Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass

Stheno

Anyone else find the lyrics of this song both offensive and promoting ill health?

It repeatedly refers to thin women as stick figure insects/barbie dolls, and promotes that if you think you're fat you're still perfect from the bottom to the top?

Or have I got it completely wrong?

No, I think she just says she won't be that skinny - size 2/6- and it's ok not to be and that magazines are awfully photoshopped
It doesn't mean all women who are skinny are silicone barbies or that not being a size 6 is fat - so even if you think you're fat for not being size 6, if you're still hot you're hot




Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two
But I can shake it, shake it
Like I'm supposed to do
'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
And all the right junk in all the right places

I see the magazine workin' that Photoshop
We know that **** ain't real
C'mon now, make it stop
If you got beauty, beauty, just raise 'em up
'Cause every inch of you is perfect
From the bottom to the top

Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

chorus

I'm bringing booty back
Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that
No, I'm just playing. I know you think you're fat
But I'm here to tell ya
Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top

Yeah my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

J Mysterio

Got it completely wrong. She does say "i'm bringing booty back, tell all those skinny bitches that" but then says "i'm just playin". She rails against fake bodies, implants and surgery. It's about being comfortable in your body and not being self conscious in the face of hollywood ideals.

Admittedly it is more aimed at bigger women being comfortable in themselves but thats because the artist herself is more 'curvy'. She is standing up for women who feel under pressure to change themselves to magazine standards.

Stheno

J Mysterio wrote: »

Got it completely wrong. She does say "i'm bringing booty back, tell all those skinny bitches that" but then says "i'm just playin". She rails against fake bodies, implants and surgery. It's about being comfortable in your body and not being self conscious in the face of hollywood ideals.

Admittedly it is more aimed at bigger women being comfortable in themselves but thats because the artist herself is more 'curvy'. She is standing up for women who feel under pressure to change themselves to magazine standards.

So why stand up for women who are overweight while calling those who are not skinny bitches?

That's what I just don't get, I'm quite slim and have had female colleagues call me a skinny bitch to my face, regardless of the fact that if I called them a fat sow in return I'd be in trouble

I just find what she is doing misguided.

Stheno

Stheno wrote: »

So why stand up for women who are overweight while calling those who are not skinny bitches?

That's what I just don't get, I'm quite slim and have had female colleagues call me a skinny bitch to my face, regardless of the fact that if I called them a fat sow in return I'd be in trouble

I just find what she is doing misguided.

She says "just playin", she's not really saying they're all skinny bitches

eviltwin

I took the skinny bitch reference to be about mean girls, you know the kind who make bigger women feel bad, rather than about all slim women.

J Mysterio

Stheno wrote: »

So why stand up for women who are overweight while calling those who are not skinny bitches?

That's what I just don't get, I'm quite slim and have had female colleagues call me a skinny bitch to my face, regardless of the fact that if I called them a fat sow in return I'd be in trouble

I just find what she is doing misguided.

J Mysterio wrote:

Admittedly it is more aimed at bigger women being comfortable in themselves but thats because the artist herself is more 'curvy'. She is standing up for women who feel under pressure to change themselves to magazine standards.

...

I can understand if you get a lot of hassle for being skinny that this might seem like yet more of the same, but I think it's really not in reality, it's more of a positive message - however skinny you may be some of those photoshopped pics are unattainable standards for anyone and reducing that pressure is positive

Orim

bluewolf wrote: »

She says "just playin", she's not really saying they're all skinny bitches

And I'm not a racist but...

Her goals are noble but it doesn't justify putting other people down, even if she means no offence and says it with all due respect.

If her next song was to try highlight unequal pay in the workplace, would she get as much slack for calling out those lazy stay-at-home bitches? I mean she'd be highlighting an important issue and would be just joking.

anewme

I hate hate hate that song........you are giving it too much creedance by analysing it.

I just hate her voice. They way she says....
no twwwweeeble.........and then the other bit where she is singing in the background, that booty booty....that booty booty.

aghhhhh, it just makes me want to punch the dashboard of the car.

It is an offensive song. To my eardrums. I hope it goes away soon. And her as well.

meeeeh

I don't know, one can be offended about anything these days. I tend to ignore lyrics in most pop songs because there isn't much worth paying attention to. However it does seem a lot of female stuff is obsessing about their bodies. Not exactly politically or socially hard hitting stuff.

italodisco

Honestly my wife's first thought on this song was that it was promoting obesity, something she herself is fighting.
I have to admit, it really does sound like some overweight woman trying to justify laziness and a fear of the gym /healthy eating.

