Beyonce’s Irreplaceable Music Video Empowers Women Everywhere
By: Whitney Butts
Popular culture is all of the ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given culture. In today’s society growing up people learn what is socially accepted based on what they see and hear from television, radios, newspapers, magazines, and social media. The majority of all people believe that popular culture is good for society, however others, especially feminists, think that it is bad. All of these sources influence people about what is right versus wrong. The influences are guides to social behavior.
Dustin Kidd, author of Harry Potter and the Functions of Popular Culture, argues that people need to look beyond the negative effects popular culture has on each individual in order to see the positive outcomes it has to offer to society. (p. 74) Popular culture unifies society because people pay such close attention to it, therefore, everyone is doing and wearing whatever is “in”. Kidd seems to agree that poplar culture has its own social rituals which unify society. (p. 78) He brings up the idea that social cohesion bonds society together when people have common interests. Entertainment in popular culture is good because it is pleasurable, and fun and it is the way we accept social guidance.
Popular culture often gives the interpretation that the female race is inferior to the male race. Pop culture teaches us how to be men and women and what our gender roles are. Men are supposed to be in control and have leadership and power. They are the ones to do the “dirty” work, and overall, are seen as stronger than woman. The lyrics and videos in hip-hop/rap style music does nothing but disrespect and degrade women.
One feminist and vlogger, Nineteen Percent, quotes a few lyrics from one male artist, Dr. Dre, who’s song’s lyrics at one point read, “Bitches ain’t nothing but hoes and tricks.” (Min 3:23) She comments on these lyrics specifically because of how derogatory they are towards women, and how Dr. Dre isn’t the only male artist who has lyrics like this. She goes on further to state how many girl power anthem videos portray false empowerment, which holds girls back because these female artists just sing about girl power rather than doing anything proactive about it.
By this I mean that many female artists’ songs have lyrics that represent female empowerment, but when you watch their music videos, they represent themselves differently by the way the they behave in videos showing disrespect for themselves.
Opposite of Nineteen Percent, Samhita and Natasha, publisher of Why I Like My Feminism Gray, would agree with a statement Dustin Kidd makes which states that popular culture and girl power have revealed social change (Paragraph 5). Natasha and Samhita’s statement is about social change and girl power being more prevalent overtime. The ideal of a pop star from 1970 to an ideal of a pop star now in 2014 has changed.
An example of this is how Miley Cyrus, as Hannah Montana, was seen as an innocent role model to younger viewers. Her image changed as she got older and realized more pop stars in her genre and age group were showing a more provocative side, which was being seen as socially acceptable. Therefore, Miley Cyrus changed her image to be less of a role model and more of a sexy pop artist targeted on an older audience. This became such a controversial topic in the media because of how drastically and quickly her image changed.
In society today, girl power anthems have become necessary for young girls especially, because the anthems institute a guide to social behaviors for girls as being strong and independent. Girl power anthems have also changed stereotypes of women and how they are perceived, while also executing a way for social change around women. Beyonce’s Irreplaceable teaches girls how to be strong, independent individuals while revealing social change by changing the social stereotype of men having a powerful, controlling, leadership role.
Beyonce’s music video of her song Irreplaceable reveals social change. In her music video she is singing about her breakup with an unfaithful man, and now she’s kicking him out.
This is an example of social change because it’s different to see a woman standing up for herself,realizing she deserves better, and she isn’t going to deal with an unfaithful man. Beyonce is waving her hand as a “goodbye, get out” sign. Ten years ago this type of behavior would be seen as highly unusual and women would never have the courage to do that. Today’s younger generation of women are becoming more independent and confident, having the courage to stand up for themselves and what they believe in, which is a result of female empowerment.
The pre-chorus in this song is about Beyonce and her boyfriend arguing about the indifference of their relationship and that he should be walking away. The chorus then goes on to say, “You must not know bout me, You must not know bout me, I could have another you in a minute, Matter of fact he’ll be here in a minute, baby.” (Min 1:29)
She tells her boyfriend that he should never think that he is irreplaceable because she can find another man to replace him in a minute. What she means by this is that he is not the only man in the world, and if he doesn’t want to treat her how she deserves to be treated, she will find someone who will treat her right.
In today’s society most men have not overcome the fact that there is an increasing number of women who are successful, independent, and financially stable which gives them the strength and courage to leave their lover if they aren’t happy or are being disrespected. Men also think they are irreplaceable because, although our society is changing and moving in the direction of female empowerment, there still are many women who tolerate being disrespected, and men take advantage of that.
Another very powerful verse in this song is when Beyonce sings, “So since I’m not your everything, How about I’ll be nothing, nothing at all to you, Baby I won’t shed a tear, I won’t loose a wink of sleep, ‘Cause the truth of the matter is replacing you is so easy.” (Min 2:32) She is confronting her boyfriend about the other woman whom he didn’t think she knew about. Beyonce tells her boyfriend to give her back the keys to the car that she bought for him, which I think is important because it shows her independence and financial stability, and therefore, she is “in charge.” This is a social change in our society because, in the past, women were more dependent on men.
