While listening to music, have you ever really tuned into the lyrics beyond the catchy beat? Recently, during my usual listening session, I was struck by some questionable lyrics in songs seemingly promoting body positivity. Specifically, Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” and Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” – both anthems celebrated by many women – contain lines that made me pause. Are these songs truly empowering, or do they fall short by shaming other body types in the process?
Both Trainor and Minaj utilize the term “skinny bitches” in their songs. Trainor uses it to dismiss thinner women, while Minaj’s version is even more aggressive, stating, “F*** you if you skinny bitches.” This raises a critical question: should advocating for one body type involve putting down another? Trainor declares, “Every inch of you is perfect / From the bottom to the top.” But does this inclusivity extend to all women, or just those who fit her specific body ideal? It feels contradictory to preach body positivity while simultaneously denigrating those with different physiques.
Imagine if the roles were reversed. What if these artists had praised thinness while denouncing larger women? If they had suggested that curvier women were somehow “bitches,” the outcry against fat-shaming would be immense, and rightfully so. Body shaming is unacceptable regardless of the target. It’s crucial to recognize that respect for all body types should be a fundamental principle. While I appreciate Trainor’s critique of Photoshop culture and its unrealistic beauty standards, this important message is overshadowed by the song’s body-shaming undertones.
Furthermore, both “All About That Bass” and “Anaconda,” while seemingly celebrating curves, actually promote a very specific and often unattainable body ideal even for curvier women. Minaj’s “Anaconda” samples Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” with lyrics emphasizing “Little in the middle but she got much back.” Similarly, Trainor suggests men desire women with “All the right junk in all the right places.” This paints a picture of a very particular curvy body – essentially the Kim Kardashian ideal – where curves are only desirable if they are in the “right” areas, accompanied by a slim waist. This narrow definition of ‘curvy’ negates any genuinely empowering message about embracing diverse body shapes.
Ultimately, “Anaconda,” despite its title and perceived message of female empowerment, is rooted in male desire. It’s based on “Baby Got Back,” a song explicitly about male attraction to a specific body type. Sir Mix-A-Lot’s line, “(His) anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns, hun,” is directly sampled in “Anaconda,” highlighting the song’s focus on pleasing the male gaze. Minaj reinforces this by singing, “He don’t like ’em boney, he want something he can grab.” Is the measure of female empowerment truly about being desirable because there is more to “grab”? This perspective feels far from empowering and instead reinforces the objectification of women’s bodies.
Regardless of body size or gender, we should demand more thoughtful and inclusive messages from musicians, especially those who are role models for young audiences. It’s time to move beyond women putting down other women based on their bodies. Can we finally stop objectifying women, no matter their size, and embrace genuine body respect and inclusivity?
