This music video is called "Stupid Girls" by P!ink. Do you guys think it's ironic? What do you think about the different stereotypes it portrays? Do you think they are exaggerated? What is the significance of the girl picking up the football at the end?
This video is clearly making fun of females that are portrayed as sexy yet dumb. It is the attitude of society that the smart girls are not very pretty. I could not believe that they showed the girls in the bathroom throwing up in the sink and that they had shared the toothbrush to do so. Her comment about how she had ate 300 calories before forcing herself to throw up. Why is it that we put so much pressure on young girls to thin? I was so glad to see that the little girl paid close attention of what she should not become. She has learned at a very young age the being your own person is important. When she picked up that football she made a statement hey, look at me I am my own person.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a lot of irony in this video due to the fact that at the very end the girl ends up picking up a football. Even though Pink is encouraging girls to be their own person, the football actually represents masculinity rather than individuality. It’s like when we read the article about parents encouraging sports and masculinity because subconsciously society has taught us that men are the superior race. Because of this Pink isn’t actually teaching girls anything except to be more like men which probably isn’t what she was intending. I think the stereotypes that are portrayed aren’t exaggerated except for when Pink herself portrays them. By doing this she can emphasize the flaws in problems such as bulimia and consumerism. As a whole, Pink brings up serious issues in a humorous way to prove a point that we don’t have to follow the norms of society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie, that pink contradicts herself by trying to convey a message of being your own person and not falling into a crazy cycle of trying to be like everyone else and doing whatever it take to impress a guy. For example while she’s in the gym Pink sees, a "good looking guy" go up to another girl running, who happens to have a sports bra on. So to gain his attention and show off herself she takes off her shirt to reveal her sports bra as well. Although this video is somewhat ridiculous it does make a very good point so women in our society do act like this. The women that either Pink or her director chose for the video were also interesting that she really played into the stereotypes, of having the blondes and big curves. I also found the aspect of the little girl maybe seeing her whole life on the tv screen to be a different medium to get a point across.
DeleteI agree with Katie in that at the end of the video, the little girl isn't really choosing to be her own person, but rather, following a masculine path. But overall, Pink does a good job of highlighting feminine "problems." Many of these "problems," like bulimia and anorexia, seem to be rooted in society. Society doesn't necessarily encourage these problems, but in trying to adhere to societal values, many women find themselves falling victim to these "problems." As a whole, I would say that Pink successfully conveys her message that you can be whoever you want, and that you don't have to be someone/something in an attempt to conform to someone elses wishes/desires/ideals
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ReplyDeleteThe video was definitely meant to make fun of females that are very worried about how they look and that do not have a lot of intelligence. They use her angel and devil self conscious to basically decide for her how her life is going to be by showing her on the TV how the girls act. In todays society girls are very self-conscious about how they look or even how skinny they are which lead to serious problems such as anorexia and bulimia. So they way Pink displayed these manners was in a funny yet easy way for the young girl to understand which path she should choose either the path of the bad conscious and that’s basically looking at yourself the way other people look at you or choosing the correct path and being yourself and not worrying about what people think about you.
The lyrics that were chosen for this video are also something that could fall into stereotypes. By Pink saying, "Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl". As she's saying these lines she’s doing so called "stupid things". When the little girl first turns on the tv, the women seem to be in a classroom setting where they are being taught how to "not a stupid girl". I think that pink is trying to send the message that girls need to start to try to be who they want to be. They shouldn’t be in a bathroom vomiting and saying that they are trying to get skinny. Girl’s shouldn’t be trying to gain the attention of men by being / acting dumb they need to be their normal self’s. There is no reason to dumb them-selves down.
ReplyDeleteI felt that this video definitely stereotyped girls in a bad way and kind of suggested that women should perhaps be more "masculine" since the little girl picks up a football at the end of the music video. It suggests that perhaps Barbie dolls are the cause of these "stupid girls" since the devil side of Pink was trying to get the little girl to keep playing with her Barbie Dolls and it shows what the girl could become if she keeps playing with these dolls. The video definitely brought out many different negative stereotypes about girls. I think that this commercial is aimed at girls who fall into these stereotypes and it was made to show them how silly they look when they try to impress people and follow how society thinks girls should look and act.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the video shows how girls should be more masculine in order to avoid being a "stupid girl". I don't like how the video automatically associates intelligent women with being either a tomboy or unattractive as this is certainly an untrue stereotype. Pink is known for being different and nonconforming as seen in her video "beautiful" but it's ironic how in doing so she is still attractive herself and not a "stupid girl". I think this is contradicting that she is saying a girl can't be smart if she is isn't unattractive.
