Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
May 3, 2015
Spiritual Ponderings
IPod Theology
All About the Bass

The month of May has once again arrived and so I would like to share with you some spiritual insights from music. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Sound of Music and somewhere this year I heard the following quote from Maria von Trapp: “Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.” I like Maria’s image of music being a key because music can speak to and open our hearts in ways that ordinary words cannot. Sometimes, I believe music opens the doors of our hearts that are good and life giving but sometimes music can open doors that are not so good and lead us to error and horrible thought processes. It is therefore important to stop sometimes and ponder the lyrics of our favorite songs to see if the messages they are broadcasting are good or bad.

“All About That Bass” by Megan Trainor
At first glimpse or hearing, this popular song by Megan Trainor, it seems to be a song about accepting one’s body even if it does not stand up to the ideas and standards that society is promoting to us. She does well in her lyrics to attack society and its obsession with Photoshop models because “we know that shit ain’t real.” She also sings the truth when she sings “Cause every inch of you is perfect, from the bottom to the top”. God knew what you would like when He cooperated with your parents in creating you and in His eyes there is never a moment when we are not beautiful. Sometimes we cover this beauty up by our sins but God always sees past the mud and muck of our sins to our true beauty.

Unfortunately the song’s positive message quickly derails into a train wreck. As one listens to the song and studies the lyrics it becomes clear that Megan is still searching for her identity and affirmation outside of God and herself. Her identity seems to come from the fact that even though she is not a super model she can still make men desire her. “I can shake it, shake it like I’m supposed to do,” and “Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase all the right junk in all the right places” are lyrics that reveal that the key to her identity is still in the hands of other people and not in God or herself. It is as if she saying: “It is alright not to be a supermodel, because I can still make men drool.” We should want people to like us for who we are body and soul and we should never refer to ourselves or any part of ourselves as “junk”. Referring to ourselves or our body parts as “junk” means that we have just objectified ourselves and this is a step backward for if we do not see ourselves as a person created in the image of God how can others.

The lyrics “my momma she told me don’t worry about your size, she says, boys they like a little more booty to hold at night,” scares me deeply. I would hope that there is not a mother out there who would use the term “booty” when talking to their child. Dr. Gottman, a relationship expert, talks about one of the difficulties in marriage is how we talk about sex. He goes onto say that couples who use slang, rude, and offensive language when talking to their spouse about sex develop huge problems in marriage because it makes a person feel like others are treating them like an object and not as person. There is a real need in marriage (and all relationships) for couples to talk about sex, body image, etc. in healthy and non-offensive ways.

It is kind of sad to me that Megan seems to understand how things in culture can effect one’s image of oneself like “silicone Barbie dolls” but doesn’t realize that she in some ways is committing the same error with her music.

As you listen to this song by Megan Trainor, I invite you to take time to acknowledge the good messages she is promoting but also at the same time be aware that there are some negative messages in her music also. I do not think that we have to be Puritanical about it and boycott her or this song but I do believe that we need to be mentally aware so we do not find ourselves getting carried away by the beat or fun lyrics of any song into a thought process that is not healthy or Christian.

God does love and care for you as you are, He does not want you comparing yourself to others, and finally if you are meant to be married God has created the perfect person for you who will love you like you are. No need to change yourself for that reason.