Most of us are probably familiar with the song “Take Me to Church”, or at the very least have heard it on the radio. Rarely are these pop songs analyzed beyond their musical appeal to a wide audience, but once the thought has been put into finding the songs true intention another story comes to light. In the example of Hozier’s “Take Me to Church”, we are greeted with various artistic choices from pronoun use to political statements about the church. Rather echoing than the usual pattern of church songs about happiness, love, or the afterlife, Hozier instead voices his fear and anxiety surrounding the church. Using the definitions from Cathy Cohen and Michael Warner to analyze the music video and lyrics, we found this music video to be queer.
Using Cathy Cohen’s definition of queer, in which we relate queerness to positions of power (“Punks Bulldaggers and Welfare Queens”, 440), the Hozier music video expresses a number of examples of queerness. Contrary to many popular music videos, the two main characters are men and are in a relationship. The explicit queerness present in a popular media form (music video), which typically reinforces heteronormative understanding of relationships between men and women, shows that the artist can influence a change in the way we choose to represent gendered relationships. Delving beneath the surface, Cohen’s understanding of queer is present in relation to the continued friction between the gay couple and the angry mob. If the mob of men represents the heteronormative, hegemonic understanding of sexuality, their interaction with the couple being attacked shows that they lack true power. The couple is easily overtaken by the mob and their home is invaded, leaving them helpless.
In this example, the couple is queer, not only because of their sexual orientation, but also because they lack the ability to defend themselves and their choices against rigid institutional understandings of sexuality, rendering them powerless. Reading this text through Cohen’s understanding of queer broadens the understanding of the disadvantages queer-identified individuals face; these are people discriminated against and shunned (per the Church) and through institutional means that impact their innate humanness. Seeing the video in this way enhances the music video’s overall message on society’s view of sexuality that counters social norms.
Aside from Cohen’s definition of queer, a tie can also be made with Warner’s definition: that queerness protests norms (“Fear of a Queer Planet”, xxvii). This music video itself is protesting norms because, as previously stated, the vast majority of music videos play upon heteronormative narratives that leave little room for a queer reading. Although there are plenty of music videos that do break out of this stereotype, they rarely ever make it to mainstream media like this one did. The relationship between the two men is protesting social norms and therefore fits under Warner’s definition. Both of the men appear as masculine in a conventional sense goes against norms because usually a feminine and masculine dichotomy is “supposed” to exist, even within same-sex couples. Doing a queer reading of this music video strengthens the message that Hozier is trying to get across about society and particularly, powerful institutions like The Church, and their widespread disapproval of any sexuality outside of what is considered to be the norm.
After seeing the video and realizing the political message within the song, it completely changed the way we listened to it. This song sounds more like a form of protest against powerful institutions rather than just a catchy pop song. Hopefully this experience will be as eye opening to the class as it was for us, in that knowing there is so much to something than we always care to realize. Now move forward with your lives and consume future media with an open mind while consuming media in the future.
Discussion Questions:
- For those of you who have heard the song and not seen the video, how has your view of the song changed after viewing? How might this change your consumption of popular media in the future?
- What do you think of the decision to use she/her pronouns in the song, despite the music video featuring two men? Why do you believe this choice was made?
- What other music videos depict representations of queerness in relation to power? Is there a restriction on how Cohen’s queer can be understood in popular media?
- In what ways does Hozier want viewers to see the indictment of establishments that undermine humanity based on his video?
- In what way does the music video attempt to combat homophobia? Do you think this message is effective? If so, why do you think the message is not/less clear in the song itself?
