Maribel Sandoval
Professor Kate
2/6/09
“Rhetorical analysis: If I were a boy”
In the song “If I were a boy” by Beyonce it is one of those “what if I treated you like you treat me, I bet you would not like it” type of situation. Beyonce uses appeal through ethos because she is a very famous American R&B singer and writer, record producer and actress. Numerous of people look up to her, and she is an influence to everyone. Many stand in her shoes, and could relate to her and the pain in her lyrics. Beyonce uses rhetoric to argue that women believe that men don’t understand how their behavior is hurting her or how it’s destroying their relationship. He thinks that what he's doing is okay, “to drink with the guys or chase after girls“ whenever and however he wants. And she is waiting at home, loyal and loving only him. It is only too often that a guy would do that. However I do believe that the song is stereotyping men, because many would argue that there are many girls who will do the same thing.
Lyrics: In the lyrics “If I were a boy,” Beyonce uses appeal through pathos. From the lyrics to the tone of her voice she is trying to touch people’s emotions. Beyonce points out all the typical guy actions in how they “take the girl for granted” or how “guys take up for each other” so there would never are a confrontation. She also talks about how “she would be a better man“, but the reason for this is because she knows how it is to be girl and not be treated right by the guy. This song makes it seem like she is asking men to be a better spouse in a sarcastic way. The song has very strong lyrics and is a song that makes people think, and relate to. The phrase “If I were a boy” is used many times to establish her points within the song. The lyrics makes us feel like we are in her position. Many know how it feels to be with someone who is taken for granted. Beyonce is trying to say that if she was a boy she would understand that and she wouldn’t do anything to hurt her lover because she doesn’t deserve that. She knows about all those typical guy activities like chasing the girls, staying out late with the guys. How this usually tends to hurt the girl they are in a relationship with. So she's saying that if she were a boy, even for just a day she would be the best man she could be because she knows from personal experience how it feels to be hurt by the man she's in love with. This song has the writer’s authority and credibility because she is famous singer.
Video: The music video was shot in black and white and shoots an ordinary day for a couple. It is all about all the little things that mean so much in a relationship. The video is a little different from the lyrics because at the end of the clip you realize that the roles are reversed and they guy is now the one acting out everything that she was singing about, and it all starts over again.
In the music video Beyonce’s vocal performance was breathtaking. Her voice sounded very beautiful and touching. She was singing very clearly so that everyone could hear her voice, and hear what she had to say. I think they decided to use a ballad because it feels like the music and the emotion in the story is so much better. It is a better connection because you can hear it and there are not all these distractions
“IF I WERE A BOY” LYRICS:
If I were a boyEven just for a dayI’d roll outta bed in the morningAnd throw on what I wanted then goDrink beer with the guysAnd chase after girlsI’d kick it with who I watedAnd I’d never get confronted for it.Cause they’d stick up for me.
[Chorus]If I were a boyI think I could understandHow it feels to love a girlI swear I’d be a better man.I’d listen to herCause I know how it hurtsWhen you lose the one you wantedCause he’s taken you for grantedAnd everything you had got destroyed
If I were a boyI could turn off my phoneTell evveryone it’s brokenSo they’d think that I was sleepin’ aloneI’d put myself firstAnd make the rules as I goCause I know that she’d be faithfulWaitin’ for me to come home (to come home)
(Chorus)It’s a little too late for you to come backSay its just a mistakeThink I’d forgive you like thatIf you thought I would wait for youYou thought wrong
(Chorus)But you’re just a boyYou don’t understandYeah you don’t understandHow it feels to love a girl somedayYou wish you were a better manYou don’t listen to herYou don’t care how it hurtsUntil you lose the one you wantedCause you’ve taken her for grantedAnd everything you have got destroyedBut you’re just a boy
Monday, February 9, 2009
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I believe that the thesis is, "Beyonce uses rhetoric to argue that women believe that men don’t understand how their behavior is hurting her or how it’s destroying their relationship." and I thought that it was rather clear. The thesis deals with the subject of the song and mentions that there is rhetoric in the song. The writer does identify that arguement of the text and video, which is pretty much the same in each one. In this song, the arguement is that women would would make better men than men do. Throughout the song, the woman talks about all the things that she would do different than most men if she was a man.
ReplyDeleteThe writer provided plenty of support/examples from the text and the video. Some examples would be:
Beyonce points out all the typical guy actions in how they “take the girl for granted” or how “guys take up for each other”
She also talks about how “she would be a better man"
The phrase “If I were a boy” is used many times to establish her points within the song.
She was singing very clearly (in the video) so that everyone could hear her voice, and hear what she had to say.
Some other examples that the writer could include would be:
Include some more examples from the video.
Other than that, I don't know about adding any more examples. I think that just expanding on the examples that are already there would be sufficient.
The writer does provide some analysis, but this is only the first draft, so it does not have that much analysis. The examples definitely support the thesis. Because this is just the first draft, I would say that all the examples could use some more analysis. Therefore, the examples that could use more analysis would be the same as the examples from the text and video that I listed above. The writer could just talk more and/or share share personal opinions or experiences about the examples already provided to add more analysis.
In the essay, the writer mentions that Beyonce talks about how "she would be a better man." This seems to stick out to me becasue I am often thinking about how I would do something better or differently than how someone else is doing it.