Beyonce - If I were a boy
Beyonce in this video switches roles with the man she's in a relationship with. Pay attention to details of their lives and how they react with other people in the video. What do you think she's trying to say about relationships and the roles that men and women should have in them.
Things to consider: jobs, attitude, and communication.
In this video Beyonce does a great job of showing how people comprehend gender roles in today society. The couple basically interchanged each other’s lifestyle for a day. In the beginning the man was making the breakfast for Beyonce, which is normally perceived as what the women do for their men. Also Beyonce was a cop, which people believe that only men are cops. While the man was a receptionist which people consider only women have that kind of job. They showed Beyonce hanging out with the other guy cops having a talk and joking around known as bro talk like she is one of them and fits right in. It also shows the man shopping for jewelry online while he is working. They show Beyonce shooting guns at a gun range which people see that as a manly thing. Also she goes and helps the other guy cop aim, which is usually perceived by a man assisting a woman. Beyonce goes out and does what she wants while the guy is sitting at home waiting and wondering where she is. They show Beyonce driving him around which usually it’s the guy’s job to do that. Then at the party they guy sees Beyonce dancing and flirting with another man and he gets upset and emotional. Then at the end they switch back roles so basically the video was to show to a guy how girls feel when we treat them like that.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Bill that Beyonce does a great job of showing how people comprehend gender roles in today society. I could see that the couple interchanged each other's lifestyle for a day; the man was makng the breakfast for Beyounce. People noramlly think that women make breakfast for men. And beyonce is a cop in this video. People also noramlly think that men be cops. This video breaks those kinds of stereotype.
DeleteWhat struk me initially is how the semingly meaningless little remarks are ampliphied throughout the entier video due to the roll reversal. Initially beyonce brushes over the breakfast her significant other made for her. this asrises again after the man is trying to contact byonce and she turns her phone off. the man didn't go out with his office friends because he was worried for her whereas Beyonce was out with friends as the lyrics "turn of my phone, so everybody thinks i'm sleeping alone" play. this plays into how steryotypical bad boyfirends/husbands are always looking for time away from their significat others and they think nothing of it. At first one thinks, how rude. this is apperently so common that it takes something so simple as switching places to see this. There is another small trend that women in relationships "always" are looking to settle down and get married. this was demonstrated by the man looking at rings while he is at his job as a receptionist. another seemingly over pleyed roll that doesn't really stand out unless something so simple as switching places occurs and we see it in a new light.
ReplyDeleteI see both points that Sam and Billy are trying to make. Do you think that when Beyonce, starts off by switching roles with her significant other, that she wants men to take a closer look of how they treat their women? Maybe she wants men to stop taking women for granted. At the beginning of the video they start by referring to comments of what is important to a relationship, you feel by the comments of honesty, commitment, and being faithful are important to both of them. As she starts off her day as a typical male gender role, she acts as if she has no time to sit down and enjoy breakfast. He has clearly made effort to take care of her. Women are supposed to take care of their man. She does show any kind of affection, not a kiss or I love you, or have a great day or even thanks for breakfast. You see the disappointment in his face, and she clearly does take their relationship for granted. Which is what happens when you forget why you are with that person and why they are so important to you. I think that we get so wrapped up in our own lives that we do not show our partner the attention they deserve. Throughout the video they both want to be noticed and enjoy when someone else is showing them attention. It makes you feel good when someone else notices you.
ReplyDeleteShe wanted to fit in, she felt as she was doing nothing wrong when she did not take his call while hanging out with the guys. That is typical though that a man does not want to show to his buddies that his partner is important. When they switch, and take back their own roles and she has that single tear come from her eye, what do you think she is saying?
Juanita, I think it is really interesting that you brought up the single tear at the very end. I interpreted it as that unfortunately no matter how hard she tries to make her point, men will always be men. While I think she effectively shows her message of how most men take relationships for granted, I think she is also giving in to the fact that she gets her heart broken. I also think that this song and video is her way of expressing her frustration with the relationships she has had and also to relate to people who have been in similar situations. Do you think she is trying to connect with more of a female audience or trying to send men a message? or maybe both?