First and foremost I’d like to say that I love this song and I think it is really important because it addresses a power institution and its effects on individual’s life, particularly those of non-heterosexual sexual identities. In terms of questions 4, it’s the language involved in the lyrics and the powerful imagery that it projects regarding the humanity in love. Overall, I believe the lyrics reflect how by discounting sexuality as a whole, the Catholic Church goes against a very human thing, love. In particular the lyrics about “sharpening your knife” and those that discuss the erotic nature of worshiping the person you love over the church, or the lyrics about how the ritual and the narrow definitions of humanity dictated by the church, reflect this. In terms of question 5, the message regarding homophobia is made clearer by focusing on a gay couple and the acts of violence faced by those in the queer community. I think the box aspect is a bit ambiguous though. What is it about? Is it the like a holy grail of truth? Is it a representation of the couples love? That’s the only aspect that seems truly unclear to me. Maybe the box is an enigma inclined for the consumer to define and analyze.
ReplyDelete1. I think it's a pretty somber song. Even before watching the video, I thought the lyrics were interesting. The video seems to make the lyrics pretty upbeat in comparison though (ie- the video is down to Earth, the whole thing is shot in black and white, directly following the kiss-scene we're shown the mob and the one person running through their house seeming desperate). I don't think it'll really change my consumption of pop media, only because I already love reading it through queer lenses.
ReplyDelete5. The ending to the video was my favorite part-- how they're beating the one person but their partner is just kind of helpless to the side. I'd argue the artist is trying to convey the feeling of helplessness that is held by many people outside of power. But I love how it ends-- the person with the backpack watching the crowd and deciding what to do. Like, the artist doesn't have them run away or run into the fray, just kind of *there*. I think it's pretty effective in terms of fighting homophobia because you, as the viewer, are all wanting him to save the dude, but he doesn't (the metaphor I might be reaching for here is like bullying/people who witness bullying yet do nothing). I dunno.
3. As problematic as parts of it are, I'm dying to suggest "We Exist" by Arcade Fire as a potential answer, what do other people think?
I hadn't seen the video for "We Exist" to this point, but I agree with your suggestion as even the name of the song and the flashing "WE EXIST" at the end of the video is a strong statement between queer-identified individual and those institutions of power that try to mute their voices and erase the presence of anything that isn't the heteronormative mainstream, marketable to the masses. I'd also suggest tUnE-yArDs’ “Real Thing”, which asks “Just what is the real thing?” and later answering with “It’s complicated.” In line with Cohen's definition of queer then, the lyrics criticize America and its hypocritical tendencies between being a “land of the free” but also coming “from the land of slaves” and a nation that currently embraces mocking Native Americans with sport team names. The video makes more of a statement on the former sentiment, visually expressing the pressure we feel to be boxed into a category, though oftentimes we just don’t fit.
DeleteIn response to question 1., I had heard the song but only processed the chorus since it stands out so much with his loud, emotional, and angry voice. I had thought the song had taken a stance for atheism and against religion ,and that perhaps he devoted his entire life to the church but had this revelation that he doesn’t believe in the afterlife and therefore his death cannot be a deathless death. Clearly I hadn’t processed it too much. To that point I had not seen the music video, which is such a great opportunity for musicians to make their message more (or in some cases less clear) than one can just extract from the song. I think it will change my consumption of popular media in the future, in further looking to see the musician’s message can be interpreted as meant to be seen through a queer lens.
Initially, I had not seen the accompanying video to the song and had only heard it over the radio, almost exclusively on pop stations. In regards to question 1, my view of the song certainly has changed. I had initially thought it to be more somber, a sort of defiance that the singer—or whoever the point of view of the song comes from— would instead dedicate their life/time/prayer et cetera to their lover and this would instead be their “church”. In viewing the video, however, while this interpretation still exists, I am much more inclined to view the song as more radical in its defiance, especially with its depictions of violence and power in relation to the couple. It is something certainly unexpected from a mainstream pop song, which is perhaps why it was so surprising to view in the first place. This then leads into questions 2 and 3: the decision to use she/her pronouns, is, I think, directly related to the representation of queerness in relation to power. By using she/her pronouns in this song, sung by a voice that most would immediately clearly mark as male, it increases the visibility and the marketability of the song. In other words, it’s “just another pop song about love”; it appeals to the masses. But in doing this, there are many who would go to this video, and then see that it is not necessarily a “she” that the song refers to, who would be startled but hopefully then understand the implications of the scenes in the video. Also, while I do believe the video wishes to suggest both men are cis-identified, there is the possibility that one or both are trans*-- in which the video combined with the lyrics present yet another disruption to what one would normally assume to be “just another pop song about love” by calling into question gender, sexual orientation, homophobia, and even trans*phobia in that case. (That said, I do think it the video DOES present both men as cis identified, I just wanted to add in another potential discussion point!)