Rubbish tune

meeeeh

Well it didn't take long for someone to drag out lazy fat people stereotypes. How dare they wish to be acknowledged as attractive too.

rainbow kirby

She could have made her point without having to trot out the "skinny bitches" line - it seems unnecessarily rude.

AmyPL

meeeeh wrote: »

Well it didn't take long for someone to drag out lazy fat people stereotypes. How dare they wish to be acknowledged as attractive too.

Hey, we can't have those fatties ever feeling good about themselves can we? Now that a song has been released I'm finally free to sit at home, eat what I want, and gain weight as much weight as I please. (End obvious sarcasm)

It's a stupid, annoying song that was probably written to court just the right amount of benign controversy. I don't like the song and I especially don't like the 'skinny bitches' line but I despise the hand wringing about songs like this promoting ill health- really? Give us overweight people a little credit please. We're not going to start relentlessly shaming thinner women while stuffing ourselves with junk food just because one rubbish song came out celebrating women who "ain't no size two".

(Ironically, I'd managed to avoid ever hearing this song until it entered rotation on the spinning class playlist at my gym. Hearing it makes me think of exercise.)

anewme

AmyPL wrote: »

(Ironically, I'd managed to avoid ever hearing this song until it entered rotation on the spinning class playlist at my gym. Hearing it makes me think of exercise.)

It really is a cringey song. Probably my most hated one from last year. Hope she is a one hit wonder.

I love my spin classes and if this pathetic excuse for a song made it's way onto the playlist, they'd be getting a written objection.:pac:

panda100

I HATE that song. It's offensive to skinny women and I'm sick of the bashing we have been getting the last few years. The funny thing is that theses 'curvy' bodies that niki minaj, Kim kardashian and the likes have are all as a result of plastic surgery. These 'booties' we are getting shoved in our faces are just as much silicon barbie dolls. There is nothing body positive about this song as it is dismissing and degrading a whole cohort of people who are naturally slim

J Mysterio

The poor poor naturally slim women. Life must be so difficult for you.

J Mysterio

panda100 wrote: »

it is dismissing and degrading a whole cohort of people who are naturally slim

It's a song for bigger ladies to make them comfortable in their own skin. Its not a hate song on skinny women for ffs. Get over yourself.

BonsaiKitten

J Mysterio wrote: »

The poor poor naturally slim women. Life must be so difficult for you.

Naturally slim?
Explain that please?

Celly Smunt

They ALL have lovely bottoms.

Scarinae

It comes across to me like she's saying it doesn't matter if you're not a size two as long as men still find you attractive. You can love your body as long as men love it. That's what I personally find the most problematic about the song.

bluewolf wrote: »

'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
And all the right junk in all the right places

bluewolf wrote: »

Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night"

eviltwin

panda100 wrote: »

I HATE that song. It's offensive to skinny women and I'm sick of the bashing we have been getting the last few years. The funny thing is that theses 'curvy' bodies that niki minaj, Kim kardashian and the likes have are all as a result of plastic surgery. These 'booties' we are getting shoved in our faces are just as much silicon barbie dolls. There is nothing body positive about this song as it is dismissing and degrading a whole cohort of people who are naturally slim

Why is a bigger woman celebrating her shape offensive to slim women?

One eyed Jack

eviltwin wrote: »

Why is a bigger woman celebrating her shape offensive to slim women?

I don't think there's anything wrong with it if that's all the song was attempting to do, but it's not, it's most basic message is that "boys don't want slim women, boys want girls that have all the right curves in all the right places".

That's not celebrating anything, that's just sneering, which, ironically enough - nobody likes.

J Mysterio

This is just one of those cases where people have to put some effort into actually being offended.

Venus In Furs

I think the "Just playin'" is just a hurriedly thrown in disclaimer.

It TOTALLY seems like a bitch at slim women tbh, even if it's also a way to make people who are not slim feel ok with themselves.

lazygal

Venus In Furs wrote: »

I think the "Just playin'" is just a hurriedly thrown in disclaimer.

It TOTALLY seems like a bitch at slim women tbh, even if it's also a way to make people who are not slim feel ok with themselves.

Agreed. It's the old "No offense, but...." line.
I'm slim enough and I hate this 'real women' crap, like the Dove campaign. This is more of the same, try writing a song slagging off women who call themselves curvy but are really 'all about the flab' and see the sparks fly.

Soft Falling Rain

rainbow kirby wrote: »

She could have made her point without having to trot out the "skinny bitches" line - it seems unnecessarily rude.

