The Shrews are Drunk in Love

Hall, Z. (Nov. 2015) The Shrews are Drunk in Love
Popular Music and Society, 40(2), 1-13 (print version tentatively: May 2017)
DOI: 10.1080/03007766.2015.1101276

[Abstract] Beyoncé and Jay Z’s “Drunk in Love” has been praised for its artistry and criticized for its violent content. Intimate partner violence and non-partner violence against women have been a major struggle around the world for centuries. Today, in the United States, they are considered a public health threat. This study unpacks the contrapuntal text of “Drunk in Love.” The researcher used frame analysis and close textual analysis to explore its polyphonic text. The question is how does “Drunk in Love” function to either perpetuate patriarchy or challenge the foundations of the institution? This article analyzes three frames: “The Carters” explores intimate partner violence; “The Hook-Up” investigates non-partner violence; and “The Shrews Tamed,” through the lens of intimate partner violence, interrogates “Drunk in Love” as an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, the most compelling of the frames.

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Drunk in Love & The Shrew

This week, In Media Res features topics on 'Domestic Abuse in Movies & Television' that runs through Friday. 360 Degrees will follow contributions to the discussion.  Today, Tuesday, Z. Hall presents 'Drunk in Love & The Shrew.'

 

Paternalistic or Subversive?

For centuries women have struggled for equality in every culture. And violence against women remains a serious global problem. Historically, art is used as a vehicle to confront or perpetuate the social ill. Twenty-first century audiences have less tolerance for abuse of women in entertainment products they consume.

In January, 2015, Beyoncé won Grammy's for both the Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for 'Drunk in Love.' The song, featuring her husband, Jay-Z, was praised widely and criticized extensively too.

Absent statements from artists, audiences are left to make sense of products that cross the paternalistic line. Exploring 'Drunk in Love' as a derivative work of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' provides a way to understand the Knowles-Carter project as subversive.

What parallels do you recognize?

Click 'Drunk in Love and The Shrew' to read curated post and comments on this important subject.

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