Juxtaposition Post-JF

In her recent song, “Woman in the White House” Sheryl Crow sings about how it’s time for a woman President. The picture on the cover of the CD that contains the song is a woman in pantyhose, high heels, and a relatively short skirt (considering she is in a professional setting) standing with her legs spread abnormally with the White House in the background. The picture on the front cover makes it seem that the woman is facing the white house, but the picture does not show anything above the thighs. The picture itself, I can only assume, was intended to be eye-catching to sell more copies of the CD. I can understand why this would be the reasoning behind the image. The American public seems to enjoy looking at relatively degrading pictures of women, and the White House in the background also assists in the visual appeal of the CD. If the picture on the cover was meant for the lyrics, however, it does not make much sense. The song is supposed to present the image that women are ready for the white house, but the picture is somewhat degrading and stereotypical. It does not seem to support the overall message of the song, but rather it seems to be intended only to be visually appealing.

The lyrics of the song could be considered the same way. The lyrics and music are likely more directed at the sale of the CD than they are at the message the CD appears to deliver. The lyrics also include some stereotypes about women including, but not limited to: women like to shop; women are more sensitive than men; and women are smarter than their male counterparts. The lyrics, to me, seem to support the genre of music and only seem to be directed at an audience who appreciates country music. Along with the stereotypical lyrics, the lyrics have some grammatical errors in them that is common in country songs, but not on Capitol Hill. The lyrics do not successfully support the message that a woman should be President, in fact, the lyrics actually seem to argue otherwise. I certainly would have to consider another option if a woman were running for President and seemed to fit the idea behind what Crow was singing about.