Caceres 1

Ana G. Caceres

Professor Granillo

English 103

30 May 2019

Wake up America Females are More than Simple Girls

Since ancient times, people have used music as a form of expression, because music is

capable of transmitting love, hate, happiness, melancholy and creating a powerful connection

with its audience. For this reason, music has been a powerful tool to transmit messages of change

in society throughout the years. As, an example of this, in 1995 the punk-rock band No Doubt

released its song “I’m just a girl” with feminist and powerful lyrics. According to Louis Tyson,

feminism is an ideology that has been present through the history in the form of social

movements named waves of feminism, and whose primary goal is to promote gender equality

and stop the patriarchy that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles (Tyson 87). No

Doubt’s song “I’m just a girl” using sarcastic lyrics and video visuals speaks out about typical

female stereotypes, while controversial, the song serves as a reminder of the patriarchal

oppression prevalent until this day. By using feminist lenses audience can identify the

dichotomous thinking of angel vs monster that patriarchy culture promotes. Therefore, No

Doubt’s “I’m just a girl” has contributed to shaping the thoughts of American society, and it is

still considered a powerful feminist anthem.

The music video, “I’m just a girl” begins with band members and the lead singer driving

through Los Angeles streets. After a while, they arrive at their destination and the members are

separated into different restrooms according to gender, which creates frustration in the female

singer due to the division that caused. As the video progress Stefani expresses her feelings
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toward female oppression and at the end of the video man and women ended up dancing together

in the same room breaking gender barriers (“I’m just a girl”).

No Doubt released its song in the middle of the third wave of feminism. Around this era,

the underground feminist punk movement "Riot Grrrl” emerged. The Riot Grrrl movement

allowed women to create music and make political statements about issues they were facing in

the punk rock community and in society. The bands in this movement used their music to

express their views on issues such as patriarchy, double standards against women, sexuality, and

female empowerment (Garrison). With the release of the single “I’m just a girl”, No Doubt

created new lanes for a female artist to express themselves and found a way to deliver a powerful

feminist message through mainstream channels reaching a wider audience, since many Riot

Grrrls bands were too aggressive to make it to the radio. Therefore, with the release of the song

“I’m just a girl” the band captivated American society attention by joining the feminist

movement.

Indeed, the nineties were really into breaking the typical stereotypes and as many other

artists did No Doubt made its contribution to the female movement. The song was intended to

reach the general audience and create awareness about the limited possibilities that women have

in life due to societal judgment. So, with the release of the album Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt

rewrote the rules for the female Rockstar. Gwen Stefani, the lead singer due her rebellious way

of dress, sing, and dance broke up the typical female stereotypes and proved that she was more

than just a pretty face. Besides with the use of sarcastic lyrics, rock instruments, and the

rebellious way of singing they were able of creating an emotional connection with the audience

and represent a stand against patriarchy by singing about the oppressive that traditional gender

roles are for women. Although the song was released during the mid-nineties many of the same
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repressive ideologies are still present today and have been the main motivation of current

feminist movements; therefore, the song has shaped American culture and is still considered a

feminist anthem of social change.

The music video has a powerful feminist message and is easier to identify the angel vs

monster dichotomous thinking since its first verse. In the book “The Madwoman in the Attic,”

Susan Gubar and Sandra Gilbert claimed that women were only categorized by society either as

the “angel ” the innocent, passive, and beautiful good woman who needs to be protected or the

“monster” the rebellious woman who does not follow society expectations (qtd. in Lipscomb).

At the beginning of the song, Stefani claims how she is sick of being treated as inferior and

someone who cannot take care of herself, when she sings, “Take this pink ribbon off my eyes,

I’m exposed and it’s no big surprise, Don’t you think I know exactly where I stand?, this world is

forcing me to hold your hand” ( Stefani 00:00:10-00:00:18) This is clearly a rebellious message

since the color pink has always been associated as feminine and by taking the ribbon off she

recognizes that she is exposed to criticism because she is no longer the submissive, angelic and

virginal "good girl" that a patriarchal society expects her to be. Also, when she sings “this world

is forcing me to hold your hand” refers to how a patriarchal society expects women to have a

man in their lives as a synonymous of protection and security. She continues singing “Cause I’m

just a girl little ol’me, well don’t let me out of your sight” (Stefani 00:00-37- 00:00:45). By using

these sarcastic lyrics Stefani explains how society expects her to assume a traditional gender role

of weak and submissive while men are considered the rational and protective. These lyrics

explain how angel is a repressive ideology because classifies women into categories to justify

inequities because of the belief that women are innately inferior to men. This along with the

monster ideology are a cause of discrimination because it limits and restrict the lives of women.
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Likewise, the song talks about the monster ideology to show the differences among the

two repressive ideologies and to show how one is accepted while the other is condemned. Stefani

sings about how a monster behavior is judged and not accepted when she sings, “Oh I’m just a

girl, guess I’m some kind of freak cause they all sit and stare with their eyes (Stefani

00:00:01:25- 00:00:01:30) ). At the same time while singing she is raising her voice and dancing

in rebellious ways that scandalized the maids in the room. This scene talks about how women

and girls are analyzed all the time and judge in base of their behavior, especially if they behave

in a way that is away from the one is promoted by patriarchy. Lastly, she sings “Oh I’m just a

girl, my apologies, what I’ve become is so burdensome.” (“I’m Just” 00:00:02:43- 00:00:02:48).