ReplyDeletePrior to seeing the video, I agree with Sreelakshmi that I imagined Hozier worshipping some female object of affection, telling her all his sins and praying that she still accepted him. The video came as a bit of a shock to me, but I like what Hozier did. I too think that the song would never have gotten as much publicity if the pronoun "he" were used, as Hozier himself is a relatively new artist to the public eye. It's nice to see a male artist taking a stand against homophobia, as has been common with female artists like Lady Gaga. I wasn't sure how Hozier identified his sexual orientation, and unfortunately I just *assumed* he were straight based on hearing the song, as I'm sure many people did as well. After doing some research it seems he has not publicly identified his sexuality because he does not think it matters, which in reality it should not, since it is not just the job of the LGBT community to defend itself. It also highlights an interesting point regarding pronouns, that they are not always as cut-and-dry as we may like to believe. I have a friend who literally only uses the pronoun "she" when referring to a man or a woman, so perhaps Hozier is the same way...? Ok probably not. Regardless of orientation, I think it is important that Hozier chose to include a queer relationship in his video, however unexpectedly, to shock consumers of the media and make them consider their own opinions and assumptions.
DeleteIn relation to question 1, I have heard this song multiple times on the radio and on TV and never really understood the deeper meaning behind it. Before watching the video, the lyrics themselves did suggest actions of going against the church, which I feel implied going against society as well, but I found it nearly impossible to assume a homosexual relationship. After viewing the video and reading over the lyrics again, it is more evident that it is meant to be seen through a queer lens by the clear relationship of the two men in the video, the church/society attacking the one man, and the burning of the box.
ReplyDeleteIn reply to Charlotte’s comment about the importance and representation of the box, I viewed the box as a metaphor of the couple’s relationship. In the Church, a homosexual relationship is not as accepted and is therefore forced to be hidden and kept a secret, much like the box was as it was buried. Also, the box seemed to be symbolically special to the men in the video, which relates to how important their relationship to each other is. The lyrics “I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife. Offer me that deathless death…Let me give you my life” suggests a very strong relationship and bond between the two men as there is a suggestion that they would die for each other, which is symbolically shown through the strong and unbreakable chain around the box.
I also lastly wanted to briefly comment on the lyrics that say “ ’we were born sick’ you heard them say it”, because I found this line very powerful. People sometimes have thought that those who desired the same sex were “born that way” and that it would be considered a “sickness” per say because it is different from the heterosexual relationships and desires. In simply hearing this song on the radio I did not pick up on this line, but reading over the lyrics and watching the video again it is easier to identify it and understand the meaning behind it.
In response to question one, I have heard this song multiple times and I even have it downloaded on my phone. Each time I had listened to this song I never really realized what it meant. I would just listen to the words and sing along, not realizing that this song had included such a strong message. I have loved this song even when I didn’t realize the message it was portraying and the fact that I know this message now I love this song even more. So after watching the video my views upon this song have been positively affected and I can take into account of how someone in their situation may feel. My consumption of popular media in the future will be affected because I will be more interested in watching the videos to songs to have a better understanding of the song I’m listening to since I usually just sing along not knowing the importance/message of the song. I found it interesting how this song can also relate to the song “same love.” In both of these songs it points out the fact of religion, one being that religion sees queerness as a negative thing and the other stating that “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” I think both of these songs do a great job to portray how people that are homosexual feel and how they compare it to how others see them. It sends a strong message out and hopefully people will be able to catch the important message that the song includes.
