taken this message of curvy women are only good for sex and transformed it into a staple of hip hop and rap.
ReplyDeleteI think that people do interpret his words wrong. He isn't saying that he likes fat girls, and that a girl is fat if she has a large backside, he is saying he likes girls with big behinds. I think some women take offense to this because it makes women an object, and seems like men are only concerned with there looks, and more importantly one specific part, there behinds. However, some women may take it as a compliment and they purpously make there backsides larger. This song is not at all acceptable in Disney movies. It is an adult song and instills bad ideals into children.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is funny is that Sir Mix A Lot is not an attractive man, in fact, he himself is a bit overweight. I do not understand why women would want to conform to his ideal of sexiness after hearing this song. The song objectifies women in every line, but people who sing it don't really comprehend what they are saying. It just turns into a string of sounds after hearing it so many times, so people tune out the meaning. I knew this song when I was in Elementary school, and I had no idea what I was saying. My parents heard me singing it one day and told me to not sing it again because it was offensive. I can't imagine how the public felt when it was first released. I think people with this kind of body type probably felt good about themselves, but every other girl probably felt self conscious. If this song had been released in the 60s, it probably wouldn't be as popular because the popular music of that time period was about implicitly stating sexuality, this song would be too bold. This song also gives false hope to "bigger" women, they may think they are now being thought of as sexy, but really the requirements are excluding them just as much as they were before. Sir Mix A Lot himself says, the only kind of women he is attracted to are "coke-bottle" shaped women.
ReplyDeleteSongs are always made to satisfy the audiences, and it is given in the text that this song is played all over the clubs, radio, and MTV, we could point out that this song is welcome to the audiences in the clubs and MTV and beside the radio, since the audiences enjoy it, this song is reasonable to exist. Although the argument has appeared, we could also see argument about the blood in movies and the dirty words in media. The fierce element often causes discomfort in some groups of people, like the jokes which make fun of others, some other people still enjoy it, and what it needs is to be only showed in the proper groups. Like we rate films into various levels due to their bloody or sexual content, and divide some songs into origin and clean versions. The song should also played in a proper place, if I’m a parent I will feel embarrassed when my children hear this song when they are receiving education, after all, this is a song which is proper to be played in MTV and clubs.
ReplyDeleteI think that the song baby got back can be taken very different ways, however the most of the time it is taken the wrong way. The message that this song is putting out is that your butt size is directly related to how attractive you are and how successful you will be in pursuing the other sex. They don’t take into account ones personality and distinguishing characteristics but rather they focus on the superficial qualities and make that the most important, that women are objects for sex. Women need to view this video as a pure form of entertainment and a source of revenue for Sir Mix A lot, however, even though they say they do, they take the song quite literally. I also find it sad that this song is featured in movies geered towards children so this message is engrained into their minds at a very early age.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many negative ideas in this song I did notice some positive things in this music video. They make it look that those that are very skinny is not a good quality to have which is true. They come across as a girl with some substance is much better than one none at all, which I think is a good message to send out to the public, however it doesn’t send that message out completely.
Before listening to this song recently, I had never actually listened to it intently to actually know what Sir Mix Alot is saying. Baby Got Back can be taken many different ways. If your one person, you can take it the wrong way because it may send out a message that degrades women, but on the other hand it can be taken as a good message that says that you don't have to be disgustingly thin to be an attractive women. I believe that this song plays a huge part in hip hop history. It marks a turning point in rap, where from that point on, women became a focal point in rapping. Even twenty years later, this song still stands as one of the major influential hip hop songs on the twentieth century, thus Sir Mix Alot had to have done something right.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Burger King using this song in a commercial, I believe that it was approprate because it takes a fun kids topic of Spongebob Squarepants and integrates it with Baby Got Back, but in a way that applies to kids and Burger King
I personally do not think women really take this song very seriously. Maybe some do, but I think the majority of them just treat it as a fun song without really thinking too deeply into it. While a woman's behind is definatly a big concern I doubt this song contributes much to the issue.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if this song was released 20 years earlier I do think that it would be taken much more seriously and would probably have been banned long before it got a chance to be popular. Perhaps the song is taken more seriously by the older generation, but the younger generations just treat it as a fun song I think. This is why I think it's ok for it to be used in commercials and movies. When kids hear the song they just laugh and have fun with it and don't think "This song is telling me women need to have big butts so now I'm pressured to have one."
I consider that “Baby Got Back” is a typical American phenomenon. I don’t think this kind of songs will become popular in China. And as to different American women, I believe they’ll have different reactions. For women who are conservative, “Baby Got Back” could be a virus to their highly moral standard. And for those who have open minds and dissolute lives, “Baby Got Back” would become their main fashion. And if I was a parent, I would not let my children watch the show when it fist came out to the society. Because they can’t tell the whether it is a proper thing or not to follow the video show so they would probably imitate the action just for fun. And that’s why Burger King used to using this song for the meal advertisement for children. There is a possibility that Disney Company would use the song in movies simply because “Baby Got Back” is so famous that can help the movies more attractive.
ReplyDeletewhen me and my friends first listened to this song, we were total perverts, as all teenagers are undoubtedly. We started comparing big "backs" to small ones. It was really something sick and degrading because everyone is created with different features and picking on one kind just because the song states that big butts are the "hype" of the time, is just immoral. i would not want my children to learn of such language, forget butts. the culture from where i am from would literally lead parents to disown their children because they lost respect for them and such practices are strictly forbidden. Heck in some parts they consider music in general to be "haram" or "sinful".
ReplyDeletei think i do agree with sir mix a lot on the fact that a lot of white people were interested by this song, because being a black male himself, he would know that many blacks think its normal way of speech anyways and isnt anything new.