Victoria's Secret by Jax
Lyrics to Victoria's Secret by Jax
God, I wish somebody would've told me
When I was younger that all bodies aren't the same
Photoshop itty bitty models on magazine covers
Told me I was overweightI stopped eating, what a bummer
Can't have carbs in a hot girl summer
If I could go back and tell myself
When I was younger, I'd say, "PsstI know Victoria's secret
And, girl, you wouldn't believe
She's an old man who lives in Ohio
Making money off of girls like me"
Cashin' in on body issues
Sellin' skin and bones with big boobs
I know Victoria's secret
She was made up by a dude (dude)
Victoria was made up by a dude (dude)
Victoria was made up by a dudeI wish somebody would've told me that thighs of thunder
Meant normal human thighs
The fuckin' pressure I was under
To lose my appetite
And fight the cellulite with Hunger Games like every night
If I could go back and tell myself
When I was younger, I'd say
"Hey, dummyI know Victoria's secret
Girl, you wouldn't believe
She's an old man who lives in Ohio
Making money off of girls like me"
Cashin' in on body issues
Sellin' skin and bones with big boobs
I know Victoria's secret
She was made up by a dude (dude)
Victoria was made up by a dude (dude)
Victoria was made up by a dudeI know Victoria's secret
And, girl, you wouldn't believe
She's an old man who lives in Ohio
Making money off of girls like me
Cashin' in on body issues
Sellin' skin and bones with big boobs
I know Victoria's secret
She was made up by a dudeI know Victoria's secret
And, girl, you wouldn't believe
She's an old man who lives in Ohio
Making money off of girls like me
Cashin' in on body issues
Sellin' skin and bones with big boobsI know Victoria's secret
She was never made for me and you
- Who created this message?
This song was written and performed by the singer Jax and produced by Jesse Siebenberg and Mark Nilan. As she explains in the second video, she wrote this song for a girl she babysits who was upset by a shopping experience at Victoria's Secret before her first boy/girl pool party.
What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
Jax used a popular brand, which everyone knows, to get a message across about her own experiences and those of so many others. The catchy tune will stay in your head whether you like it, or not. In the video, she used a flashmob in front of the store to gain the attention of many. She starts with slim/athletic dancers and then moves into women or all body types and abilities.
How might different people interpret this message differently than me?
I loved this song from the first time I heard it and actually sat down with my daughters and talked about the lyrics. The next time we were at a mall, I noticed how Victoria's secret is now using models of all sizes on their advertisements. I can see how many people would interpret this song as an attack on the corporation L Brands, who currently owns Victoria's Secret. I also think many could interpret the message as an attack of the men, Raymond and Wexler, who built the brand before it was bought out by the major corporation.
What viewpoints or world views are included or left out of this message?
This message is targeted at women. It does not speak to body image issues of men since Victoria's Secret is primarily a company which sells women's clothing and accessories. The song speaks to all women, but really speaks to younger girls when discussing what Jax had wished she knew when she was younger. It normalizes bodies of different shapes and sizes and makes it known that photoshop was used to make the models look the way they do. By talking about photoshop, it does let men know, too, that the bodies they are looking at on magazine covers are not necessarily accurate and should not be the benchmark to compare real women to.
Why is this message being sent?
This message is so important. I feel incredibly lucky to not have dealt with eating disorders or body dysmorphia when I was younger, but this is a huge problem in our society. Girls look at media and compare themselves to models, actresses and tv personalities. As the mother of 2 girls, ages 10 & 8, I have heard them comment on their bodies and I've had to be very careful to not comment on my own body. I try to convey to them constantly that every body is different and the important thing to focus on is being healthy.
I really like in the second video I posted that Jax says she does not want to be the poster child for making the changes in multimedia. She puts out the request that all women/girls share their stories in order to get the message out there. It is really great to hear that Victoria's Secret is interested in changing their brand to be more inclusive, but it is hard to know if that is actually in response to being openly criticized. Regardless, Jax used her voice to open up the discussion and provoke changes.