ReplyDeleteI had neither hear or seen this song/video, and so I would like to echo Kelsie's message about conscious consumption of media in the future. I think that as we have studied hip hop this past week I have been more aware of consuming songs and artistry in full effect. The video for this song has a huge impact on how the lyrics and message come across to the viewer. My one issue with the messages this song send are that religion (specifically Christianity) and queer or trans* folks can not coexist. Religion and spirituality play an integral role in many people's lives, and while I do support critiquing churches as institutions, there is a problematic message about how religion and queer and trans* identities cannot merge. I fear that by essentializing religion as homophobic will alienate LGBT folks who have deep religious/spiritual beliefs. Overall, I really enjoyed that the lyrics and visual components of this song combine to create a powerful narrative about SOME people's experiences. However, I want to caution folks from reading this as the ONLY narrative.
DeleteIn response to question 2, I believe there are a few reasons that the Hozier may have used she/her pronouns in the lyrics of "Take Me to Church" and used a male same-sex couple in the music video. Hozier may have used female pronouns in order to relate to a heterosexual relationship that he has had in the past. He also may have used female pronouns in the lyrics and a male same-sex couple in the music video as a way to make the song appeal to a wider audience. Also, Hozier may identity as queer/bisexual and the use of using she/her pronouns and a male same-sex couple was a way to represent that. I don't know too much about the singer so I do not know what identity factors he prescribes too but these are my best guesses.
ReplyDeleteI give the creativity of this song much more credit because of Hozier's use of both pronouns. It left me as a listener with questions after hearing the song paired with a music video. I like media that leaves me asking questions and leaves some mysterious to be solved.
Feel free to let me know what you all think!
Even before seeing the video, I recognized this song was deeper than most pop music. To me, the song is about power. I don't even think it's about the Christian Church. Looking at the lyrics, the narrator/singer "worships her." Further examples are "She tells me 'Worship in the bedroom' / The only heaven I'll be sent to / Is when I'm alone with you" as well as "To keep the Goddess on my side / She demands a sacrifice." The last line, in addition to "Good god, let me give you my life," reveals that he is even willing to sacrifice everything for her. So, to me the song is about the pain and desperation of being subjected to another's power. With that meaning, the song is queer, in the sense of disrupting cultural norms, even if the narrator/singer and "her" are both straight since it is assumed that men have power over women and not vice versa.
ReplyDeleteThe video exemplifies power dynamics in an even bigger and more obvious way by having the ones in power be both a mob and a representation of institutionalized heteronormativity. Also, I am usually appreciative when pop artists give their music videos queer representation. Hozier has the power to lock in fans with his catchy song and then have them learn about the very real dangers of homophobia once they watch the video.
Finally, I too really want to know what that buried chest symbolizes.
In reference to the buried chest, I too was sort of confused until the end of the video when the mob was trying to break it open and then threw it into the fire. To me this whole video just portrays a lot of running and hiding, and the burying of the chest was symbolic of the way queer people understand that the bulk of society is not accepting of their differences and feel it's something they have to hide from day to day to continue with "business as usual" I suppose. It's pretty common for people feel like they have a right to know about the way you conduct your love life as well as have an opinion on it, and the chest being thrown into the fire because the man couldn't open it to me was relating to the way people are angered by things they don't understand.
