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One Dimensional Woman

from Demo by Bümflap

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I wrote these lyrics about patriarchal femininity but really they apply to either gender and I wish they reflected that more. This song is about how gender is a pillar that upholds capitalism and vice versa, since performing one's gender role involves the consumption of an extensive array of artificial props provided by the market. In retrospect, I'm hesitant about what one might extrapolate from the last two stanzas of the lyrics. I wanted to highlight the oppressive nature of consumerism, connecting it to feminine beauty ideals and animal testing. However, this phenomenon is obviously not limited to make up products, it is embodied by virtually all commodities within the interlinked capitalist economy. It was not my intention to shame individuals who choose to wear make-up, nor am I against the use of cosmetics. Rather, I was trying to convey how the prescriptive and coercive enforcement of gender norms suffocates unique expressions of gender, alongside a critique of capitalism.

The title is a reference to the book 'One Dimensional Man' by Herbert Marcuse, which argues that mass consumption is a form of social control.

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from Demo, released December 7, 2013

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Bümflap British Columbia

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