The more a woman demonstrates she is capable of self supporting herself, the stronger she becomes, realizing she does to have to be with a man to be happy, and learns from bad relationships. Men feel the need to uphold a “tough guy” image and show no emotion when breakups occur, that any girl is replaceable, but in this music video the roles are reversed. Throughout the song, Beyonce’s voice is sweet and you can hear pain and annoyance as well. Towards the end of the song after she’s kicked her boyfriend out, she sounds happier and relieved.
The song “Irreplaceable” is Beyonce’s way of sharing with her boyfriend that her demand for him is pliable, and that she could easily have him replaced. This song exemplifies social cohesion — a sentiment both men and women especially can relate to, because anyone who has been in a relationship where one person was unfaithful and then breaks down can relate to this song.
Women and especially teenage girls can relate to Irreplaceable. This is because women realize they are not alone when something like this happens to them, in the same way teenage girls watch this video and promise themselves that they will never allow someone to be unfaithful to them. The video represents how relationships today are very different because women are taking a stronger stance and not tolerating their partner being unfaithful. Beyonce’s boyfriend was unfaithful and now regrets his poor judgement and choices he made because she has caught him and now she is kicking him out for being “untrue.” This is another example of gender roles being reversed.
The song is a great portrayal of female empowerment, heretofore unknown grasp of nuance. The song has several emotions: heartbreak, anger, relief, boastfulness, and annoyance. The context of the song depicts how, as individuals, especially women, can’t forget our power and worth no matter how hard the circumstances may be. Irreplaceable shares how some people forget that they can be replaced, or that sometimes when you take someone for granted and are unappreciative of them, you don’t realize it until it’s too late. (Min 2:20)
As far as the musical part of Beyonce’s Irreplaceable, there are only a few instruments that are used; a gentle strum of acoustic guitar, drums, wind instruments, piano, and use of a nail file at the very beginning of the song. Throughout the song, you also hear a little bit of hands clapping, along with Beyonce’s heart break, an annoyed voice along with a mid tempo. I think the importance of there only being a few instruments used in this song is that Beyonce wants viewers to focus more on her words and actions in the music video without the distraction overload of music. The clapping of hands at the end represents her comfort in the decision she has made to leave her boyfriend. In this girl power anthem, Beyonce transforms society’s view on social norms.
Normally, society would portray women as being inferior to men and doing what they want and tolerating disrespect and mistreatment. Beyonce changes this idea and shows she’s the one with the power, kicking out her boyfriend and making him give her back anything she had given to him. She does this by seductively pulling him in to her making him think she is going to hug, kiss, and take him back, but instead she pulls him in, takes off his sweater and chain and then pushes him away while rolling her eyes. After being pushed away, the body language of her boyfriend you see as a viewer is depressed, regret, and he knows he has messed up (Min 1:53).
As Beyonce is walking out of the house to wave goodbye she does a sexy strut up the driveway to the car where she sits on the hood watching her boyfriend move his stuff out. The way Beyonce dances around her room in her bra, a tight skirt, red velvet pumps, and her hair up in curlers illustrates the norm today for female behavior. Acting seductive when she is dancing in the mirror of her bedroom portrays “sexy,” female behavior, which is supposed to give women a sense of confidence.
The sense of confidence Beyonce is showing is that of strength and independence. She shows strength by having an aggressive posture throughout this scene, and she shows independence by the combative way she flips her wrist to wave goodbye to her unfaithful boyfriend showing she doesn’t need a man to make her happy and secure. (Minute 1:36)
Feminist and publisher of “Behind every strong man, there’s an even stronger Beyonce, Samhita, believes that female empowerment, in relation to girl power, is a way for the media to encourage women to behave a certain way. She thinks that love and romance is Beyonce’s fall back move, which doesn’t make her a feminist yet because she is a product of a system that exploits women for capital gain.
Frankly, in the face of that she has done amazing, brilliant things, but that doesn’t change the system. Samhita claims, “Bey is drawing from another frame; one where female achievement is second to male, because that is the natural order of things, and in that natural order women are still “powerful.” It is this kind of quiet assumption about women’s role in society that feeds into the most tired of tropes that ‘behind every strong man, there is an even stronger woman,’ which as a form of female empowerment leaves us something to be desired. (Paragraph 11)
It is a marketing tool that, in her opinion, is abused and misrepresents what female empowerment really is. The producers of the music video zoom in on Beyonce’s body language in a way that mimics both the male gaze and the emotions she is facing.
In conclusion, Beyonce’s music video, Irreplaceable, shows how pop culture has impacted social behavior in many different ways. The video demonstrates how women are playing more of an equal role in relationships, and in some cases, a more powerful role. This is true not only in relationships but with today’s workforce as well.
More women are holding powerful positions in large corporations, in politics, and society in general, and are achieving financial success independently. Female sports are another example of how pop culture has impacted social change. For example, college and professional female sporting events draw as much attention and bring in as much revenue as some male sporting events. In addition, female athletes are no longer portrayed as “butch” but rather strong and beautiful. These are all examples of social change, female empowerment, and how Beyonce’s music video relates to these beliefs.