Delete2) I give Hozier credit for providing a different, more relevant visual experience for his fans. It was a very interesting choice for him to have the visuals display a male/male couple (as an act of socio-political consciousness with the violent events that were/are happening towards the LGBTQIA+ community in Russia), which would in turn affect the personal experience of those who listened to the song, saw the video, and then continued to listen to the song several times after viewing. However, for those who have never seen the video, or those who refuse to agree with the video’s message, they can still enjoy the normative expectation of the lyrics. I believe this is a win/win for Hozier (and the record label he’s signed to). On the one hand, fans that don’t agree with the visuals can stick to listening to the music without much trouble. On the other hand, those who do agree with the visuals, as well as the socio-political commentary of the visuals, will love the song more and feel encouraged to share it amongst their preferred social media outlets.
ReplyDelete3) Dynamic Hip-Hop duo Run The Jewels (EL-P & Killer Mike) released a video for their song “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck),” featuring Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zach de la Rocha, which displays a queerness that’s related to Cohen’s definition by showing a black man and a white police officer constantly fighting each other throughout the video, but periodically embracing each other in nurturing, protective ways. According to Cohen, the queerness in this video is displayed by the black man’s relationship to the hegemonic model of power, embodied by the white police officer.
5) In seeing the glass as half full, this video was seen by millions of people around the world, who then had to engage with topics and questions that may not have come to them otherwise if this song wasn’t held in such high regard. The discrimination and abuse of the LGBTQIA+ community in Russia is not a topic that has been discussed enough by popular media outlets, so it is good that Hozier used his most popular song to bring attention to homophobia that happens around the world. In seeing the glass as half empty, I feel the video contributes to the stereotype that gay men are weak and can’t defend themselves. If Hozier really wanted to be progressive, and ignite hope within a group of people that are systematically oppressed, I feel his video should have ended with victorious retaliation against the hateful group. Considering that many popular narratives end with subjugation and/or malice as the resolution for potential queer characters within those stories (i.e., Dead Poet Society, Boys Don’t Cry, Blue Is The Warmest Color, etc.), an empowering conclusion would have been a nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question one, I have heard the song so many times on the radio, but I've never actually listened to what he was saying and the messages he was trying to convey. Before seeing the video and reading the lyrics, I actually thought that this was a catchy song about worshiping God and the church. I never really listened to the lyrics closely enough to realize that it is more a song that is protesting and trying to convey a message. I think he does a great job, both with the lyrics and the music video, in making a statement about the judgements of religion and the church without being disrespectful towards God and/or religion. Now that I know what it means, I really appreciate this song and music video because it brings up the issue of sexuality and religion that most popular songs do not ever bring up, which in my opinion is a very brave thing to do. I think it is a brave thing to do because it address the fact that a common stigma in religion is that homosexuals are not worthy of God's love or going to heaven, and it forces people to look at the church and religion with a more open mind. For the future, I'm going to carefully listen to the lyrics of a song, because you never know what underlying messages are being conveyed.
In regards to question one, I have heard the song many, many times but this was the first time I had seen the video. Listening to it before seeing the video I read it in a very different way. I understood that it was the artist singing about this girl (she/her pronouns) that he was in love with. The evocative metaphors in the song represented, to me, a very very powerful feeling toward this girl he was singing about. Having seen the video I definitely feel the same amount of power but in a different way. I feel like there are always multiple ways to read any particular piece of art but what I find interesting about these two very different readings of the same piece is that, for me, they both evoke the same amount of power. I don't know that viewing this video will change my future viewings of other media because I do often apply a queer lens to media- I just happened to have not seen this particular video before.
ReplyDeleteLooking at question five, I think Hozier wants the viewer to feel a strong sense of emotion towards what is happening to the couple in the video the same way they might feel sad is something bad happened to a heterosexual couple in some piece of art. If you can get someone to sympathize with another person, they become more likely to understand and accept that person.
