Why I'm NOT About That Bass

Yes, I am referring to the (unfortunately) beloved song by Meghan Trainor, "All About That Bass."

If you want to hear the song, go look it up. But I will not give more money to a cause I don't agree with by embedding the video.

First, before I state why I don't like the song, let me show you the lyrics and let you decide for yourself.

ALL ABOUT THAT BASS

Because you know
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass

Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two
But I can shake it, shake it
Like I'm supposed to do
'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
And all the right junk in all the right places

I see the magazine workin' that Photoshop
We know that s**t ain't real
C'mon now, make it stop
If you got beauty, beauty, just raise 'em up
'Cause every inch of you is perfect
From the bottom to the top

Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass
Hey!

I'm bringing booty back
Go ahead and tell them skinny b*****s that
No I'm just playing. I know you think you're fat
But I'm here to tell ya
Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top

Yeah my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass
'Bout that bass, 'bout that bass
Hey, hey, ooh

You know you like this bass

Every time I talk about this song, people automatically assume I'm going to talk about the "skinny b*****s" line. Which I will, but not in the way you might think.

First, let me get a point across. I know I am not exactly plus-sized, and I may not fully understand the struggles of women with fuller figures, because I've always been thinner by nature. But that does not mean my opinion should be declared invalid because of my weight. I have a voice, just like anyone else.

I'm going to break this song into chunks. I'm going to try to focus on the good and bad. The song has a good message, it's just poorly executed.

"I got that boom boom that all the boys chase."

Okay. Girl, you should love your body. You do you. But please, for the love of all things good in this world, don't use boys as a reason for it. A woman shouldn't like her chest size just because men like D cups. So I have to say I don't like this lyric.

"Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top."

Yes, this is true. Like she says later on: don't worry about your size. I mean, we're all beautiful, even fi we don't think so ourselves. So, I like this lyric.

"Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."

Clearly Meghan Trainor has never had a man check out her butt to find that there's nothing there. This is borderline hurtful to girls with smaller figures, because it's basically saying, "Boys like girls with big butts." That's probably true. But isn't this song supposed to be promoting body positivity... for everyone? Plus, back to the boys thing-- who gives a flying crap what they think? I do not like this lyric.

"I won't be no stick figure, silicone Barbie doll."

This is NOT okay. Terms like "stick figure" and "Barbie doll" are specifically targeting pretty much any woman below a size 5. I know she means no harm, but using derogatory language just makes more people angry. I obviously am not acquainted with this lyric.

"I'm bringing booty back. Go ahead and tell them skinny b*****s that."

I get it, she follows up saying "I'm just playing," yada yada yada. This is still NOT okay. Once again she uses derogatory language, and she did not have to body shame to get her point across. And for the record, so-called "skinny" girls don't like being called skinny. It's just like calling someone fat. So you need to stop. Which, while I'm on the topic-- will people please stop telling "skinny" girls to eat a burger? It's offensive. I'm not one of these girls, but many thinner women have a difficult time gaining weight for medical reasons. So shut up.

I think "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj uses the term "skinny ... um, female dogs" in it as well.

I do not dislike this song because I am a size 3. I dislike this song because it mirrors a major issue in society. Why do we build one group up while tearing another group down? We glorify thin women, then we put down curvy women. Then, when someone tries to be so-called body positive, they do the exact same thing, but with the tables turned.

Do you see my point? I'm not angry because I'm thin. I'm angry because there is no balance here (I just had to squeeze in The Legend of Korra Book Four's title). It's so sad that in American culture, we always have to put someone down to feel better about ourselves.

It's not fair the way curvy women have been treated in the media. It's not fair that department stores don't have a good variety of clothes for them. I am not ashamed to admit that my particular group of women has been favored by the media (aside from the fact that I am not white... or blonde... or large-breasted). I know that curvy women face a struggle that I may not face until later on in life, when my metabolism slows down (usually after a woman's first pregnancy, her luck with metabolism goes down the drain). But I also believe in equality.

We are not "skinny" and (I hate this word) "fat" women. Nor are we thin and curvy. We are women. One group. Okay?

So let me tell something to YOU.

I ain't no size two, either.
And I can't shake it either.
I don't have the boom boom that all the boys chase
AND I DON'T FREAKING NEED IT BECAUSE I DON'T NEED A BOY TO MAKE ME LOVE MY BODY, ELSE I WOULD BE MISERABLE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
Yeah, magazines do use a lot of Photoshop.
We all know dat ain't real.
And yes, every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.

My mama also told me not to worry about my size.
She said, "Don't use boys as a way of measuring your self-worth."
I would rather you not call me a stick figure; I'm no Barbie doll either
So if that's what you want to call me THEN YOU NEED TO RE-READ THE BEGINNING OF THIS POST.

Go on and bring booty back.
We're equal anyway, so I'm cool with that.
So let's not body shame each other BECAUSE THAT GETS US NOWHERE IN LIFE (writing in all-caps is so... powerful. At least I feel powerful).
And that's all I really have to say.

In a nutshell...

-"All About That Bass" isn't THAT bad, but it has some major flaws
-Who cares what men think?
-Love your body, girls AND boys (I forgot to talk about the male gender... oops)
-Don't call anyone a derogatory name

Ah. Thank you for reading my rant. Now, instead of ranting to people's faces, I'll just send them a link to this.


I'm out!

-Hope