Stupid Girls

“I Don't Wanna Be A Stupid Girl"

“Where, oh where, have the smart people gone?”

One might be slightly taken aback by these words, but solo artist P!NK points out the shameful truth with this question in her song “Stupid Girls."  Today we live in a society where the term “perfection,” while a positive word in itself, is leading women down a negative path. Through advertisements and media, the female population is being influenced by a world of “perfect women” who in reality do not even exist.  Women with big breast and a perfect arse, absolutely no facial flaws and long luscious hair, all of which, has led to a major increase in the plastic surgery market (Shape).  Nevertheless, this digitized perfection seems to be the only way in which women feel beautiful and it unfortunately skews the common man's perception of a “perfect woman” too.  Take note, that many men want to be in command and therefore prefer to be smarter than their female counterpart. This explains why many women dumb themselves down or act ditzy around guys. Women will do whatever it takes to win over a man and sometimes that involves extreme measures to attain so-called “perfection.”  P!NK’s new song describes this unrealistic world and how it has distorted women’s self-image.

To give a brief summary of this song,  “Stupid Girls”  portrays society’s view on the way women see themselves.  The lyrics discuss how girls will act a certain way or do anything to get with a guy.  The lyrics, “Maybe if I act like that…”  play repetitively, which shows how the females dwell on their insecurities and strain themselves to improve.  P!NK expresses her disapproval by capping off each lyrical stanza with, “I don’t wanna be a stupid girl.”

But what is the significance of this song?  Why would P!NK, a female, perform such a mockery of women? When I first heard “Stupid Girls”, these are the questions I found myself asking.  I realized that P!NK is making a statement.  With her reflection on women’s self image, P!NK is informing women about the ridiculous way many view themselves.

Before we delve into the lyrical reflection P!NK presents, let us first look at the background behind our artist and her single.  P!NK, in the well-put words of Jon Pareles’s “Critic’s Choice” article in the New York times, “is a bundle of contradictions. She's confident and insecure, painfully sincere and bluntly ironic.”  This explains why P!NK would fearlessly sing about the bimbos who roam the earth and as she wishes in her song, “Outcasts and girls with ambition , that's what I wanna see…”  we know P!NK is not seeing many.  Today, it seems to be the bimbos who make up the majority, while sadly the intelligent and self-confident women are the dwindling minority (Pareles).

P!NK wrote the song with three other writers, some of which are men, which indicates that the lyrical expression within the song not only reflects a woman’s perspective on this issue of female self-image, but a man’s perspective as well.  This is important to note because it justifies P!NK’s view on the issue indicating a gender agreement.   One of the writers is songwriter and producer, Billy Mann, who also co-wrote Jessica Simpson’s single “In This Skin”.  This song is about a girl who lives a glamorous life, appearing to have everything, but sees advertisements which display the "perfected women" of the media and does not feel beautiful in her own skin.

While Simpson’s song is about the experience of an individual, “Stupid Girls” is a reflection of all women in society.  P!NK gives many examples of how women try to perfect themselves:

 Maybe if I act like that
That guy will call me back

Maybe if I act like that
Flippin' my blonde hair back
Push up my bra like that

The artist shows us how women will act a certain way just to get even the slightest attention from a guy, such as a phone call.  Women tend to think they need physical attributes such as big boobs or to act a certain way by flaunting their “gift” so that men notice them.  This way of thinking reflects the insecurities women have faced for decades.  These thoughts especially pertain to young girls who lack confidence and are constantly undergoing physical body transitions.  It is a brutal world and the fact is that human nature’s imperfections make it difficult to adapt at times, thus, we develop insecurity or self-doubt.  The music video for “Stupid Girls” presents a realistic imitation of how women deal with these insecurities.

P!NK is sending a message with her song.  The artist is informing us that this way of acting or trying to be “perfect” is stupid (hence the title “Stupid Girls”).  We see this message of objection continuously throughout the song:

The disease is growing, it's an epidemic
I'm scared that there ain't a cure
The world believes it and I'm going crazy
I cannot take anymore

I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
That will never be me
Outcasts and girls with ambition
That's what I wanna see

Disasters all around
A world of despair

In these stanzas, P!NK informs society that it should be worried about the issue reflected in the song. The artist compares it to an epidemic, which means it is affecting many people and quickly spreading from one woman to the next.

I think it is important to listen to this song and truly grasp the issue at hand.  There is a growing problem that P!NK has finally addressed and it should not be taken lightly.  Many women may disagree with P!NK’s reflection on women and the way they view themselves, but this may also be a case of ignorance arising from the brainwashed majority.  The truth of the matter is that most women in this world do not feel comfortable in their own skin as a result of what they think they should look like.  The false image of perfection may arise from advertising or media.  Regardless of where it came from, it is negatively affecting the view men and women have of females.  Come on ladies, it’s time to have a little self-respect!