In response to question 1, despite having heard the song numerous times, I had never seen the accompanying video, and had previously overlooked the deeper meaning present within the lyrics themselves. That being said, listening to the lyrics and viewing the video through a different lens has influenced my initial interpretation of the song. Despite the song immediately seeming somewhat somber, the video enhances this mood with the black and white filter as well as the presence of violence. Additionally, I had also been previously unaware that there was a relationship between the two men depicted in the video, and agree with the author of the post that it protests social norms and is significant in the fact that it did reach mainstream media, therefore serving as somewhat of a protest against homophobia. I think that the combination of the lyrics “we were born sick, you heard them say it” and video create a powerful image of what the Church/society believes to be the only readily accepted norm for love, and the relationship presented in the video is a wonderful defiance towards this “sickness”. I think the overall message presented in the lyrics becomes clearer when heard in conjunction with the video, and is much more easily understood and effective when viewed this way since it essentially makes it impossible to interpret the lyrics without a queer lens.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I heard this song, like many of us, was on the radio. It caught my attention at first for its somber sound, but when I really listened to it I knew it was deeper than your average pop song. Before viewing the video I had assumed this was a song literally about the church and the sense of guilt and shame they instill in people (“I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife”) in contrast to the liberation the artist finds in a new “religion” or relationship. Looking at the lyrics you can pull out quite a few backhanded references to religion or religious practices; “Every Sunday’s getting more bleak” (in reference to Sunday Mass), “command me to be well” (in reference to Jesus healing people in the Bible), and “I’ll tell you my sins” (in reference to the sacrament of penance) are just a few examples you can find in the lyrics. This apparent resentment is more understandable after viewing the video, which gives a story to go with the lyrics.
ReplyDeleteThe story we see is a gay couple who are obviously living in fear and being persecuted. Their house is ransacked and one of them is dragged away and beaten while the other must look on helpless. This changes the meaning of the song by showing the cruel reality people are faced with when they deviate from the “norm” that the Church imposes on society. In my opinion, this song does the much needed job of calling the Church out on their hypocrisy (“Thats a fine looking high horse” is the lyric that comes to mind here) by exposing the real hatred (“A fresh poison each week”) they spread in their teachings, particularly towards the LGBT community.
I think this song sets a tone of change for the media, showing them that you don’t have to give up your beliefs to sell albums; you can be authentic and people will respond. Personally, after learning that songs can have so much more meaning than just on the surface, it will make me more conscientious of the music I listen to and the underlying message the artist is trying to convey.
2. The use of she/her pronouns I feel was a meaningful choice to portray the way that many people in non-heteronormative relationships have to hide that their partner is not of the opposite gender (speaking in the way that normative society assumes only two genders exist.) People that are not in hetero-relationships cannot talk about their partner using their correct pronouns without disclosing information about their sexual identity. A lot of the video is themed in hiding and running, especially the symbolism behind locking and burying the trunk and the mob digging it up and trying to break into it. I think this is a statement on how invasive people can be in thinking they have a right to know "what you are." So, the use of she/her pronouns would be fitting with the general tone of the music video itself.
ReplyDelete1.Prior to this I have surprisingly never took the time to watch the video. I knew that the lyrics meant more literally “taking someone to church” just by the deep and dark tone of the song. In my own brief analysis of the lyrics while listening to the song while in my car I assumed that the lyrics were in other words meaning taking someone to their happy place or to paradise. After watching the video I now understand that the lyrics have an even deeper meaning to them. Having to do with queerness and how being marginalized or different from what is expected can deeply effect a person in negative ways and that these people often find themselves helpless against society. As far as it changing the way I consume popular media in the future: not likely because I already read a lot of popular media with a feminist lens. I did however change the way I view this particular song, I did not expect it to be queering of any way and I now know how sad the meaning is which I find depressing so I might have to avoid this song for awhile to avoid the chance of it putting me into a gloomy mood.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to this song on the radio the first time, I immediately began to love it based solely off how the music sounded and Hozier's voice. The song always sounded so powerful and unique to me but I was unaware of the existence of a music video for this song. After watching it I realized how the song touches upon much deeper topics than I originally had thought. After the first few times I listened to this song, I decided Hozier was making a statement about defiance and taking a stand against a powerful institution such as the church. Upon watching the music video associated with the song I realize Hozier went even further to touch upon non-normative topics such as homosexual relationships and their lack of power. I now see how many of the lyrics in the song can be applied to a homosexual relationship and make a statement about how the lack of power held by those who are sexually attracted to their own gender forces them in to a sort of hiding as well as puts them at risk of persecution. The meaning of this song is far deeper than i originally had anticipated and as a result I feel that my consumption of media in the future will be driven by a desire to look deeper for various subtle statements that influence a queer reading. I love this song even more now that I know how deep it delves into topics pertaining to the LGBT community.
