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Forum nameGeneral Discussion
Topic subjectFeminists, how does this song make you feel?
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=12969122
12969122, Feminists, how does this song make you feel?
Posted by Jon, Fri Feb-05-16 09:26 PM
https://youtu.be/BtXm3lUeDkE
12969140, Always loved Eric Gale's reggae version:
Posted by denny, Fri Feb-05-16 11:04 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnJExnW9GXM

I would guess that you're getting at the assumed 'ownership' or something like that? Or I guess the 'hey baby, smile' part?

If you feel like leaving you know you can go
But why don't you stay until tomorrow?
And if you want to be free
You know all you got to do is say so

Seems like a reach but I suppose you could say that there's a presumption that she's only free cause he allows her to be free? Kinda like 'I've decided that I will leave you alone if you want me to' which suggests that NOT leaving her alone is one of the protaganist's options. lol. I'm TRYING to be critical but feel kinda silly. Is B Marley's 'no woman no cry' also questionable?

As for the 'hey baby, smile' thing. Obviously, there's alot of contexts that this is offensive. Like bugging a woman on the subway saying 'smile' while she is clearly annoyed. That's not what's happening in the song though. My SO and I might tell each other to smile while we're hanging out....trying to cheer each other up or something like that.

Maybe I'm missing something. I seem to recall someone saying this song was sexist in the past though.