The politics of female adolescent sexuality in music: a social semiotic analysis of Liz Phair's “Glory”
2018; Routledge; Volume: 30; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/10350330.2018.1541119
ISSN1470-1219
Autores Tópico(s)Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
ResumoReleased in the summer of 1993, Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville was hailed by music critics as a landmark indie rock album by a female musician for its depiction of a sexually explicit and subversive feminine persona traversing misogynistic terrain. This article focuses on one song in particular from the album called “Glory” about a teenage girl's sexual experience. Three key semiotic resources in the sound and lyrics (vocal quality, pitch quality and instrumentation) effectively convey her sexual subjectivity, which is regulated by gendered discourses. “Glory” provides specific insights into the emotional, social and political realities confronted by adolescent girls, particularly the subject of their sexual pleasure as a conflicting experience, fluctuating between enjoyment and pleasure versus shame and danger. The song functions as a form of social criticism aimed at the long-standing effects of formal polices regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health during the Regan era that silences adolescent girls from exploring sexual pleasure and desire.
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