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Challenging the Double Standards: Analyzing "The Man" by Taylor Swift

Amna Shahzad


“The Man” song by Taylor Swift was released in 2019 as part of her album called “Lover”. This song is no ordinary song but contains a deep-down critique on gender inequality around the world, but most importantly in the entertainment industry. Taylor Swift talks about double standards and the lack of women's rights, which oppressed them. The lyrics, historical context and the song's tone play a great role in highlighting it.

 Taylor Swift used her own platform to raise awareness and concerns regarding gender disparity and power dynamics that exist in the entertainment industry. This song was released when there was a global movement of #MeToo expanding on all social media platforms, which raised concerns about the experiences of many women who face systemic sexism. The timings of the song were crucial as they were aligned with the shift in society. It results in more open discussion and debates on gender inequality across the globe from multiple perspectives.

Now, let’s look at the lyrics of the song more closely. Lines like “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man” captures the frustration and anger of a women who had to work twice as harder than that of men in the same field to achieve something or get the same recognition. Throughout her song, she demonstrates how her life and career in this entertainment industry would be if she were any male singer. She shows frustration by explaining the privileges men have of the same field which are not given to women.

The bitterness and resentment of Taylor have also been shown by the type of musical elements she used. “The Man” is a pop music with an upbeat tempo that depicts the anger women feel due to double standards in society. The background music contains a steady beat, which reinforces the persistence of Taylor’s message throughout the song. Taylor’s vocals and chorus were full of confidence and determination, reflecting the message of women's empowerment and resistance against societal gender norms. Moreover, while we look at the music video of “The Man”, we can see the use of bold and vibrant colors throughout, presenting an assertive and strong tone. These saturated colors symbolize the intensity and strength of Taylor when she stands against the masculinity part. She challenges the viewers to rethink their biased perspective regarding women in society.

This song became very popular and was included in the discussions about sexism and gender inequality by many feminist groups. It is important to look deeper and understand the impact of a song on society. By presenting these issues, Taylor significantly contributed to the critical gender debates.


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6 Comments


Zara Feroz
Jul 01, 2024

This blog analyses a very significant song that has been released into a world with shifting attitudes towards women. I remember when I listened to it in 2019, I was amazed with how brilliantly Taylor has composed the lyrics. She doesn't hold back at all, calling out the double standards in the way men and women are treated in society. I think it's great that you have analysed both the lyrics and the music video because they both very much go hand in hand towards creating the preferred meaning of this form of media. Stuart Hall talks about both the denotation (event for which media is created) and the connotation, which is the meaning it carries. So if we apply…

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Tazeen Fatima
Jun 27, 2024

I must say that this blog is excellently written and raises a very critically prevalent issue in our society. The problems like gender disparity, systemic sexism, and power dynamics are not only faced by women in the entertainment industry but in every aspect of our society. For example, issues like the pay gap, the glass ceiling, and sexual harassment are faced by millions of women in daily life in their offices. Who is going to look after them? But did this song by Taylor Swift positively impact the entertainment industry, or are things the same? If things are the same after such an impactful song by such an influential artist, then how are they going to change? This shows that…

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Amna Shahzad
Jun 30, 2024
Replying to

Thank you for such great comment on my blog post. This song by Taylor swift was mainly on the entertainment industry where she herself faced gender inequality and strong male dominated power dynamics but the impact of this song was not just limited to entertainment industry but to every field where women face criticism, harassment and and gender inequality. It raised awareness among all. This song sparks a widespread conversation on these issues and her fan supported her throughout which lead to empowering women and change in perception too. Ofcourse it will take alot of other thngs too to change the dyanmics.

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Nabeeha Khan
Nabeeha Khan
Jun 27, 2024

I had to give this song a listen after reading your blog and I must say I am amazed! You have analyzed the lyrics and the tone perfectly and I agree with all the points you have outlined about the issues it talks about. Especially the fact that it was released at the time of #metoo gives it an extra special space in women's hearts that may have encouraged many to come out with their own stories. I would like to add to this discussion by talking a bit about the music video. It is nice to see the perspective of a man but hear it from a woman. I think this blend highlights the issues even more as if…

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Amna Shahzad
Jun 30, 2024
Replying to

Thank you for such an insightful comment. I totally agree on your analysis done on tone. Even though this song talked about how there are double standards in almost everything, it also do highlight the fact how males are so comfortable in doing such things and not seeing how frustrating it cam be for the women. And yes, i agree that these gender inequality is not just limited to entertainment industry but to almost every other sphere.

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25110004
Jun 26, 2024

I remember listening to this song and getting goosebumps after hearing the lyrics. I completely agree with the fact that this song is very good at demonstrating the frustration women may experience when we are unnecessarily compared to men at different stages. This should make us think about the following question: Why is there a need to differentiate in situations where no comparison is needed? The music video also helps capture the essence of this song, being the powershouse of a song that it is, it deserved an effective visual depiction as well. In it, we see Taylor completely dressed up as a man, doing "manly" things and absolutely enjoying life. It helps serve as a reminder that her transformation…

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