ReplyDeleteCould it also be that she is saying "You know, I could be this stereotypical definition of beauty, but I choose to be this way". It gives her a way to flaunt her physical attractiveness, but still take a moral high ground and her own personal style.
DeleteI thought this music video presented an important message of being true to who you are. Pink obviously points out common qualities that some girls try to uphold in order to gain attention from men/ society. She uses stereotypical examples to be easily interpreted by the audience. This better allows her message to get across to viewers. The only contrasting point that many other people have discussed is the closing scene with the girl choosing the football over the dolls. It followed along the line of the two extremes: masculine versus feminine that were constantly shown through her video. I can understand her attempt to follow the video’s structure so the closing is easily interpreted, but it makes the point that girls have to choose between masculinity and femininity. This contradicts the ongoing message of being yourself. With making the choice it leaves an empty space for girls to overlap between feminine and masculine qualities.
ReplyDeleteMuch like that "Call Me Maybe" song we listened to before, the lead in this video is mocking the stereotypical actions of most music video culture. But in doing so, she still is in very provocative poses that are reinforcing these stereotypes she is mocking. She is definitely playing off of the standard thought process, but she also seems to be saying subtly: "I can do this too, I just choose not to". This is one reason why they make the little girl choose the football at the end, which symbolizes the "good" angel.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with much of Matt’s post, but there are a couple of key things I would like to elaborate on. First off, I don’t think the sole purpose of this video is to mock music video culture. Rather, I think it is designed to send a message to young and/or teenage girls that what is shown in the video as “stupid girls’” actions is not the way they should behave. I don’t necessarily agree that the video reinforces the stereotypes it shows. Based on how they were depicted and the title of the video, I would say it does much more to discourage them. I definitely agree that the girl picking the football at the end of the video is a good thing, and it is a message to girls that they should be proud of their individuality and not conform to stereotypes, which is a very positive message.
Deletethe utlity behind the phrase "stupid girl" leads to a number of different interpritations as expressed above. Pink in this video is not saying that to be big breasted, tan, skinny, is unattractive in a modern sociatal view but she is rather arguing the point of why being devoid of those characteristics lends many things including lack of attention, low self esteem, and feelings of being missunderstood. she exempifies these results by trying to fit in via over exageration of these now modern, and "attractive", views of beauty and what it means to be the proposed, "stupid girl" instead of the personal individuality that she is trying to say is ok for anyone to be.
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ReplyDeleteI think the stereotypes portrayed in this video are certainly done in a blatant, over the top manner. All of the stereotypes that are shown center on women/girls striving for physical “perfection” and trying to use their bodies to impress men. All of the stereotypes that were emphasized in the video were actions that are a reality for a portion of the population of women in today’s society. Much of the emphasis of the stereotypes centered on female sexuality and how females use their sexuality. I think the overall message of the song and the video was successful. By going over the top in portrayal of certain stereotypes, the video definitely paints them in a bad light. The title of the song itself, “Stupid Girls,” makes it obvious that the message is to discourage girls from behaving like the stereotypes depicted in the video. Instead, the video suggests that girls should be unique individuals who are not just satisfied with who they are, but proud to be the individuals they are. The end of the video with the girl grabbing the football is powerful evidence for this message, as girls who want to play with a football are not something that is common in today’s society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your classification of these stereotypes. As today’s sociality women seem to have to choices which is to be beautiful but actually stupid or to be intelligent but might nerdy. Angle represents the side of being intelligent and valiant (placed with football, microscope, books something more masculine). Devil represents the side of being beautiful (placed with dolls, jewels, something more feminine). After some disappointing images on TV especially the last one that the beauty would not last long, she will lost everything when she is getting old. As the result the girl listened to the Angle and chose to be intelligent and valiant. To me, the situation seems somewhat extreme. I believe women can have beauty, intelligent, and valiant at the same time (too perfect to be ture?).
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