By Talisse Desiderio,

Feminism and Katy Perry

Word Count: 1115

As feminists fight for social justice and respect, the media

incongruously provokes feminist ideals through its affinity to
sexualise women, placing emphasis on the need for females to
justify themselves in reference to men. However, despite the
patriarchal dominance within these spheres, the media still provides
a platform for feminist discourse within the public arena.
Feminism is the set of beliefs and ideas that belong to the broad
social and political movement to achieve greater equality for
women (pp.413, Fiss, O, 1994) This essay aims to address the
portrayal of sexuality, agency and gender constructs in regards to
the media, by analysing Katy Perrys One of the boys (2008), as it
provides a platform to challenge heteronormativity in regard to
feminist theories.

Katy Perrys One of the boys exposes the social element of gender
as she narrates the story of a young girl striving toward the
recognition and attention of a man. The lyrics I studied Lolita
religiously, and I walked right into school and caught you staring at
me references the need to alter her persona to fit into the socially
constructed ideals of female gender through a stylized repetition of
acts (Butler, 1956, pp520). One of the boys (2008) emphasises
the issues placed on women through the importance of physical
attributes and behavioural attractability women strive for, despite
having to augment themselves to do so (McRobbie, 2004).

The media poses as an enabler to understand personal identities,

although tending toward the over sexualisation of women, it also
provides a platform for discussion of social rights and gender
performativity.
Feminist theory alludes to the body as a site of gender performance
(Butler, 1990). Butler explores the idea of gender performance
through analyzing performative attributes like clothing, speech and
actions. Similarly Simone de Beauvoir states, one is not born, but
rather, becomes a woman (Beauvoir, pp.520), highlighting that
every individual has the ability to act on the stage of life, therefore
utilizing the notion of free will. Perrys lyrics, (although challenging
the feminist ideals), are a display of her own agency and
independent choice, And I swear maybe one day, you're gonna
wanna make out, make out, make out with me This becomes a
reflection of post-feminist ideas, indentifying the freedom of choice
women may execute by choosing to liberate and objectify
themselves in a sexual or performative way.

Although post feminism contrasts the ideals of feminist theory,

Perrys lyrics still reflect on the phallocentric dominance of the
media and how it has caused exertion on feminism. Perrys song
exudes attributes of post-feminist theory, yet manages to
simultaneously repudiate feminism progress in a manner that
alludes to the forfeiting of her agency, her lyrics 'Cause I can belch
the alphabet, just double dog dare me at the start of the song

seem to show the contrast of the physical body with the social
construction of gender. However, So over the summer something
changed, I started reading Seventeen and shaving my legs shows
the progression of Perrys character giving into the assumption that
a womans social presentation should draw a parallel with her
physiological appearance (Butler,1988), so as not to cause any
social demonization.

McRobbie poses the theory of double entanglement in feminist

theory as it seems to be dismantling itself (pp.120), the idea that
feminist theorists can not coincide and create one wholesome
definition of what it means to be a feminist, seems to make an
appearance within the dismantling of Perrys One of the boys. The
songs story seems to reveal an internal argument over agency and
gender as the song progresses, playing on the idea of a tom boy
struggling to become a woman. The lyrics seem to provide a
contrast in feminist ideals and asserting the prominent stereotype of
a passive female performance (McRobbie, 2004).
The lyrics within One of the boys delves into the struggle of gender
performance and how the social construction of the female criteria
limits agency through Patriarchal binary thought (Moi, 1988,
pp104).
Perrys song lyrics create juxtaposition between male and female
genders as she reflects on the need for a woman to justify her
existence through a male figure, Its okay, maybe one day, but not

until you give me my diamond ring. This corresponds with Cixous

theory of Patriarchal binary of the male and female relating to power
and weakness. Cixous looks at the binaries within patriarchal value
systems, arguing each opposition can be analysed as a hierarchy
where the feminine side is always seen as the negative, powerless
instance (Moi,1988, pp. 105).
Cixous concepts of binaries linked to Jacques Derridas work, present
that no matter the hierarchical coupling (life/death, day/night), the
binary will always revert back to the original male/female paradigm
and therefore show the positive/negative (Moi, pp.105). Perrys one
of the boys highlights the semiotic relation between the positive and
negative I wanna smell like roses, not a baseball team, showing
the fragility and submissive role of women within society, again
relating back to the phallocetrism of society, through highlighting
the feminine or the other being referred to in relation to a flower,
whereas the masculine reference is that of a practical skill or sport.
Perrys lyrics allude to her starting off, striving toward a male
stereotype but refusing to be demonised for trying to gain agency in
a male dominated world, henceforth giving in to the social binding
of feminine stereotypes to gain the attention and recognition as a
woman.

The analysis of Katy Perrys One of the boys (2008) in light of the
feminist theories of; Butler, Cixous, Moi, McRobbie and De Bouvour
shows the opposing ideals of feminism and post-feminist theory.

McRobbie discusses the repudiation of feminism and post-feminism

in many texts (pp.119) and this can be seen in the juxtaposition of
Perrys lyrics, as both the objectification of women is ubiquitous in
the song, along side the clear indication of freedom of choice. One
of the Boys can be seen as a double entendre for womens rights
while simultaneously promoting repression. Consequently the text
exposes the phallocentricity of the media and how it dictates the
performative nature of femininity, highlighting women as the weaker
gender. However, Perrys lyrics show the empowering side of
femininity and how choice making can build agency. Furthermore
this illustrates how women may exhibit a sense of the right to make
their own personal choices.
Feminist theory criticizes the normative supposition that a womens
gender performance can and will parallel with her biological form
(Butler, 1988). Through the analysis of Katy Perrys One of the
Boys, one may conclude that
In the light of feminist theories, women have the right to make the
decision to submit themselves to social norms whilst maintaining
the agency and dignity to do so.

Reference List

Fiss, O., 1994, What is Feminism, Issue. 2, Vol. 26, pp. 413-428

Perry, K (2008) One of the Boys, (written by: Katy Perry) One of the
boys, Capital records- Universal Music group/CA

Butler, J ,1986, Sex and Gender in Simone de Beauvoirs Second

Sex, Yale French Studies, 72, pp. 35-49.

Butler, J ,1990 Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of

Identity, London and New York: Routledge.

Butler, J, 1988 'Performative Acts And Gender Constitution: An essay

on phenomenology and feminist theory', Theatre Journal 40, Vol. 4 ,
pp. 519-531.

McRobbie, A, 2004,'Post-Feminism & Popular Culture', Feminist

Media Studies, 4:3, 255-264

Beauvoir, S.De, 1973, The Second Sex, New York: Vintage Books.

Moi, T, 1988, 'Helene Cixous: an Imaginary Utopia', in

Sexual/Textual Politics, London and New York: Routledge

Gatens, M, 1996, Imaginary bodies: Ethics, Power and Corpreality,

London:Routledge