Having won the popular TV superstar singing competition, American Idol, country singer Carrie Underwood has cemented a place in the American music industry as one of the most empowering, feminine, as well as influential women with a multitude of chart-topping songs over the past decade (Paisley, 2014). “Before He Cheats,” is one of her most famous tracks, and promotes messages weaves emotions that resonate with many cheated-on individuals. As a result, “Before He Cheats” reached eighth place on Billboard’s ranking of popular music, and remained on the chart for 64 weeks. Underwood’s climb of fame can be in large part attributed to this song, which received excellent praise and press upon its release, despite questionable thematic double standards.
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Interestingly, as she describes each action that he took, she blames that action on some attribute of the woman he was involved with. Throughout the entirety of the song, there is a dearth of any information that could put the “other woman” at fault, such as her knowing that the man pursuing her at the bar is in a relationship, or that she was making a conscious decision to intervene in someone else’s relationship. In other words, the “other woman” was viewed as an object for sex and aggression, even by Underwood herself. This is not an uncommon theme in country music, as mostly male, but occasionally female singers, often include themes of men ‘playing the field,’ in search of sexual encounters, and women as sexual prizes, not to mention sexual violence and nonconsensual sex, all of which can be found in the “Before He Cheats” lyrics (van Oosten et al., 2015). While such themes are now being identified and challenged in modern entertainment, this song has not been a part of this movement, mainly because it is a woman negatively targeting another woman. She also delves into the cheater’s thought process, considering how he views the whole situation as a game and the other woman being drunk is going to lead him to success, which is sex, yet never indicates how this is morally incorrect and could be classified as rape (Department of Justice, …show more content…
The double standards surrounding her actions mean that the song is always viewed in a positive manner, as most attribute it to her strength and independence that she could emerge from a defective relationship unscathed and ready to get back at her ex. However, due to her status as a feminine role model, Underwood unintentionally permits and promotes the slander of women and property damage as an appropriate response to cheating. Thus, being hurt by an unfaithful partner becomes grounds for taking sexually unethical and generally illegal acts as a method of revenge. Country life ideals are favored and adored by country music singers and fans. While these themes such as home cooked meals and the importance of family are not necessarily bad, outdated gender roles and double standards have the potential to come alongside older-fashioned country music
Interestingly, as she describes each action that he took, she blames that action on some attribute of the woman he was involved with. Throughout the entirety of the song, there is a dearth of any information that could put the “other woman” at fault, such as her knowing that the man pursuing her at the bar is in a relationship, or that she was making a conscious decision to intervene in someone else’s relationship. In other words, the “other woman” was viewed as an object for sex and aggression, even by Underwood herself. This is not an uncommon theme in country music, as mostly male, but occasionally female singers, often include themes of men ‘playing the field,’ in search of sexual encounters, and women as sexual prizes, not to mention sexual violence and nonconsensual sex, all of which can be found in the “Before He Cheats” lyrics (van Oosten et al., 2015). While such themes are now being identified and challenged in modern entertainment, this song has not been a part of this movement, mainly because it is a woman negatively targeting another woman. She also delves into the cheater’s thought process, considering how he views the whole situation as a game and the other woman being drunk is going to lead him to success, which is sex, yet never indicates how this is morally incorrect and could be classified as rape (Department of Justice, …show more content…
The double standards surrounding her actions mean that the song is always viewed in a positive manner, as most attribute it to her strength and independence that she could emerge from a defective relationship unscathed and ready to get back at her ex. However, due to her status as a feminine role model, Underwood unintentionally permits and promotes the slander of women and property damage as an appropriate response to cheating. Thus, being hurt by an unfaithful partner becomes grounds for taking sexually unethical and generally illegal acts as a method of revenge. Country life ideals are favored and adored by country music singers and fans. While these themes such as home cooked meals and the importance of family are not necessarily bad, outdated gender roles and double standards have the potential to come alongside older-fashioned country music