Within the song, If I Didn’t Love You, by Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood there are many masculine and feminine stereotypes that can be found within the lyrics. These stereotypes redefine what society expects of men and women. In this song specifically, it could be used towards men and women, however, it was sung by both a female and male artist, therefore the interpretation could be used for both people. These lyrics align with the Sex-Role Theory due to the societal standards men and women are supposed to follow after a breakup.
Masculine & Feminine Stereotypes/ Counterstereotypes:
You, you wouldn’t be all / All that I want / Baby I could let go / If I didn’t love you I’d be good by now / I’d be better than barely getting by somehow / Yeah it would be easy not to miss you / Wonder about who’s with you / Turn the “want you” off whenever I want to
- Both men are women stereotypically wonder who the other person is with after a breakup so this stereotype about overthinking the breakup could go both ways.
If I didn’t love you / I wouldn’t still cry sometimes / Wouldn’t have to fake a smile / Play it off and tell a lie / When somebody asked how I’ve been / I’d try to find someone new
- Stereotypically women are more emotional than men, so in the context of a man crying it is a counterstereotype because men are supposed to be tough and strong whereas women are more in tune with their emotions.
If I didn’t love you / It wouldn’t be so hard to see you / Know how much I need you / Wouldn’t hate that I still feel like I do / If I didn’t love you
- In the context of both a man and a woman trying to get over a breakup, it is always tough to see the other person. Stereotypically it is harder for women to see the other person because they reminisce and have strong feelings about the situation, and typically eat ice cream and cry whereas males try to be tough and don’t express their emotions as much.
Shared by: Meg Lamers
Image Credit: https://www.genius-lyrics.com/if-i-didnt-love-you-lyrics-jason-aldean/