Pretty Girl Rock- Keri Hilson
You’ve heard the song. It’s catchy. My daughter and I were bobbing to it the other day in the car.
All eyes on me when I walk in,
No question that this girl’s a ten,
Don’t have me cuz I’m beautiful,
Don’t have me cuz I’m beautiful…
Then, I got to thinking (as I always do) “Hey, are you sure this is the song you want baby girl bobbing to?” On one hand, I feel Keri. She’s acknowledging her own beauty and telling other women not to feel threatened by it. I can get with that. Already wrote a post about it. Hell, with all the depression, low self esteem and eating disorders we’ve got attacking our pretty little girls, we all need to be singing about how we’re tens… or do we?
While a part of me likes the song, another part feels it’s only adding to the inverted, twisted-up beauty ideas we’re already choking on. No offense, Ms. Keri, but you’re not the first person to write a song about how cute you are. Truth be told, there are tons of song about that very topic, all blasted by young girls and women who have adopted them as their anthems and used them as their ringtones. Yet and still, depressed women aren’t becoming any less depressed. The self esteem-less are not gaining esteem, and those with eating disorders still aren’t eating. What’s wrong with this picture?
I guess this emphasized–if not exaggerated– focus on physical beauty wouldn’t be so bad if our beauty standards were actually good. I mean, if we put as much value in the Alek Weks and America Ferreras of the world as we do the Angelina Jolies, girls wouldn’t just be singing these songs. They’d be truly accepting and fully internalizing the “I know I’m pretty” message. In fact, we’d be so aware of and satisfied with our beauty that songs like this wouldn’t even be necessary. It would just be understood, unspoken. There’s nothing wrong with thinking you’re pretty, but what else do you think? Are you smart? Do you have a good heart? How’s your ambition? These are all important parts of ourselves, but we don’t sing about them.
I know what you’re thinking. “All this from a little song? It’s not that deep, Nad. Aren’t you the one that goes around saying ‘hakuna matata’ all the time?” Yes, that’s me, but you can’t listen to song after song, and watch movie after movie, and read magazine after magazine and not be affected. I’ve always been conscience of the sights and sounds I expose myself to, but now that I’m a mother, I had to go Inspector Gadget on yall! I’m analyzing everything that comes across our path. Got to. I’ll admit, it gets tough, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. She wouldn’t either.
~Nadirah Angail
Yes! I felt the exact same way. I mean I loved the song and it’s cute catchy lyrics, but I asked myself the same question. It feels like there’s an emphasis on outer beauty, which should be celebrated, but it becomes superficial when its not balanced w. developing ourselves fully internally. Loved this post
I’m loving this post b/c I was thinking the same about this song! Furthermore, I think this song is just an anthem for the conceited. To me, she’s not saying that all girls are pretty. She’s saying yea I know I’m pretty, so [to all you "ugly" girls] don’t hate. Look at the lyrics, she’s telling a man not to be mad b/c the girl that’s with him ain’t as cute as she is (*rolling my eyes*). So instead of singing about the beauty in all girls, we’re comparing the cuter girl to the not so cute girl, right? Don’t we do enough of that already???
OK,glad to know I’m not the only one feeling this way about the song. I hate to be the “tighty” that can’t just relax and have fun, but I can’t help it. I get it from my momma. Seriously.
Pingback: On What They Should Know: A Powerful Message to Young Women «