Psychology and More

So, I had heard the song “My Humps” by Black Eyed Peas, and thought it was pretty amusing, in a vaguely misogynistic way. In case you’ve not heard it, or seen the video, here it is, courteous of the ubiquitous YouTube:

Anyway, the lyrics, if you listen closely, tell the story of a woman who enjoys the power she wields as an object of desire, and her need to control access to her sexuality, which keeps her in power. Women’s power in our culture is largely located in their sexuality. The irony, of course, is that realizing that women’s power through sexuality — though potent, yet limited — creates despair, the more it is realized.

So leave it to Alanis Morrisette to give us a rereading of “My Humps” that, I think, at once parodies “My Humps,” and also shows how the women’s power of sexuality also carries psychological costs.

Technorati Tags: gender, psychology