The patriarchy is a type of system or society in which men hold more power, and withhold that very power from women. Swift's 7th studio album sets a precedent for equality between all societal groups- regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. Track 4, titled: The Man, in particular, voices her blatant intolerance towards the gender inequality still present in our societies today. Through this song, Swift largely highlights behaviors that would be completely socially acceptable coming through her, and women in general, if they were given the same privilege as men- but instead are scrutinized, and deemed inappropriate.
Swift starts off by saying “They'd say I played the field before I
found someone to commit to And that would be okay for me to do ”.
This lyric suggests how women in society are expected to conform to
their previously normal gender roles of being a wife & mother and
the backward belief people hold about how women focusing on their
career should be at least a secondary priority in their life, if not
at all. Society often looks down upon career-focused women,
especially older and unmarried ones. Their ambition is criticized
rather than applauded- which it would be if they were treated as men
are. The global labor force participation rate for women is just
under 47%. For men, it's 72%. This further proves how women are
still being held back from making significant contributions to the
workforce, largely due to gender stereotyping and backward mindsets
in traditional families dominated by men.
Swift then goes on to mention how men are favored even in belief.
“When everyone believes ya What's that like?”. This lyric suggests
how people tend to take men more seriously in professional settings
and subtly touches upon the basic nature of sexual assault cases.
Even when presented with hard evidence and witnesses, sexual assault
cases filed by female victims are dropped at a high rate because of
their tendency not to be taken seriously, and be somehow blamed for
causing their own assault. Even when reported, 49% of cases are
dropped due to women not being believed.
“What's it like to brag about raking in dollars?” is a direct reference to the universal pay gap that exists between men and women. The gender pay gap reduces women's lifetime earnings and also affects their pensions - this is one of the significant causes of poverty in later life for women. Even after the revolutionary changes brought into society by women, they are still, as a whole, paid less than men. Even for the exact same job. Even with the skillset and work hours accounted for, the pay women receive is still a significant 11% lesser than men.
“What's it like to brag about raking in dollars?” is a direct reference to the universal pay gap that exists between men and women. The gender pay gap reduces women's lifetime earnings and also affects their pensions - this is one of the significant causes of poverty in later life for women. Even after the revolutionary changes brought into society by women, they are still, as a whole, paid less than men. Even for the exact same job. Even with the skillset and work hours accounted for, the pay women receive is still a significant 11% lesser than men.
A recurrently mentioned lyric in the song is “And I'm so sick of
them coming at me again 'Cause if I was a man, Then I'd be the man”.
This fully and truly encapsulates the theme of the song in relation
to how women are looked down upon for behaviors considered noble
when coming from men. Misogyny is prejudice against women, and
society exhibits exactly that. Swift states that if she were a man,
then she’d be THE man, hinting at how critics and people, in
general, would not be as harsh as they are towards her if she
benefited from male privilege due to the existence of the
patriarchy. The same has also proven to be true for all women,
globally.
The main idea trying to be conveyed is that: whether a woman is climbing the corporate ladder, raising a family, or even doing both- she deserves to be treated with the same respect and admiration men are presented with for simply doing the least.
The main idea trying to be conveyed is that: whether a woman is climbing the corporate ladder, raising a family, or even doing both- she deserves to be treated with the same respect and admiration men are presented with for simply doing the least.