In this lyric, she sings about how she has become a problem to society that needs to be fixed

because she is behaving like a monster who does not follow society expectations. According to

the book Critical Theory in a patriarchal society women’s perspectives, feelings, and opinions

do not count if they do not conform with patriarchal repressive ideologies, so they are classified

as either rebellious or “bad-girls” (Tyson 86). The lyrics represent the oppression that tries to

shape women into patriarchal stereotypes that still now girls around the world experience on a

daily basis. Therefore, the song along with the video pictured the limited possibilities and the

oppression that a woman encounters when trying to defeat the patriarchy.

Together with lyrics, the song makes used of a music video to convey its feminist

message. In the video, it is portrayed as the difference among genders since the beginning. While

the band is driving through Los Angeles, Gwen is sited in the back seat in between two male

band members as if they are there to protect her because she is a female. After a while, they

arrive at some place, where they are separated base on gender in different restrooms. The

women’s restroom is clean, with beautiful colors and flowers while the men’s restroom is dark
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and dirty, again, representing how society encourages women to express being feminine all the

time either in the way they are dressed or in their surroundings. It is easier to identify the singer’s

frustration of being separated from the band members, when she sings, “I’m just a girl living in

captivity”. Clearly, the separation of Stefani from the band members represents the inequality of

genders, but also the emotional prison of not being able to express herself. According to Gilbert

and Gubar, not being able to express creates a feeling of being imprisoned, just as how they

described happened with female writers that were confined to patriarchal ideologies

(Limpcomb). This evidence it is important because it exemplifies how the discrimination of

gender that limits and categorizes due to biological sex can cause major depression on

individuals that have experienced it. This occurred because in a patriarchal culture much of

women’s subjugation occurs in the form of psychological repression to make them conform with

their inborn inferiority and accept their imposed stereotype role.

In the video is portrayed the typical female stereotype that patriarchy promotes. Gwen is

accompanied and supervised by two older maid women. The older women represent how

traditional gender roles depict women as the caretakers and housekeepers while the men go out

and work just as the band members (“I’m just”). In addition, the careless attitude of the maids

along with their lack of expression represents how patriarchal society expects women to behave

and to accept their biological reduce nature. Gilbert and Gubar in their book claimed that these

stereotypes have contributed to women oppression. They urged female writers to write beyond

this dichotomy because neither represents women, and it is just a wrong imposition of a

patriarchal view of women’s roles (Lipscomb) Truly, Gwen in her tone of voice and the way she

sings and jumps all over the video represents the opposite of the typical good girl stereotype and

a stand against the traditional roles. As the music video continues more people are gathering. In
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the beginning, they are divided into their respective gender restrooms, but soon the men and

band members jump into the women’s restroom, where they ended up singing and dancing

together. The ending of the video clearly symbolizes the breaking of barriers and viewing men

and women as equal, and with no separation between genders. The end of the video is important

because it represents how the acceptation and not discrimination can create a more pleasant

society. Therefore, it is clear the feminist message that this song tries to convey of women

empowerment, gender equality, and unity in the face of the oppression and discrimination of

today's society.

In conclusion, the music video “I’m just a girl” is indeed a feminist anthem that tries to

create awareness of the repressive that a patriarchal society could be. Gwen Stefani, a female

singer of a rock band takes a rebellious side when she sings that she’s not the “typical

prototype”; she is a woman with the same rights than any men. The song sends a message to

female generations about do not allow that patriarchal programming limits their possibilities

because a woman can be feminine, but at the same time powerful and with the same capabilities

of any men. Although this song was produced in the 1990s, around the same time of the third

wave of feminism many of the same patriarchal repressive ideologies are still present today.

Many women are still raised in oppressive and patriarchal households that do not allow for much

expression or opportunities. In Western Civilization, women have accomplished many things,

but unfortunately, in American culture, the dichotomous thinking of angel vs monster still is

presented. In some social ambits such as wages, politics, and sexual harassment there is a lot that

needs to be done, and as a return has originated a new current wave of feminism. Thus, No

Doubt’s song was an awakening for future feminist movements and a creative way to protest

patriarchy.
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Works Cited

Garrison, Ednie K. "U.S. Feminism-Grrrl Style! Youth (Sub)Cultures and the Technologics of

the Third Wave." Feminist Studies, vol. 26, no. 1, 2000, pp. 141-170. ProQuest,

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/2

33179840?accountid=38295, doi:http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2069/10.2307/3178596.

"Feminism." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 8 Feb. 2019.

ezproxy.canyons.edu:2519/levels/collegiate/article/feminism/343946.

Lipscomb,ElizabethJohnston.“The Madwoman in the Attic.”Magill’s Literary Annual 1980,

June1980,pp.14.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=

103331MLA198011170300305071&site=lrc-live.

Tyson, Louis. “Critical Theory Today.”Routledge. 2015. Pp. 86-89.