The analysis of Taylor Swift’s composition, The Man, will be based on Stuart Hall’s theory of representation and identity, also considering Foucault’s conception of power.
The song’s lyrics are fundamentally a critique of the representation and stereotypes of the female gender in society. Making the distinction between the “self” and the “other” in the composition, it is possible to point out that Taylor Swift herself represents the “self”, but carrying the figure of a woman, and is opposed to the “other”, which is, basically, all man.
It is important to note that Taylor, at any moment, makes direct mentions of the representation of the female gender in society, she only directly mentions the representation of men, and idealizes how her career would be if she were in these conditions, demonstrating that these views are not separate, they are intertwined. What being a woman is and means cannot be the same as the opposite gender, which is in a position of power in this stalemate.
According to Hall, representing involves language and culture, the meaning we give to words (Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, p.15). When Taylor writes The Man, he rescues several symbols that are culturally associated with the male gender, as in the excerpt: “I’d be a fearless leader, I’d be an alpha type” (Taylor Swift, 2019), which criticizes the fact that men are predominantly the leaders in society, and raises the term “alpha” which is, in fact, an expression from the branch of zoology, and designates an animal with dominant characteristics, but has been socially related to excessively masculine men.
When the singer writes: “They’d say I played the field before I found someone to commit to” (Taylor Swift, 2019), she refers to society’s view of women who have relationships many times before getting married. The singer herself has suffered a lot of pressure during her career for changing boyfriends frequently, and in music, she seeks to question why men don’t suffer the same pressure.
Even the title of the song “The Man” is a reference to a very socially used expression. It is very common to say “he’s the man”, with emphasis, to refer to a man who is good at what he does, competent, assertive, as in the song “He’s The Man” by Heaven’s Gate, but nobody says “she’s the woman”.
Taylor writes “’Cause if I was a man, then I’d be the man” (Taylor Swift, 2019) because she knows that all her numbers in the music industry are impressive, and if she weren’t a woman, her representation as a singer would be different.
In her Billboard woman of the decade award speech, Taylor says, “Now I’m actually a calculated manipulator rather than a smart businesswoman?” uncomfortable with how she is represented just because she is a woman, and transfers all this discomfort to her composition.
In the song, Leonardo di Caprio appears as a reference to male representation in the excerpt: “I’d be just like Leo, in Saint-Tropez” (Taylor Swift, 2019). Di Capio changes girlfriends frequently, already shows signs of aging, has gained a few pounds, but the media doesn’t seem concerned, at any time, with his appearance or his relationships, in fact, he only grants interviews about his works, and the lyrics also carries this criticism: “What I was wearing, if I was rude, could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves” (Taylor Swift, 2019).
The song’s bridge starts with “What’s it like to brag about raking in dollars and getting bitches and models?” (Taylor Swift, 2019), and seeks to question why it is so common to see men bragging about their sex lives and financial status and, at the same time, extremely uncommon for women to do this, and this sentence receives a response with another excerpt: “If I was out flashing my dollars, I’d be a bitch not a baller” (Taylor Swift, 2019). The singer makes it clear that the female gender does not have the same posture because they are repressed when they try.
Taylor also repeats the word “bitch” frequently as it is an extremely offensive word, used to disparage and demoralize women.
Still on the bridge, Taylor criticizes the fact that men can be aggressive and emotional, but women are criticized for complaining about basic things, which directly affect them, and completes the stanza with “So, it’s okay that I’m mad” (Taylor Swift , 2019).
The music also connects with Foucault’s theory of power. Power, according to the philosopher, is not concentrated in a fixed place or in a single person. Despite being a woman, Taylor also belongs to other privileged social categories such as being white, heterosexual, wealthy, and famous.
Although she faces stereotypes as a result of being a woman, Taylor can also be considered a figure of power, depending on the perspective, due to her elevated financial situation, American nationality, and being one of the most internationally recognized singers. All of these factors also affect the cultural representation she has, as power has an effect on collective and individual identity.
3 CONCLUSION
Considering all the elements analyzed, it is possible to say that the whole plot of the song revolves around representation, and how the feminine gender is opposed to the masculine. Taylor Swift’s composition triumphs in demonstrating how the vision of the collective connects with our conception of the individual in Hall’s theory.
Taylor discusses precisely how certain things said and done by women are seen in a different way when men do, and how it is impossible to separate who she is, her results, her career, from the conception that patriarchal culture has of the female gender.
It is important to take into account that the issue of speeches such as the song “The Man” are relevant to alter power dynamics that can be considered negative, such as gender issues. Foucault admits that power is not fixed, it is changeable, and people with the relevance of Taylor Swift are capable, even if gradually, of changing some social perceptions.
Therefore, the singer wrote a legitimate speech, well constructed, with common cultural figures that represent the male gender, and that are reflected in the opposite gender.
4 REFERENCES
BLANK, Avery, 2019. Why Taylor Swift is so Influential and How You can Incrise your Influence. Available in: https://www.forbes.com/sites/averyblank/2019/11/18/why-taylor-swift-is-so-influential-and-how-you-can-increase-your-influence/?sh=194da52e1020
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HELM, Clara, 2020. The Legacy of Taylor Swift. Available in: https://tritontimes.com/36659/artsentertainment/the-legacy-of-taylor-swift/
HALL, Stuart, 1997. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices.
GALLO, Mia, 2021. Feminist Icon Taylor Swift has fought misogyny her entire career. Available in: https://udreview.com/feminist-icon-taylor-swift-has-fought-misogyny-her-entire-career/
LIFE and Career – Taylor Swift Museum. Available in: https://www.theswiftmuseum.com/life-and-career
TAYLOR Swift Accepts Woman of the Decade Award. 2019. Available in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVpkFb9-fts
BRANDLE, Lars, 2017. Taylor Swift’s Entire Catalog Is Now on Spotify & Other Streaming Services: Go Listen. Available in: https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swifts-entire-catalog-spotify-streaming-7825588/
HEAVEN’S GATE. He’s The Man. German: Steamhammer: 1992. (4:17).