I don't think she wrote the song, funnily enough I believe it was rejected by a few more well known singers before it fell into her lap.

Soft Falling Rain

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

I don't think she wrote the song, funnily enough I believe it was rejected by a few more well known singers before it fell into her lap.

No I think she wrote it and asked them to sing it and finally did it herself
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_About_That_Bass#Writing_and_development

strobe

The whole "men prefer 'curvy' women" message is pretty wilfully delusional, there is a bit of a 'real women' (uggh) vibe off it, and the 'skinny bitches' remark is uncalled for, but damn catchy song though.

seventeen sheep

What I don't get about the video is, there's herself and her back-up dancers (who, in fairness, are average-size rather than obese, and look to be wearing unflattering clothes to make them look bigger than they actually are - but still looking good.)

And then they have a seriously obese male dancer, with his belly hanging out and flopping around the place, and he takes up a large proportion of the video.

I don't get what point they're making? It's nearly like they're taking the piss of the obese male guy, but making the point that fat girls can be sexy ... while using relatively average-sized female models?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk

meeeeh

I made similar point before. When it is not politically incorrect to make jokes about you, you are at the top of the food chain. In this sense skinny people are in the same club as white men. Yes you can be insulted by it but complaining about it won't be met with much sympathy.

IvyTheTerrible

My bigger problem with the song is that it's supposed to be about being happy about how you look, but with the ultimate aim of pleasing men, rather than pleasing yourself.

J Mysterio

That's such ****e. Are you saying that being attractive to the opposite sex is not important for self esteem?

XxMCRxBabyxX

Am I the only one who is just sick of the constant focus on this "celebration" of body image and curves and "real women" as of late? It seems to be getting more and more common and only send to cause more issues and divides IMO. As a disclaimer (though I don't think it should matter), I'm a small 12 with a bit too much flab in places. I know people who are bigger in size to me and people who are smaller. Both sizes have their positives but I don't notice them on a day to day basis so why is everyone making such a big deal of focusing on it? Can we not just agree that everyone can look great in their size and not have so many songs and articles and advertising campaigns etc. That just encourages more focus and debate. I'm just a little sick of it.

meeeeh

It's a kick back to size 0 image. These things go in circles. And after curvy we will get sporty or something similar. As with hair I decided long time ago there in no point following or even worrying about trends. As long as you don't have a perm.

MistyCheese

Scarinae wrote: »

It comes across to me like she's saying it doesn't matter if you're not a size two as long as men still find you attractive.

Bang on Scarinae, that's exactly what I came here to say.

The lines 'My mama she told me don't worry about your size/She said "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night".../' pretty much boil down to "Don't worry, boys will still like you" and I consider that to be a less than postive message for young people.

I do agree though that the song seems to feel the need to put down one group -or more- in order to lift another. Why can't Meghan be proud of who she is without bringing 'skinny bitches' into it? Or, for that matter, people who have had cosmetic surgery? Could you not be perfectly okay with your curves, or your booty, or whatever it is about yourself that you're perfectly happy with, and not declare that the way you look is better than anyone with different features/a different figure? I'd personally like to see/hear more "I like me!" without the "I'm better than you" ending.

The most positive message I get from the song is regarding the use of Photoshop. It definately should be made common knowledge that magazine covers are really just a very realistic drawing of the celebrity in question. You can find many articles that show pictures of celebrities before and after Photoshop. I can think of Britney Spears, Jennifer Annison, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Kate Winslet off the top of my head and FFS Beyonce digitally alters her photos before they go on her Instagram page, never the front cover of a magazine. So even these celebrities - who you could argue have more time, money and assistance to look their best - don't actually look like they do in glossy mags.

Flutterby80

I'm 5'1" and roughly 50kgs( about 8 stone) so within the healthy range for my height, however since I was a teenager I've put up with comments and questions about my weight. "skinny bitch" " you must not eat" " God your tiny" " you must live in the gym" I could go on... I've learned to not let it bother me the older I get but these comments used to make me so self conscious.
If I turned around and said to a girl heavier than I , "God your massive! You must stuff your face all day long"! , imagine the response I'd get! Double standards!
I'm pretty neutral on the song, find it pretty irritating to be honest but maybe I've been called a skinny bitch so many times I'm just immune to the message at this stage!

J Mysterio

Flutterby80 wrote: »

I'm 5'1" and roughly 50kgs( about 8 stone)

Nice, petit

J Mysterio

J Mysterio wrote: »

Nice, petit

Mod

Please familiarise yourself with the charter and the ethos of this forum before posting again.