DeleteI agree with Juanita. The very first thought I had after watching this video was that the man was walking in the woman’s proverbial shoes. In the song, Beyonce sings about being a boy even if it was only a day. She wants to show her boyfriend how she feels when he does all these things to her. In the beginning of the video, the boyfriend makes breakfast for his girlfriend, who just takes a quick bite of something to eat and something to drink. He is ignored again when she’s out partying with her friends. He tries to call her, but she turns her phone off acting like she’s asleep. She is acting like a stereotypical man who goes and does whatever he wants and doesn’t ever consider his girlfriend. When it shows Beyonce out with a group of guys, and her boyfriend said no to going with the group of girls is interesting. I think that it’s trying to show that men are more likely to go out and have a good time with someone of the opposite sex. The boyfriend saying no to the group women shows that the stereotypical women tend to be more faithful than men. At the end of the video, their roles go back to normal and it just proves that the assumptions about role reversal are correct.
ReplyDeleteI felt that this video really gave men and women a bad name in relationships and how they treat their significant others. It shows us that all men ignore their partners and women are unfaithful in relationships. Although in the beginning, Beyonce and her boyfriend/husband establish the foundations that they want their relationship to be built upon, by the end they both have torn down these said foundations by hanging out with members of the opposite sex. It stereotypes girls as being needy when the guy (as a girl) tries calling Beyonce (as the guy) and she doesn't answer her phone. The music video also kind of blamed the girl for ruining the relationship since she is caught being flirty with her co-worker towards the end and shows the guy as being the trustworthier one. Even though the lyrics are about how she would treat a girl if she were a guy, the music video shows the guy and the girl both hurting the relationship.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Peyton for the most part. Especially the point about Beyonce and her SO establishing the relationship foundation at the beginning then effectively breaking it at the end due to the actions that took place in between. Some actions were explicit, while others were more subtle. For example, Beyonce turning her phone off to act like she was sleeping was an explicit action. She was obviously avoiding her SO, and most people in the SO's position would be upset this. The breakfast scene at the beginning, on the other hand, demonstrates more of a subtle action. She doesn't explicitly do anything to upset her SO, but rather, what she fails to do (not sitting down for a "family" meal, not showing gratitude for the meal, & barely even acknowledging him) is his source of frustration.
DeleteThere are many stereotypes at play throughout the entire video. One of the main ones that caught my eye is the obvious one of the two switching roles in each others shoes for the majority of the video. When she gets into the cop car, you see her get in as a partner, which signifies her almost as not good enough to be the driver. However, throughout the video she is the one doing most of the "grunt" work of the two officers. At the end of the video, the man gets in the partners side of the car, almost to say that if you're a "friendly" husband or significant other, then you are lower than women because they don't do that. Another major trend is that is portrayed is the fact that women try harder than men to make a relationship last and want more out of a relationship. A point that I thought about is the title itself, "If I were a boy" has multiple meanings I believe. Why didnt she say "if I were a man"? Is it because a "man" wouldnt cheat on his other, but a boy might? Also, we could connect this to the stereotype that women are always trying to do what a man does. For an example, during the wars many women took over jobs that men held, but were kicked out after the war was over. I believe this song very subtly is a song about opression of women.
ReplyDeleteI understand where you are coming from Zack but I have to say I disagree with some particular aspects of your post. I think what you said about the “friendly husband” being lower than a woman is a little bit of a stretch that is not necessarily a message the video intends. The other disagreement I have is that I don’t believe this song is about women’s oppression as much as it is about gender stereotypes. I would also say women being treated as less than equal to men is somewhat of a theme but not necessarily women being oppressed. I also do not believe it is subtle in the way it communicates this message. All that being said, I can definitely understand what you said about the “man” vs. “boy” terminology. To me this seems to be making a point that men, or at least men who are like what is shown in the video, are not necessarily mature enough to be called “man” as opposed to “boy.” The point you made about women wanting more out of a relationship than men and being more committed definitely is something I see demonstrated in the video and a good insight.
