Conference Paper

Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool

Number: 2 August 5, 2016
TR EN

Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool

Abstract

This article considers two songs linked by allegations of copyright infringement. These songs are Robin Thicke's (2013), "Blurred Lines," and Marvin Gaye's (1977), "Got To Give It Up." In this paper, I conduct a lyrical analysis of the songs, to unpack other similarities beyond the musical and stylistic ones. Specifically, I consider the performance of masculinity, as expressed in ways that I argue supports patriarchy and rape culture. I draw comparisons between the songs to show how, despite the anticipated expanding possibilities of masculinities (Connell 1995), some performances or forms of masculinities remain the same. The stability and permanence of hegemonic masculinity accommodates the violence against women expressed in this music. I illustrate and argue that the normalization of violence in the song lyrics constitutes a linguistic violence. This violence makes the construction of new masculinities, and the dismantling of rape culture, that much more of a challenge and an imperative.

Keywords

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

-

Journal Section

Conference Paper

Publication Date

August 5, 2016

Submission Date

August 5, 2016

Acceptance Date

-

Published in Issue

Year 2014 Number: 2

APA
Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool. (2016). Masculinities: A Journal of Identity and Culture, 2, 117-143. https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL
AMA
1.Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool. Masculinities Journal. 2016;(2):117-143. https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL
Chicago
“Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool”. 2016. Masculinities: A Journal of Identity and Culture, nos. 2: 117-43. https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL.
EndNote
(August 1, 2016) Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool. Masculinities: A Journal of Identity and Culture 2 117–143.
IEEE
[1]“Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool”, Masculinities Journal, no. 2, pp. 117–143, Aug. 2016, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL
ISNAD
“Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool”. Masculinities: A Journal of Identity and Culture. 2 (August 1, 2016): 117-143. https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL.
JAMA
1.Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool. Masculinities Journal. 2016;:117–143.
MLA
“Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool”. Masculinities: A Journal of Identity and Culture, no. 2, Aug. 2016, pp. 117-43, https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL.
Vancouver
1.Pleasures and Perils of the Performance of Music, Masculinity, and Cool. Masculinities Journal [Internet]. 2016 Aug. 1;(2):117-43. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA82AW55DL