Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Questions and discussions about gender, gender roles and identity.
MusicNerd
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Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by MusicNerd »

[Trigger Warning: cissexism, bullying, strong gender binarism]
Found a really striking music video on tumblr called "Little Game" by BENNY. One of my friends posted this on hir tumblr and I was totally floored: http://youtu.be/WNr3x1kVVEc

I can't believe that an artist who's only 15 years old was able to create a video that has such powerful visuals about the gender binary and gender roles!
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~Dr. Seuss
Onionpie
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Onionpie »

This is AWESOME! The imagery is REALLY powerful, if Benny directed this himself he has some really seriously excellent artistic vision and execution. I love seeing young adults finding creative ways to question and break down societal structures that they're told to just take for granted.
Keda
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Keda »

I love that video - and the song too, played it far too many times when I first found it :p . And the comments, last time I looked, are pretty amazing too.
Thricechanged
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Thricechanged »

This song is amazing, both in what it portrays and the comments below it. It is truly astonishing how well it frames events, and how the people's responses on a semi-anonymous place seem. The idea of the water glass and even the fish in the same space but differently colored really resonates.
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Mellonhead »

Wow. The song is spectacular! The visual presentation of gender is very stark!

In contrast to the above posters, I actually do not see the video as "breaking down societal structures", but as a creative expression of bullying behavior against non-conforming individuals that do not fit in their assigned gender roles. This does not necessarily mean that present gender roles must be torn down, but the tendency to work within a rigid framework (as opposed to being flexible) is not always feasible. I can go on forever talking about the importance of gender roles and why I am cis-gender and cis-sexual, but I won't, because that would be off-topic here.
Heather
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Heather »

It also might not be so appropriate unless what you wanted to talk about is why they are personally important to you: our readership here is highly diverse, and includes many users who are intersex, transgender or gender non-conforming, so we need folks to be sure and talk about these issues bearing that diversity in mind. :)
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead
Mellonhead
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Mellonhead »

Heather wrote:It also might not be so appropriate unless what you wanted to talk about is why they are personally important to you: our readership here is highly diverse, and includes many users who are intersex, transgender or gender non-conforming, so we need folks to be sure and talk about these issues bearing that diversity in mind. :)
Nah, it's too off-topic.
Peonies
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Re: Song Criticizing Gender Roles

Unread post by Peonies »

Awesome video and song! That's too cool that a 15 year old created that!
Formerly CraftyKid
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