DeleteAs others have noted,this video highlights the typical stereotypes within a relationship by having the 2 main characters switch places for a day. The typical stereotype in the beginning is that a wife/girlfriend will cook meals for her husband/boyfriend, who doesn't have the time to sit down and eat a home cooked meal. The video does a great job of of making this stereotype (along with all the others)explicit by switching up the typical gender roles. This is because in our society, we are so accustomed to seeing stuff like this all the time, that it takes a big shock (switching up genders & their roles) to make us notice what's going on. One scene that struck me was towards the end where they each say, "Why are you so jealous, it's not like I'm sleeping with ..." When Beyonce drops the "not sleeping with" bomb, her SO is taken back, responds with "What," and even adds a laugh at the end. But when her SO drops the "not sleeping with" bomb, Beyonce responds by shedding a single tear. In a video cluttered with gender stereotypes, this is yet another one. This scene upholds the stereotype that when faced with a difficult/tough situation, men will be resilient and not show any signs of weakness, while women will be emotional and express what they're feeling.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting how you brought up the conversation and actions between Beyoncé and her man at the end of the video. The idea of a man being hesitant and reserved while the female is expressing her emotions to the point of tears is a great representation of stereotypes. This concept of how men and women communicate in a relationship is shown throughout the whole video. It generalizes men as being the responsible for the lack of communication. The scene with the guy at the party represented this by not having him answering Beyoncé’s call. Later, following his arrival home he is questioned by her for his reasoning on not answering. This scene helps describe the female’s side in the communication in a relationship. They are stereotyped as being invasive and out spoken through their emotions. I’m glad you pointed out the stereotypes hidden within they conversation, I’d be curious to see if females had the same perspective as us.
DeleteThe point of the video was obviously to point out stereotypes in men and women in a relationship. I think something to notice is how Beyonce will flirt with her coworkers and joke around with the guys like has been pointed out but Beyonce's significant other is continuously around the very attractive secretary. He is preoccupied with looking for jewelry so he doesn't notice her tight fitting dress. This is suppose to show how much more attention and commitment that women generally give a relationship than a man. The scene where Beyonce is trying to show her coworker how to shoot is also significant because it shows how a man will openly flirt with a coworker which backs up the fact that women will be more faithful than men.
ReplyDeleteAll of these comments are great, try to pay attention to the beginning scene and the words that Beyonce and man are saying. Then after the opening in the first line in the song, "If I were a boy even just for a day I'd roll out of bed in the morning and throw on what I wanted And go drink beer with the guys". She says this but she puts on a police officers uniform rather then what she said previously about rolling out of bed and putting on whatever. From very start of the song she immediately draws picture a of what a (stereotypical) guy she thinks a guy does everyday. In all commercials thats what guys are meant to be like, so she is just affirming what the media has us believe. Also pay close attention to the next scene where her boy friend is at work and how he is playing the stereotypical role of a man in the office.
ReplyDeleteImmediately in the video, I think it's interesting that they both state qualities that they think are necessary for a relationship to work- honesty, commitment, and intimacy are a few. The fact that both the man and woman say them convey that a relationship's responsibility should be equally split between the two parties.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the woman is working as a police officer, typically viewed as a masculine job, and the man works as a secretary, typically viewed as a feminine job, highlights the switch happening in our culture that men and women both can enter what has traditionally been gender-defined professions- male nurses, female construction workers, etc.
However, watching the roles reverse back again at the end of the video shows that this social switch is still in progress and that those older gender roles are still very much in place.
It is an interesting video. I think many of us sometimes might wonder if I were a boy or girl. So I can do things boys/girls do. I personally think we really can have a try like Beyonce and her boyfriend did in the video. It made me recall an activity last year (not sure we have it this year) wear her high heels and run? I guess the purpose is likely to give men some experience on high heels and feel the pain of women? What Beyonce and her boyfriend did when they switch role in the video are pretty acceptable to me. Social is changing so does social norms. Those actions may not be acceptable in the past, but seem no problems nowadays. Women totally can flirt around, shoot guns, arrest criminals. By the way, I just heard that the uterus transplant technology is making a big progress. If Beyonce is considering rerecording this video in the future, she can definitely make her befriend give a birth.
ReplyDeleteThis video is very interesting.Beyonce was just thinking the situation that what if she was a boy. She is a cop, her husband makes breakfast for her when she is about to go to work, and hangs out with another guy who is in her job. All this stuff is coming from the stereotype that guys act like this; Guys are more likely to go to work, girls are more likely to make breakfast for her husbands, and guys are more likely to cheat with other girls. This video just shows the opposite roles for a day. And gender stereotype is clearly depicted in this video.
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