Why I'm not "all about that bass"

So, maybe this blog should just be a song/music discussion. I guess that is where my mind wanders. I'm cool with it. I always did like analyzing the content of songs/movies/commercials/media in general.

Anywho - let's get down to business, and no I'm not defeating any Huns, well not today anyway.

Have you seen this video? It's on the You Tubes. It's on the radio too (if you still listen to that). Apparently it's one of the top songs in the county right now and number 1 on iTunes. If you don't know it's called "All about that Bass" by Meghan Trainor.

It's catchy, moderately clean, and is apparently all about loving yourself just how you are - even if you aren't a size two. 
Sounds great, right?  Man, we need more music like this right?

WRONG!
Now before you close your internet tab, keep reading. There is an important message behind the lyrics of this song if you take a closer listen.

So, why am I not all about that bass? (..sorry couldn't help myself there)
well, let's (of course) take a look at the lyrics...

This song has been called an "ode to plus sized women" probably because of lines in the song like "Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size 2" and "I know you think you're fat, but I'm here to tell you every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top"

Now do not get me wrong I am all about loving your body and yourself no matter what size you are. However, the love you have for yourself should not be dictated by the amount of attention you receive from boys and THAT is what this song is preaching.

The lyrics read:

Yeah, my momma she told me don't worry about your size

She says, boys they like a little more booty to hold at night

Let's dissect this, 

According to the song, women shouldn't worry about their size because in the end the boys like "a little more booty." So, if we have the booty, then the boys will like us, and Voila! Our worth is established. 

I'm going to glance over the fact that this horrible advice is coming from a MOTHER. (She probably should have said something like "Don't worry about your size, your worth isn't based off of external factors anyway" ...but I digress)

In the end, this song makes me ask a question that frightens me...

When did being objectified become so desirable that we started fighting for the right to be included in the objectification?

The message at the heart of this song isn't "love your body" but it is an invitation for others to objectify you and permission to be ok with and even demand that objectification.

I for one am not ok with giving permission, not matter what size, shape, age, color, or gender you are, to be objectified. And I am certainly against teaching anyone that objectifying others is ok, even if they ask for it.

I, like any other sane woman and also as the song mentions, dislike the unrealistic portrayal of women photo shopped on magazines and billboards. But more than that, I also cringe at the over-sexualization of our culture that is ok with essentially naked ads but shames breastfeeding women. I cry for little girls who are concerned with makeup and outfits at an age where I didn't even know what mascara was.  

This song is an example of how degenerate our culture has become. The normalization of objectification has blinded us. It has blinded us so much that we hear this song and we think it's about loving yourself and feeling beautiful in your own skin. And while that may have been the intent, the message it sends is far from that. The message of the song is that a woman should love her body based on how much a man objectifies and 'loves' it.

And that message is so wrong.
In the end our worth is not based off of how many boys want to hold our booty at night. It's not in how much we have when we "shake it shake it." It's also not in how skinny we are, how big the gap is between our thighs. It isn't found in what we wear or what we do. And it certainly isn't based on how many boys like us, or how many whistle as we walk by. 

Our worth as women, and really as a human being, lies in how we were created. No ability or talent we have make us more human. No skill or intelligence level changes how we were made. We were created in the image of God. We are desired by the King of Kings. We are infinitely loved by him. No amount of booty  can increase or decrease that love. 

So ladies as we continue to live in this sometimes toxic world, be careful what we listen to.  Be careful to not fall into the traps of the culture that tell us that we are worth only what we can give, or what we have. Rest assured that God has us in the deepest part of his heart and while we forget our worth sometimes, he never forgets how precious we are.



find the full lyrics here.