Flirtatious type posting will not be tolerated.

anewme

Apart from the obvious forced messages, am I the only one who thinks its cringey irritating music and her voice is grating...... no tweeeble...I detest it.

I think people trying to disect it and make sense of it is the same as people trying to say there was a subliminal message from Wanderly Wagon

meeeeh

It is interesting how things vary. A friend off mine had an ex who was about that size 5'1" and about 50kg) and told her she could do with losing a bit of weight. There really isn't any point listening to remarks about the weight because you are never the right size.

Flutterby80

meeeeh wrote: »

It is interesting how things vary. A friend off mine had an ex who was about that size 5'1" and about 50kg) and told her she could do with losing a bit of weight. There really isn't any point listening to remarks about the weight because you are never the right size.

I just don't understand why anyone feels the need to comment on another persons weight, it baffles me and just smacks of jealousy and dissatisfaction with themselves to be honest.

meeeeh

Flutterby80 wrote: »

I just don't understand why anyone feels the need to comment on another persons weight, it baffles me and just smacks of jealousy and dissatisfaction with themselves to be honest.

I doubt he was jealous of his girlfriend, even knowing him well and how direct and shallow he is sometimes, it sticks in my memory as a bit extreme. But it is not surprising there is a backlash against skinny culture when that is considered 'overweight' by some.

Flutterby80

meeeeh wrote: »

I doubt he was jealous of his girlfriend, even knowing him well and how direct and shallow he is sometimes, it sticks in my memory as a bit extreme. But it is not surprising there is a backlash against skinny culture when that is considered 'overweight' by some.

No I didn't mean that he was jealous of his girlfriend rather that in general I assume that jealousy plays a part when some people feel the need to comment negatively on another's size. I havr 0 interest in anyone else's size/weight it's none of my business but perhaps that's because I am happy with myself therefore not looking to pick holes in other people

IvyTheTerrible

J Mysterio wrote: »

That's such ****e. Are you saying that being attractive to the opposite sex is not important for self esteem?

Well it shouldn't be the sole basis of your self-esteem.

meeeeh

Flutterby80 wrote: »

No I didn't mean that he was jealous of his girlfriend rather that in general I assume that jealousy plays a part when some people feel the need to comment negatively on another's size. I havr 0 interest in anyone else's size/weight it's none of my business but perhaps that's because I am happy with myself therefore not looking to pick holes in other people

So you mean because I am jealous. I am a bit taller than poster above and a bit heavier but the weight height ratio would he about the same. I find it entertaining how things change or how different people perceive weight differently because I used to feel rather a bit overweight when younger. And was told by a gym teacher in high school that I should really watch my weight a bit.

Teyla Emmagan

I really like the song actually. It makes me want to dance. Or at least jiggle a foot. And I think her message is a good one.

I did think the chorus was "no trouble" for a while though :-)

Teyla Emmagan

anewme wrote: »

Apart from the obvious forced messages, am I the only one who thinks its cringey irritating music and her voice is grating...... no tweeeble...I detest it.

I think people trying to disect it and make sense of it is the same as people trying to say there was a subliminal message from Wanderly Wagon

It's supposed to be cheesy. According to the Wikipedia page the song is "bullegum pop and deedoobop" (or something, came across it at the weekend). Quite interesting to me anyway, I don't know much about pop genres.

Flutterby80

meeeeh wrote: »

So you mean because I am jealous. I am a bit taller than poster above and a bit heavier but the weight height ratio would he about the same. I find it entertaining how things change or how different people perceive weight differently because I used to feel rather a bit overweight when younger. And was told by a gym teacher in high school that I should really watch my weight a bit.

Where did I suggest that you are jealous!? My point (again!) is that in my opinion people who feel the need to comment negatively on other peoples weight may do so because they are not happy in themselves.
When I was younger I used to feel that I must look like crap as I was quite a bit smaller than everyone else in my class, one teacher even asked me if I was ill and I've never been skin and bone. Negative comments are negative comments and therefore damaging whichever side of the size spectrum you are on.

GarIT

One of the problems I have with this song is that it assumes all men have the same interests in women and says that men should like larger women. In the recent past I have been verbally abused for stating when asked that I have no interest in [insert name here] because she is fat. The impression I'm getting lately is that some people are starting to think that men should not be allowed choose their sexual partners and in the cases where men can choose their partners they are not allowed to do so based on anything physical.

This song encourages the groups who are demonising men for not choosing women based on personality alone.