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Matt Gorby
Dr. Ellis
ENGL 203
6 May 2015
A Modern Day Youth Rebellion Shown Through P!nk
Stupid Girls, Slut like you, Blow Me (One Last Kiss), and Fuckin Perfect.
These are just a few songs that come to mind when R&B/Pop artist P!nk is brought up in
conversation, and by simply looking at her song titles it is evident that she is quite a rebel. She
has written several songs about breakups, conformity, feminism, and individualism, and though I
whole heartedly agree that P!nk is one of the main rebels in todays society, it is clear that her
work has a deeper meaning than just rebelling against the norm. Throughout P!nks writings,
lyrics, and lifestyle, she repeatedly motivates young individuals, females in particular, to be
independent and stand up for themselves. Specifically, P!nks strong areas of rebellion relate to
gender roles, individualism, and image, which are all clearly displayed through her work.
To begin, there is no doubt that P!nk is a modern day feminist, and she takes the topic of
gender roles and flips it upside down. Two of her songs, Slut Like You and Blow Me (One
Last Kiss), truly illustrate this. Starting with Slut Like You, according to an interview with P!
nk Wiki, P!nk wrote this song because she was tired of girls being labeled as sluts when they
sleep with several guys, but guys being labeled as players and heroes when they sleep with
several girls (Slut). Perfectly worded in her lyrics, You say youre looking for a fool, and Im
just like me too, Im gonna let you know the truth. Im a slut like you (P!nk). What P!nk really

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wants is equality. If girls are labeled as sluts then guys should be too. Secondly, P!nks song
Blow Me (One Last Kiss) pushes the limits because it is a break up song, but it is not a typical
break up song seen from the average female artist. Usually, girls will release emotional break up
songs that display a needing and longing desire for their partners to come back to them, such as
Adele and her song Someone Like You. On the opposite side of the spectrum, guys usually
come out with songs that display the idea that they did not need their partner anyway. Then there
is P!nk who completely defies the gender role, again. This is shown in the lyrics of Blow Me
(One Last Kiss) when she says, I think Ive finally had enough, I think I maybe think too
much, I think this might be it for us, blow me one last kiss (P!nk). In this song we finally see a
woman putting a man in his place. Not to mention, the title of this song is literally telling her exboyfriend to blow her. This kind of off-the-cuff statement is what we have come to expect
from P!nk, and is another cause towards her rebellion. Both of these songs contain great
messages for the youth female population, because they preach gender equality and
assertiveness- something that is becoming more prevalent in todays world.
Moving on, individualism is another strong point of P!nks rebellious attitude. In
Entertainment Weeklys review of the album Truth About Love, author Kyle Anderson stated,
Instead of Playacting the expected pop archetypes- brat, vixen, victim- she presents herself as,
well, herself (Anderson). Her two songs, Stupid Girls and Fuckin Perfect represent this
well. Her song Stupid Girls portrays a message that women should not conform to the
standards of society and should stop using their sexuality as a means of getting what they want.

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As she says in her lyrics, What happened to the dreams of a girl president, shes dancing in the
videos next to 50 cent, she continues saying, outcasts and girls with ambition, thats what I
want to see (P!nk). This songs music video is very stereotypical; depicting several rich girls in
tiny bathing suits essentially getting everything they want by using sex appeal. The messages
from her lyrics coincide with the images from her video, and they work very well together to get
her point across that woman cannot conform to this stereotype, and there is so much more
potential for them. Secondly, P!nks song Fuckin perfect also promotes individualism, but in a
different way. As reported in a review of this song on Pluggedin, this song is intended to be a
message of hope for those who feel defined by their flaws and imperfections, and she encourages
fans to stop fixating on their faults (P!nk). In review, these songs are very different from one
another, but in the end they achieve the same message- stop worrying about society, and be
yourself. Some of the contents in these songs may be vulgar or R rated; For example her title
isnt just Perfect its Fuckin Perfect, but it is just what we have come to expect from P!nk,
and it makes her rebellion that much stronger.
Lastly, P!nks short pink hair, tone body, and Ill wear what I want type of wardrobe is
perhaps her strongest area of rebellion. So many artists in todays day and age say one thing in
their lyrics, and then turn around and do the opposite in their daily living. P!nk shows that she
doesnt just talk the talk, she walks the walk. If she wants to be a slut shell be a slut, shes not
afraid to break up with her boyfriend if he is mistreating her, she doesnt need to show off her
body to get what she wants or to be liked the other girls, and most importantly she truly believes

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that she is fuckin perfect. That is why P!nk motivates young females today, she stays true to her
word and sets an example of what she thinks all women should be. Additionally, it is important
to point out that even with her rebellious attitude and image, P!nk continuously stays amongst
the top of the charts with her songs. This is compelling, as rebellious attitudes today are often
ostracized from the public because people disagree with the change that they are suggesting. As
expressed in Christian Hoards Rolling Stone review of P!nks album Funhouse, The rock diva
finds ways to make emotional rawness go pop (Hoard). Not only is she rebellious, she is
respected.
In conclusion, P!nks rebellion against gender roles, individualism, and image repeatedly
motivates young females to be independent and stand up for themselves. This is most efficiently
summed up in her Billboard Woman of the Year acceptance speech as she says:
Heres what I wish I wish that girls embraced their power, and their worth and their
value in their youth, and not sell it or barter it for anything and have to buy it back later
in life. I wish for my daughter to grow up in a world where wonderful publications like
Billboard celebrate them for their originality, their individuality, their willingness to stay
true to themselves, and the courage to be scary and emotional and get shit done. I wish
for women to stop apologizing for those very things that make us women. (Staff)
This message is the epitome of P!nks rebellion, and the reason why she is making such an impact
as a modern day youth rebel.

Works Cited

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Anderson, Kyle. The Truth About Love. Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly, 17
Jan. 2015. Web. 3 May 2015.
Hoard, Christian. Pink Funhouse Album Review. Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2008.
Web. 4 May 2015.
P!nk. Blow Me (One Last Kiss), Slut Like You. The Truth About Love. RCA, 2012. CD.
P!nk F**kin Perfect Track Review. Pluggedin. Pluggedin. N.d. Web. 4 May 2015.
P!nk. Stupid Girls. Im Not Dead. LaFace, 2006. CD.
Slut Like You. P!nk Wiki. Wikia, n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
Staff, Billboard. P!nks Billboard Woman of the Year Acceptance Speech: Watch Event
Highlights and Interview With Any Cohen. Billboard. Billboard, 12 Dec. 2013.
Web. 5 May 2015.