ReplyDeleteMuch like many of the other responders, I had never seen the music video for this song and never really listened to it very closely on the radio. I had only heard a few times (I'm older, so I tend to favor the classic rock stations in the car), so I definitely had the impression that it was strictly a spiritual song that had made the mainstream. From the two or three times I had heard it, I had guessed that the singer was Catholic or Baptist and was singing about his spirituality. I thought that perhaps he had been neglecting his faith, was feeling the guilt, and was singing about going back into it. And although I remember catching the pronoun "she," I had thought that he was singing about God with that line. I do remember catching that and thinking, "Wow, that's progressive" but obviously, I had entirely misunderstood the line. Seeing the music video provided a whole new perspective on the song. I would have never guessed the deeper messages having just heard it on pop radio. Having seen the video, I can see how the song actually sends out a pro-LGBTQ message. I would have never guessed that from listening to the song alone. Now that I've seen the images in the video, I can definitely go back and listen to the song and read it a whole different way, but in this case, the video is what opened my eyes to the deeper message of the song. I wonder, without it, if I would have ever noticed the deeper message or not.
ReplyDelete4. First of all, I absolutely love this song and was pleasantly surprised (to say the least) when I saw the music video for the first time and started to more fully understand the deeper meaning of the song. I think that Hozier used this song and music video to communicate a discontent with establishments such as the church and governments such as Russia’s that actively discriminate against LGBTQ individuals. Both in the song and in the video he describes and portrays the harsh effects these views can have. I believe that a prominent message Hozier wants listeners to take away from this song is that establishments that enforce values of hatred are poisonous and their impact should not be taken lightly. This music video is clearly calling Russia’s government out for its inhumane treatment of LGBTQ individuals in a very public manner, urging the video’s viewers to take into consideration the horrible stigma facing the Russian LGBTQ community while also critically analyzing the church’s treatment of LGBTQ people. The fact that it is a group of regular people and not the government itself who go after the men shows just how thoroughly the bigotry of an establishment can filter through to its subjects, and just how dangerous this has the potential to be.
ReplyDelete2. I agree with Victoria. The use of the she pronouns work to play upon the hetero normative standard. As a former closet case myself, I remember times when I would have to tell my parents about my "girlfriend", what "she" did, how "she" acted. I used it as a sense of covering as they may be using it in this song. However, I think the song relies directly, well primarily, on the pronouns for record sales. Stereoptypically "gay" music does not sell and the use of these pronouns allow the audience to be the norm, aka the heterosexual counterparts.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen the video prior to this assignment, but read the song as having a queer power dynamic from just the lyrical content. I assumed Hozier meant to queer the dominant/submissive "roles" between male and female, possibly in a sexual way. I appreciate the content of the video, as it may introduce mainstream music consumers to engage in this topic. I also appreciate that it allows people like us, who may be more educated on the content, to further examine Hozier's choices in the video/lyrics.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question 4, I think it's rather obvious that Hozier is trying to show us the cruel nature of governmental structures such as Russia's, a society that adamantly roots against its LGBTQ population. The choice to center around this relationship between the two men seems to place more importance on romantic relationships than the establishment. Showing two people that are not fighting against anything or anyone, and yet find themselves on the receiving end of violence, frames them as more likable than the alternative.
ReplyDelete