What Is A Real Man?

Alex Shirk

Music & Gender

A Real Man

    In today’s society, there are many suggestions of how people should act - whether it concerns gender, age, or race. The media, a person’s peers, and culture are big, relentless forces that attempt to control people’s actions and beliefs. One influentially subliminal medium that takes part in this so-called brain-washing of society is popular music. Regardless of the genre, different modes of music can give people ideas of how they should act and what is and is not seen as socially acceptable. Stereotypically, artists of popular music give the statement that their music is just entertainment and is not to be taken literally, yet people perceive their music in a very different way. One modern and clear example of this perception can be heard in Justin Moore’s hit single “Bait A Hook.” This song exemplifies much of society’s idea of what a real man should be and act like. In a somewhat passive-aggressive tone, Justin Moore passes this idea onto his listeners in black and white. Although portrayed by a light-hearted and jolly tune, Justin Moore’s “Bait A Hook” communicates to listeners the perception of cultural concepts of gender, namely, males. 

 

    Justin Moore is what the music industry would call a stereotypical country artist. He came from humble beginnings, working on his grandparents’ cattle farm in the small town of Poyen, Arkansas. Moore had big dreams of being a country music singer, so after high school he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue these aspirations. In Nashville, Moore became successful and made a name for himself. Coming into the industry with an assembled band in 2008, Moore had the ability to open for big time country artists such as ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Luke Bryan, and Trace Adkins. Interestingly, these are all male artists who sing about the same topics as Moore. In the same year, Moore released his Country Top 40 breaking song, “Back That Thing Up”, and gained major popularity in the country music realm. Moore is signed with The Valory Music Co., and has since had three records reach the Top Ten charts from 2009 to 2013. “Bait A Hook” was one of his hit singles off of his second album, Outlaws Like Me, in 2011. 

    

           Next, to superficially interpret “Bait A Hook” is the same as what many people interpret country songs today. This song would fall into the category of a mild jealousy over an ex-girlfriend and her newfound boyfriend. In this specific case, Moore sings about how his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend is nothing like him, and that he has no doubts of his ex-girlfriend leaving her boyfriend and coming back to him. Justin Moore, being the “good country boy” he is, has the characteristics of a blue-collar individual: rugged, hard-working, simple, and a fix-it-up type of guy. He explains in “Bait A Hook” that his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend is the exact opposite of Moore: sensitive, flashy, white-collar, and from a big city. On the surface, an audience might think of Moore’s predicament as funny, or an entertaining contrast between stereotypical blue and white collar males.

A closer examination of this song reveals a tremendously cultured and societal issue with the male gender. Moore states that his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend cannot do certain things, and does so in an immature, ignorant and one sided way. The entire song has facets of a bashing style by Moore, all going back to the chorus “He can’t even bait a hook, he can’t even skin a buck.” For example, in the first verse, Justin Moore explains that his ex-girlfriend’s new man drives a Prius, is a lightweight, enjoys “fruity” drinks, eats sushi, and is particularly concerned about the environment. On the surface, these traits do not seem like bad things by any means -- and they are not, either. Moore adds in at the end of the verse, however: “... that don’t sound like love/Sounds like it sucks.” Those two statements turn a nonjudgmental observation into an insult of the man for liking certain things and being a particular way. Setting aside the fact that this new man cannot do certain things Justin Moore can do, Moore sings this song to make it seem as though it is unacceptable for a man to be unable to do these “manly things.” He gives the indication that “real” men in society are the ones who do stereotypical male outdoor activities, can change a flat tire, drive a truck, and drink Jack Daniels. Although this is a rather “country-esque” stereotype, it is still a stereotype of a man. In addition to saying what a man should be like, Moore makes fun of men who are different, giving the notion that there is something wrong with a male who drives a Prius, does not drink hard liquor, or enjoys sushi. The gender pigeonholing on Moore’s part is very noticeable, and although it could rooted from jealousy, Moore subliminally educates his listeners on what a man is, supposedly, in today’s society. 

“Bait A Hook” unarguably denotes the power of an upbeat and fun song with a much more

serious and deeper meaning.  Whether done intentionally or not, Moore brings forward a message of cultural concepts for the male gender. By giving a man an identity of being inferior to other men, and even further, the label of being weak, “Bait A Hook” tells boys and men alike that they are not real men if they cannot do things like bait a hook or change a tire. These “weaknesses” of  liking the environment and driving a conventional car are obviously not weaknesses at all, and keep males closed minded and judgmental. Artists like Justin Moore continue to keep alive the stereotype of a male in today’s society, as well as bash others who do not fall into this stereotype. Messages like these are certainly not just held in the genre of country music, and they continue to surge and control the media. People begin to merely accept that society wants them to be something, so they in return become that conformist. Often times, people of both genders forget to think on their own, because letting others make decisions for them is much easier. All too clearly, though, it only negatively affects the world in the end. This way of thinking is what hinders a male’s emotional and social growth, and what further widens the gender divide. 

Additional Links:

http://www.cmt.com/artists/justin-moore/biography/

http://www.gactv.com/gac/ar_artists_a-z/article/0,,gac_26071_5940779,00.html

http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Moore,_Justin/