zg7666 Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 I've just heard the song for a first time (I know, I live on the different planet), so I was wondering what is your opinion on the song? Especially, since it comes from Beyonce. Beyoncé - Pretty Hurts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXXQLa-5n5w#t=202 Mama said, "You're a pretty girl. What's in your head, it doesn't matter Brush your hair, fix your teeth. What you wear is all that matters." Just another stage, pageant the pain away This time I'm gonna take the crown Without falling down, down, down Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst We try to fix something but you can't fix what you can't see It's the soul that needs the surgery (Uh huh huh) Blonder hair, flat chest TV says, "Bigger is better." South beach, sugar free Vogue says, "Thinner is better." Just another stage, pageant the pain away This time I'm gonna take the crown Without falling down, down, down (refrain) Ain't got no doctor or pill that can take the pain away The pain's inside and nobody frees you from your body It's the soul, it's the soul that needs surgery It's my soul that needs surgery Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far Then you break when the fake facade leaves you in the dark You left with shattered mirrors and the shards of a beautiful past (refrain) When you're alone all by yourself (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) And you're lying in your bed (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) Reflection stares right into you (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) Are you happy with yourself? (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) You stripped away the masquerade (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) The illusion has been shed (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) Are you happy with yourself? (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) Are you happy with yourself? (pretty hurts, pretty hurts) Yes Uh huh huh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickC Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 I'm gonna take the cynical view here. It's just another reason for certain women to whine about having to looking pretty. Like they have no decision in the matter. How is Beyonce even helping females to overcome this urge? I guess it's the patriarchy and she has no choice but to keep indulging in her own beauty herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanm Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Beautiful people have the option to not play into the social norms they criticize, but very few choose to do so. Beyonce can't change the genes which make her beautiful, but she has hundreds of other options to pursue IF being pretty is so painful. She could not wear makeup, not wear fashionable clothing, not make music videos, or make music videos with a bunch of ugly people who can dance. Pretty apparently doesn't hurt enough for her to change her behavior of being a sexy glamorous pop star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueBee Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Is Pop Music just reflecting back what people want to hear ... as opposed to something Beyonce is railing against? I suspect it's just another girl power type song. Saying - hints at what cultural problems are for her fans perhaps, so the greatest number of people identify with the lyrics / message. Seems fairly typical for a susperstar who can never have a normal life again, maybe she has some regrets about what she did to herself to be "goodlooking" and famous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zg7666 Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 OK, thank you guys for your answers. Obviously I am not a fan and I don't know enough about her to say how much does her personal life corresponds to the song, it seems pretty personal to me. Of course she could use here fame and looks "for good" - do you think she is somewhat trying that with this song? It, kind of, looked as if music video was critical of mothers that put children trough this. And of course the ending, she as a kid in a beauty contest., is important, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMX2010 Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Mathematically speaking, which is far more rare: a pretty-but-dumb woman or an intelligent-but-ugly woman? By far, it's the first group. Therefore, the majority of mothers will be pretty-but-dumb. How do these women attract men? With their prettiness. How are they going to explain this? (1) Honestly? "Well, I know I don't have much brains, and consequently that makes me a less valuable person, but I rely on my prettiness to get what I arguably haven't earned." (2) Dishonestly? "Yes, I'm pretty but you're not supposed to judge me; no one should judge anyone." Or, "I'm not dumb; honest!" Or, "Yes, I'm pretty, but there's a conspiracy by men to oppress me because I'm pretty." So if women want to complain that pretty people are oppressed, they should blame pretty-but-dumb mothers who raise their children to value prettiness over intelligence. But that requires honesty. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alin Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Beyonce has some of the worst lyrics ever, and I'm not even reffering to this particular song. Lyrics that are insulting to men, like "I can have another you in a minute" etc. And let's not forget how she just watched her man getting hit without even blinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnus Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Beyonce has some of the worst lyrics ever, and I'm not even reffering to this particular song. Lyrics that are insulting to men, like "I can have another you in a minute" etc. And let's not forget how she just watched her man getting hit without even blinking.The songs from the top performers are created by teams of producers. They are created by focus groups and market testing surveys. The themes of these songs are expertly designed to appeal to the target market for pop songs, which is female teens. Beyonce's songs are therefore not really an art form, but an expression of the strong currents in female teen culture. That subculture revolves around having a large number of high-value males desire them sexually, which gives them social power on account of having an abundance of choices. The male counterpart is the juvenile power fantasy you see played out in every superhero and sci-fi action movie. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snafui Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Of my several sisters: The eldest was a dancer/choregrapher that had some world renown but now is a lead manager at an insurance agency One was a model that became an airline pilot Another wound up being an exotic dancer (a lot of money for a few hours a week as a single mother) The youngest is currently modelling and acting They will tell you--with great pain--that they have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than meeting people who will treat them like a whole person. They are above average intelligence but because of looks society deemed that their only value was physical. They tried to go to college but were treated like idiots*. They maintained those professions as stepping stones. They responded to an obscene social standard to their advantage. The song is aiding this view not standing against it. *One has a 180 I.Q. She left college because of how frustrating it was to be talked down to all the time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychophant Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 The songs from the top performers are created by teams of producers. They are created by focus groups and market testing surveys. The themes of these songs are expertly designed to appeal to the target market for pop songs, which is female teens.Beyonce's songs are therefore not really an art form, but an expression of the strong currents in female teen culture. That subculture revolves around having a large number of high-value males desire them sexually, which gives them social power on account of having an abundance of choices.The male counterpart is the juvenile power fantasy you see played out in every superhero and sci-fi action movie. She could write her own songs, instead of exploiting mysandry in the cultural narrative. Super hero fantasies are neither sexist nor mysogynist, therefore those lyrics reflect rather the mysandric narrative than pretty little princesses who have an abundance of dicks arround. Which leads to the conclusion, that she is primarily a money whore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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