Jolene, and other anti-feminist anthems

[StealthPolarBear]

Just to say this is a light-hearted chat thread.
I love jolene, sing it with a minor adaptation every time I'm cleaning the windows. I have no idea about the background, but it must come near the top of the least feminist songs ever!
Another which I've just heard is sheryl crow, strong enough. "lie to me, I promise I'll believe, lie to me, but please don't leave"
Brilliant song, awful lyrics :)
Any others?

I don't like Cheerleader, always feel a bit sexist despite the fun upbeat tune. Especially when he says 'do I make you feel like cheating... no not really!'

Shania Twain, Don't be Stupid. The guys a controlling creep - "you even get suspicious when I paint my nails".
But I still sing along. Although not on a par with Jolene of course for singalongability.

(I swear I'm not some mad country music fan - I blame my mother 🙄).

@Mylovelyhorsee

It’s not anti feminist I guess but “24 hours from Tulsa” always irks me as he seems so disloyal. He was in love with this woman and then drops her like a sack of hot shit for someone he barley knows! All to a jaunty tune.

The only version of the song that I know is Dusty Springfield.

I've been thinking about Carly Simon and You're so vain plus Halsey and Sorry - and I'm not sure where they go on the notional spectrum.

@AdaFuckingShelby

Coldplay. I will try to fix you. Please don't.

Fuck yea

OverviewLyricsListenOther recordingsPeople also search for
Saying "I love you"
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew
How easy
It would be to show me how you feel
More than words
Is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say
That you love me
'Cause I'd already know
What would you do
If my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say
If I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"
La di da, da di da, di dai dai da
More than words
La di da, da di da
Now that I've tried to
Talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands
And touch me
Hold me close don't ever let me go
More than words
Is all I ever…

Oh yes cheerleader. I got a woman who exists to make me feel better

To be fair, Extreme were only doing what poets have done for centuries.

@99victoria

Happy Hour - Housemartins

It's another night out with the boss
Following in footsteps overgrown with moss
And he tells me that women grow on trees
And if you catch them right they will land upon their knees
Where they open all their wallets
And they close all their minds
And they love to buy you all a drink
And as we ask all the questions
And you take all your clothes off
And back to the kitchen sink

Love that song.

Sorry not rtft so might have been mentioned but listed to Cam's Diane its a response to Jolene.

Jolene isn’t anti feminist!
I think it’s a song about sisterhood, about relationships between women.

I think there is a difference between a song just being not a feminist anthem - I think most songs fit this - and a song being an anti-feminist anthem.

I wouldn't put Jolene as anti-feminist, but I can see it being not feminist.

Some of the other songs, like Hit me baby one more time - I was a teen when that came out I remember some of the older women really had feelings about that one.

@minipie

Oh a really bad one “In The Summertime”

As well as “have a drink, have a drive” it also contains the following:

If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal
If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel

Niiiiice

I was going to add this one! I remember thinking "my daddy is most certainly not rich but fuck off if you're going to 'do what you feel' with me". It still pisses me off today!

Isn't the Housemartins one a sarcastic take on sexist wankers in the City? ("I think I might be happy if I wasn't out with them"?)

Billy Ocean. “Hey you, get in to my car! Who me? Yes you, get in to my car.”

Fuck off creep.

I don't think the Beautiful South Don't marry her is meant in the way pp said. Its that all that normality is what the man really wants, he is happy with his life and the affair is just that. I think it puts the man in the poor light.

The one I hate is the Beyonce put a ring on it. Tbh I'm unsure why Beyonce is touted as any sort of feminist icon

There was an absolutely mahoosive row on Mumsnet once about whether the “it” he should have put a ring on was her, or her finger. The only way it makes sense is if she is the “it”, otherwise it was two men getting jealous about her finger.

If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it

Fucking awful.

And, God, written when Bush was 14. She shares a birthday with Emily Bronte, IIRC.
Wasn't she 17? Still amazing obviously - she wrote it after watching the film, in a way it's very teenage drama kind of relationship in the book but characters are a bit older.

Yes, I've recently learned they shared a birthday - so strange. It's a very bewitching song, maybe Bush is telepathic.

@VienneseWhirligig

Isn't the Housemartins one a sarcastic take on sexist wankers in the City? ("I think I might be happy if I wasn't out with them"?)

Yes agree

I loathe 'Psycho' by Ava Max - if you change it to being about a man it would be all kinds of wrong.

[quote Neversleepingever]Why why WHY Akon, when you 'tried to describe that girl without being disrespectful'... Did you settle on 'sexy bitch'

[/quote] She's nothing like your neighbourhood whore though, at least.

I hate that stupid bastard of a song with a passion, but it's on one of my favourite running mixes, so I've listened to it more than anyone ever should. One of these days, I'm going to hunt Akon down.

[quote Neversleepingever]Why why WHY Akon, when you 'tried to describe that girl without being disrespectful'... Did you settle on 'sexy bitch'

[/quote] This is the one that popped into my head when I red the thread title 🤣 i hate myself for liking it, bloody awful lyrics. See also One by Swedish House Mafia, wgich I really like while trying to ignore that it seems to be about sexually harassing women in clubs (is it?)

I find most love/romance type songs anti-feminist and with a few exceptions, I've never liked them. Can't get excited about 'Don't Marry Her' though - for me this was all about the swearing.

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. The woman literally does everything through the evening and also has to look amazing. That song always makes me think WTF.

Although 36D by The Beautiful South (I love them but their lyrics don't really scream feminism)

Miss independent by NeYo is on my running playlist and gives me the rage for some reason. Not sure why as the lyrics are describing an independent women, i just think why do we need a song by a man to cheerlead that as if it’s something unusual, comes across as a bit patronising? 😂😂🤷‍♀️

Ooh there's somethin' about
Kind of woman that can do for herself
I look at her and it makes me proud
There's somethin' about her
There's somethin' oh so sexy about
Kind of woman that don't even need my help
She said she got it, she got it, no doubt
There's something about her
'Cause she walk like a boss
Talk like a boss
Manicured nails to set the pedicure off
She's fly effortlessly
And she move like a boss
Do what a boss do
She got me thinkin' about gettin' involved
That's the kind of girl I need, oh