Jack And Diane Analysis

Jack and Diane is a 1982 single off of the album American Fool by John Mellencamp, then going by the name John Cougar. The song is in the genre of Heartland rock, which was pioneered by Mellencamp, along with Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Seger. The genre is characterized by songs that concern average blue collar American life and often carry a social message. Mellencamp grew up in Indiana, which is why many of his songs mention the Heartland (American Midwest). He is known for other hits such as “Hurt so good”, “Small town”, and Crumblin’ down”. Many of his songs contain social messages and he has been critical of the Bush administration and has spoken in support of legalizing same sex marriage. (Official website) The song exemplifies heteronormativity.(Witt, 299) With lyrics like “Two American kids growing up in the Heartland” and “suckin’ on chili dogs outside the Tastee Freeze” it is clear Mellencamp intended for listeners to see …show more content…
As I mentioned earlier a song about a boy and a girl is more relatable to a larger audience, would not irritate those who oppose homosexuality, and it more accurately represents America, which is something fans of Mellencamp like. All of these factors in theory would make the song sell better. It worked because the song became a number one hit and is one of Mellencamp’s most popular songs. The reason for including lyrics that perpetuate gender stereotypes is likely a desire to be realistic. (Official website, about) These stereotypes exist for a reason, being that they may often stem from truth or that they are the beliefs people hold and including them in a song that is not outright offensive was probably intended to create a story with realistic elements. By having a realistic story it was likely anticipated that the single would perform better on the charts. (Witt,