The Dangers of Sexism in Pop Music

By Madison Ann Baker

Music and sexism are inextricably intertwined.

These catchy, upbeat songs hide something darker underneath: the fact that women are only valued for their looks, especially when that beauty is appreciated by men. In both Mars’ and One Direction’s songs, they comment on being attracted to the nameless woman’s physical characteristics: her eyes, smile, hair, or face. Absolutely no mention of her personality, accomplishments, interests, goals, or talents — just her appearance.

Both songs take on an almost condescending tone, as the singers believe the unnamed subject does not realize that she’s beautiful until they tell her so. These songs even imply that the woman does not have any confidence in herself until a man calls her beautiful. They completely take agency away from the woman by assuming what she’s feeling and that they can “solve” the supposed problem by singing to her. And who says the female subjects even wanted the men, or anyone else for that matter, to comment on their appearances anyway?

By simply referring to the subject of the song as “you,” any person can imagine that Mars or One Direction is singing about or to them. Though they have seen widespread success, these songs and artists are popular with young girls in particular. These songs send an unhealthy message to impressionable young girls that they must be “more beautiful” than other girls, which can lead to a number of mental health issues.

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Madison Ann Baker is a writer, Netflix-binger, and pop culture enthusiast who lives in Idaho. Literature and linguistics are her two passions, both of which she studied in college. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her Borador, Dash, and re-reading Harry Potter.

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