Hegemonic and Counter Hegemonic Representations of Femininity and Masculinity in an Element of Pop Culture

Pink’s Music Video “So What”: A Woman Taking on the Role of the Aggressor and Claiming Her Independence

Music videos created today are an outlet the media utilizes in order to represent various aspects of gender and hegemony in popular culture. In most cases, America’s youth is the audience for these music videos, and the images and ideas shown in the music videos affect the way many younger people learn to view men, women, and their roles in society. The majority of music videos today are more apparent in their attempts to represent the ways in which the hegemonic and social norms related to masculinity and femininity are created and destroyed. Pink’s music video entitled “So What” is just one of many videos that delves into this idea of representing masculinity and femininity in relation to hegemony and showcasing how these common representations of men and women either help reconstruct or disturb the hegemonic norm. Pink’s video, “So What”, toys with masculinity and femininity as she takes on the role of what the majority of society would consider to be a man’s role as a way to both support and disrupt the overarching representations of the hegemonic norm.



Pink’s music video “So What” suggests that men and women behave in various ways due to hegemonic norms present in society. In the video, Pink portrays some of these behaviors and actions by portraying a man’s role and reversing what society sees as socially acceptable for men and women. At first glance, it appears that the video only showcases the counter hegemonic representation of masculinity and femininity; however, it does represent many of the hegemonic norms followed and believed to exist today. The video begins with Pink’s husband covering her eyes as she sings, “I guess I just lost my husband/ I don’t know where he went”. Thus, at the very start of the video, the man seems to be in control and in a position of power over the woman. In Allan G. Johnson’s essay, “Patriarchy, The System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us”, Johnson discusses the ways men are perceived and are thought to act according to the hegemonic norm: “to have power over and to be prepared to use it are defined culturally as good and desirable (and characteristically ‘masculine’), and to lack such power or to be reluctant to use it is seen as weak if not contemptible (and characteristically ‘feminine’)” (94). Here, Pink’s husband is displaying his power over his wife in order to demonstrate his masculine characteristics.



The music video and lyrics go on to poke fun at the ideals of a patriarchal culture. According to Johnson, “From the expression of emotion to economics to the natural environment, gaining and exercising control is a continuing goal of great importance [in a patriarchal culture]” (94). Here, Johnson is describing how men feel the need to be in control of every aspect of their lives as a way to prove their masculinity. The music video therefore reinforces this hegemonic representation through its portrayal of Pink’s male neighbor doing the yard work and through Pink’s lyrics which say, “So I’m gonna drink my money/ I’m not gonna pay his rent”. Pink suggests that by refusing to pay her husband’s rent, she is ultimately taking this hegemonic norm away from him which inevitably allows her to start gaining some power.



The interaction between Pink and her husband in this video is another example of a hegemonic norm being created. She sings to her husband in the video and tells him that he was never there for her. While she is singing, her husband has his back turned to her, yawns, and clearly ignores what she is saying. This type of behavior shows another hegemonic representation of masculinity by allowing the man to hold a silent power over the woman even when she is speaking.



As with many elements of pop culture, both hegemonic and counter hegemonic representations of masculinity and femininity can be found. Therefore, Pink’s video includes many counter hegemonic ideas, as well. One example includes Pink’s decision to start a fist fight in a guitar shop and get in trouble. Here, she takes on, what are known to be, masculine characteristics by being the aggressive one: “it’s about defining women and men as opposites, about the ‘naturalness’ of male aggression, competition, and dominance and of female caring, cooperation, and subordination” (Johnson 94). Here, Pink disrupts the hegemony by fighting physically and by taking the initiative. According to the patriarchal culture, she is supposed to be passive because she is a woman and should therefore possess so-called womanly qualities.



The idea of men being independent and women being dependent is a typical depiction of the genders seen throughout popular culture. Therefore, the idea of Pink exemplifying female independence is significant in the video. At one point, she cuts down a tree marked with the initials of her and her husband which shows her independence as a woman. This desire for independence is shown throughout the video and through Pink’s repeated lyrics to her husband which state, “I don’t want you tonight”. Here, she is also taking on the more dominant role by taking the initiative and cutting the tree down herself.



In David M. Newman’s third chapter entitled “Portraying Difference: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Language and the Media”, he discusses the various ways multiple media outlets portray men and women. In regards to television, he says, “Boys were more likely than girls to be depicted in dominant and active roles. Girls tended to be portrayed as shy, giggly, and passive” (Newman 91). Television, in this case, is similar to Pink’s music video and other music videos since both forms of popular culture depict masculinity and femininity in these ways.



Throughout the video, Pink pokes fun at both masculinity and femininity. According to Newman, “Making fun of masculinity…bears little, if any, of the cultural and historical weight that accompanies stereotypical portrayals of women and other disadvantaged groups” (93-4). Pink reverses the gender roles in the video by driving a bike, being rowdy, and going to the bar every night. Her decision to poke fun at both genders shows that she is willing to speak against the societal or hegemonic norms. Thus, as a woman, she possesses the desire to speak up and have her voice heard while refusing to stand by and watch as the patriarchal culture does as it pleases.



“So What” is one of many music videos that illustrate the differences in gender roles. Throughout the music video, Pink creates and disrupts hegemonic representations of masculinity and femininity, as well as shows that women are not subordinate to men. A patriarchal culture is accepted within society and Pink pokes fun at this type of culture while simultaneously shedding light on what is considered normal behaviors, mannerisms, and actions of men and women. Pink’s idea to take on a male role and exhibit masculine characteristics shows her ability to deviate from the hegemonic norm and prove that men and women’s roles can be altered if society will allow this change to occur.

Works Cited

Johnson, Allan G. “Patriarchy, The System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us.” The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Temple University Press, 1997.


Newman, David M. “Portraying Difference: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Language and the Media." Identities and Inequalities: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007.


Pink. “So What.” Funhouse. LaFace Records, 2008. Music video. Dir. Dave Meyers. You Tube. 13 May 2009.