Loren Householder
Peer Review of Deedra Guarino

In Deedra Guarino’s essay “If I Were a Boy,” Guarino clarifies the thesis of her paper, “Her lyrics tell us of role reversal. She explores what it would be like if she did all the things her man did to her everyday.” Her essay explains mostly rhetoric. By incorporating evidence into her essay such as the actual lyrics, she describes how Beyonce is persuading her audience to not get caught up in a man who will not treat you how you believe you should be treated. She also incorporates other examples of rhetoric in her essay that Beyonce employs. Guarino also identifies the argument of the song and video. For the song she identifies that men and women live with the double standard of their relationship. That it is alright for men to cheat on women but shameful if the girl were to be the one who cheated. She also uses this argument in her paper to prove that the video shows the same concept.
Furthermore, she goes on to provide examples that support Beyonce’s song and video. The following are her examples:

1. “You don’t listen to her, you don’t care how it hurts until you lose the one that you wanted ‘cause you have taken her for granted and everything you had got destroyed, but you’re just a boy.”
2. “I’d roll our of bed in the morning and throw on whatever I wanted and go drink beers with the guys and chase after girls, I’d kick it with who I wanted and I’d never get confronted for it cause they’d stick up for me.”
3. “Honesty, intimacy, commitment.” Used from the movie.
   Some other examples that could be used would be:

1. I'd listen to her, 'Cause I know how it hurts, When you lose the one you wanted, 'Cause he's taking you for granted, And everything you had got destroyed.”
2. If I were a boy, I think I could understand, How it feels to love a girl, I swear I'd be a better man.”
Though the essay was well written, there could have been transition from the beginning paragraph to the proceeding paragraphs. The use of ethos, pathos, and logos should have been stated somewhere in the beginning paragraph.
Guarino provides much analysis after each example. She analyzes the quote from the movie and text either before or after the example thus making it effective. Her examples also assist her thesis statement by proving the universal saying, “Boys will be boys.” Though most of her analyzing is excellent, she could use more of the following:

1. The example of “You don’t listen to her, you don’t know how it hurts” could use more analysis maybe by establishing that guys need to listen up and realize what they are doing to their relationships and to their girlfriends.
2. Also, put another quote where Guarino talks about the video, this would help further her analysis of the film.

The sentence that spoke to me the most would be, “It is a commentary on the double standards that often exist between men and women.” This caught my eye because it is very true; many times there is a double standard between sexes, and I believe that this sentence described that perfectly.