Female Gaze: Meghan Trainor

Rachel Nee
3/6/15

 

 

Meghan Trainor: All about sending a good message

            This week we had to find a music video we felt fit the female gaze, it took no time for me to decide to share All about That Bass by singer Meghan Trainor. When I first heard this song I hadn’t put a face to the singer, when I saw the music video I saw that Meghan wasn’t what the typical pop star looks like, she was different. In the video she’s having fun, singing about how we need to accept ourselves because you don’t have to be a size two to feel good about yourself. I thought the video was so cool, especially where she includes other dancers in the video that are different shapes and sizes. She mocks what society considers perfect, with lyrics such as, “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.” This sends out the message that she is going to stay the way she is and if society doesn’t accept that or a man then that is their own problem and they can go find whatever they consider perfect. Meghan is 20 years old, and learned that entering the industry isn’t always an easy process, especially where she didn’t look like these other women the media found flawless. She’s curvy but she embraces it through her music, in one interview I had watched her on, she admitted to knowing she didn’t look like the perfect girl, she was afraid to enter the industry because she didn’t think she had the whole package. However, with the outpouring support of her fans, she said she is not losing weight or changing herself anytime soon. She has learned to accept the flaws that others see, and that is why I admire her and relate to her especially with her being the same age as I am. I would feel the exact same way she did at first, you’re going to receive negative and positive comments, but Meghan has learned to push them aside and keep doing what she’s doing, making music that inspires her young audience. I also loved that she was inspired to write All about That Bass from an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres show she had seen where they discussed issues about women and their bodies. I admire women in pop culture that are different from what the perfect women are considered in that society. I had seen an example of not accepting someone in the comments on her video for her song Lips Are Movin, another video where Meghan is having good time with her girlfriends. When I read some of the comments I was shocked by what people had said, they were calling her a fat bitch, untalented, telling her to lose weight, and wondering what she was doing in pop culture. Why is that so important to people? Why is that the main focus of the audience? What about what is going on in the video, the song itself, the main focus of these commentators was her weight. In that same interview I watched, she was asked about the comments, she said they were hurtful, but she learns to focus on her fans that are supporting her and sending positive comments. There is always going to be someone that doesn’t like the same thing or person other people do, it happens, and Meghan pushes through it. I’ve become a big fan of hers since the first time I watched All about That Bass, I admire her for her strength and her positive messages she sends out. She’s a young girl having fun with her career and doing it the way she wants to. She separates herself from the typical artist; she has her own style and way of doing things, and that is what I think is so important for young girls to have to look up to. Meghan is a great model for these girls; she knows how to send out a good message about acceptance. This is why I chose her for the female gaze; this song has great lyrics and a great message. It’s important for everyone to see that no matter what size you are, learn to accept it, if others don’t then that is their problem, have fun and be who you are.