Most of us have probably heard the song “Just a Girl” before on a Best of the 90s playlist. The song became a hit when it was released in 1995 by Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt. It was the first song Stefani had written by herself, capturing the attention of millions of young female fans. It became a feminist anthem in the 1990s though Stefani admits she didn’t intend it to be. She was just writing about her experience as a woman. In an ABC interview in 2019, Stefani remarked “And I just kind of wrote that song because I feel like I was getting in touch with that feeling of when you’re born, if you’re female, you don’t think about it — you’re just a human. And then through life you sort of start to realize you get this kind of power through your sexuality, but then you’re kind of vulnerable at the same time because all of a sudden you’re a victim. So you have all these awarenesses as you’re getting older, and I just wanted to write a song about that.” Thus, “Just a Girl” contains feminist undertones that relate to several of our readings including Betty Friedan’s The Feminist Mystique and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s Feminist Perspectives on Reproduction and the Family.
The title of the song “Just a Girl” itself echoes a sarcastic jibe against the patriarchy. “Just a girl” is a phrase sometimes heard from men. They might use it to indicate a female’s inability to complete a masculine task. For example, “she’s just a girl, she can’t change the car tire.” “Girl” itself connotes an adolescent, incapable female, not a woman. In the Feminine Mystique, Frieden offers a similar feeling on the boundaries of a woman such as their confinement to the home (Friedan 276-277). Stefani further conveys her contempt at men for underestimating a woman’s abilities through feminine conventions.
The lyrics “pink ribbon,” “little old me,” “typical prototype,” and “your rule of thumb” relate to the customs of women in the male gaze. Women are traditionally supposed to love pink. They are supposed to be petite. They are supposed to follow the “typical” norms of a woman, not express their individuality. They must adhere to the man’s “rule of thumb.” Stefani mocks these ridiculous patriarchal views of women by going so far as to call herself a “prototype” which conveys the idea of a mindless robot. Friedan writes about a feeling of emptiness among women perhaps because of the conventions about which Stefani sings (Friedan 274-275).
Stefani feels entrapped and angered by the traditions imposed by men and notes it in several instances such as “living in captivity,” “so don’t let me have any rights,” and “I’ve had it up to here.” These lyrics contain a very clear, frustrated tone. Most notably, she mentions “rights” which could relate to third wave feminist activism in the 90s that Stefani was experiencing when she wrote the song. Feminist Perspectives on Reproduction and the Family discusses the struggles for women’s rights in a similar period as it was initially published in 2004 (Satz). While Stefani does not directly address the specifics of women’s rights, she implies that she is thinking about them.
While Stefani may have just been singing about her own feelings of being a woman, her words resonated with millions. Her message encourages me to reflect on my own experience as a woman in a similar, critical regard. The song is catchy with its mockery of the male patriarchy. However, the song can be exclusionary with its binary focus on cis-women and cis-men, forgetting the LGBTQ+ community. The song is clearly directed towards a female audience given the title “Just a Girl.” Furthermore, it may only be relatable for white females as the experiences of a white woman like Stefani and a woman of color can differ as a result of the privileges of whiteness. However, Stefani made this song with her own experience in mind so it is unlikely that it was intended to feel exclusionary. I would definitely recommend listening to “Just a Girl” if you haven’t before.
References
https://genius.com/No-doubt-just-a-girl-lyrics
Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. Norton, 1963.
Satz, Debra. “Feminist Perspectives on Reproduction and the Family.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 21 Oct. 2013, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-family/.
The quote from Gwen Stefani about coming to awareness about being a woman is super interesting to me. To her, this only happened because being a woman meant being both vulnerable and empowered. I think this kinda encapsulates the idea behind identifiers – they can set us apart and make us vulnerable, but we can also become empowered through a community of those similar to us.
I have never heard this song but after reading your analysis, I find myself resonating with the stigma of the male gaze. Almost all of society is centered around controlling women and their bodies. I agree with Gwen when she alludes to women being a prototype. The unrealistic expectations put on women are so awful and lead to many negative mental and physical repercussions. I agree that she is speaking to millions, but I also like how she showed that she is talking to millions of (white) cis women. She does not encompass the intersectionality of women.
I really enjoyed reading your analysis! I had never heard this song before, and it was a cool experience first to read your analysis and then listen to the song. I agree Stefani seems to be calling attention to the problematic male gaze. After listening, the lyric that stuck with me was “This world is forcing me to hold your hand,” as Stefani acknowledges how these inequalities women face are societal issues. Also, I appreciate your thoughtful comments on the limitation of Stefani’s song. Great work!
I’ve always enjoyed this song and I was thoroughly pleased by your analysis. I especially enjoyed you bringing up the songs limitation without overall bashing the entire song.
I find it kind of funny that Gwen Stefani did not intend for this song to be a feminist message because it is so obvious to me as a listener. I’ve heard this song many times before but never thought deeply about the title “Just a Girl” and the weakness portrayed upon women when men use that phrase. It also saddens me to think about how long ago this song was released (around 30 years ago) and the lyrics still resonate with people today. The lyrics “so don’t let me have any rights” still resonate today especially with the stripping of rights for people with uteruses with the recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Let’s hope that in the future people can listen to this song and see the struggles as issues of the past.