Cultural myths are social beliefs people share toward groups of people. In the music video Carry Out by Justin Timberlake, the myth that women should serve men because women are inferior is discussed. The lyric of the song relates women to waitresses in restaurants, making them inferior. The setting, placement of the characters, clothing and expressions of the characters, and the camera angle show the subordination of women to men and how women are like waitresses, waiting to take orders from men.
The lyrics of the song evoke a strong feeling that women should take orders from men. In the beginning of the song, Justin Timberlake sings “I’ll have you open all night like an IHOP”. Relating women to a restaurant like IHOP makes them seem very available all the time. This symbolizes that women are just like restaurants, guys can just “drive through” and make orders whenever they like and women will take their orders. The line “Take my order cause your body like a carry out” also shows their inferiority by showing that men have the power to make orders when women just take orders. Toward the end of the song, Justin Timberlake sings “What’s your name Girl? What’s your number? I’m glad I came. Can you take my order?” This makes women unimportant because all a guy needs to know is the girl’s name and number and then she can just start taking orders from him. This also fit into the myth that women should serve men because they are inferior.
The setting of the music video also constructs the image that women are like waitresses, waiting to serve men. The music video takes place in what seems like a bakery shop because there is a neon sign glowing in the back, saying “Hot Cakes”. There is also a neon sign next to it saying “Drive In”. The signs are glowing and contrast with the dark background. The signs imply that women are like waitresses in bakeries, always ready to take down orders when guys drive through.
The modes of transportation of the male and female characters in the music video also show their power structure. The men in the music video are sitting in a car while the women are on ice skates. This creates a sharp contrast between them because cars are expensive, fast, run on gas, and strong whereas ice skates are relatively inexpensive, slow, physically operated, and offer no protection. The difference between cars and ice skates show the difference between men and women and how men are superior because they are faster and stronger and can control a vehicle on just turning the steering wheel.
The scene where the women take orders from the guys shows that they are just like waitresses. In that scene, the girl is bending down with a notepad and a pen in her hand while the guys are still sitting in the car. This makes the guys seem more important because they deserve to sit in cars while women should just stand and take orders. After the woman hand him a drink and his receipt, the guy just crunch the paper up using two fingers like it is garbage. This shows the inferiority of women because they serve men and hand them drinks while men can destroy the paper or women, using just two fingers.
The clothing of the males and the females in the music video also fit into the myth that women are like servants to men. The girls are either wearing a very provocative outfit or a very French maid looking costume. They were short shorts, corsets, fishnet stockings with suspenders connecting to their short shorts and super high heels. This creates a very sexual appearance and make women seem like they are ready to take orders and serve men sexually. The French maid outfit further proves the point that women are like servants to men because maids usually provide services to their payers. On the contrary, the men in the music video are all masculine. They are dressed in jeans, jackets, caps and sneakers. There is one scene where one of the guys is wearing sunglasses as well. The casual outfits of the guys show that they can stop by anytime for an order whereas the women have to dress provocatively to get guys.
The expressions of the characters in the music video also show that women serve men. The women are mostly always smiling to the men, trying to please them. This makes the women appear more feminine. However, the guys never smile back in the music video, making them appear more masculine. This further proves the point that guys do not have to do much to get women to serve them when girls have to be all smiley and nice to get guys. The difference makes women seem weaker than men.
The camera angle and focus of the music video also shows the unimportance of women compare to men. When both the men and the women are dancing in the music video, the guys are always in the front when the women are in the back. The camera focus is always on the guys while the back is a bit blurred out. When the camera is shooting the men dancing without the women, the camera shoots from below and focuses mostly on the upper half of their bodies and their faces. However, when the camera is shooting the women dancing without men, the camera shoots from above because they are usually dancing on the floor. The focus is on their entire bodies instead of their faces. This all shows that men are more important than women.
Lastly, the interactions and the placements of the characters demonstrate the myth that women are inferior and should serve men. In one of the scenes, two women are dancing with one man and they have their arms on his shoulder for support. This illustrates how women are dependent on men and how they have to look up to men. Also, towards the end of the music video, a woman dances every time a man taps her on the arm. This shows that the man has control over her and her actions thus making her seem inferior. In addition, the scene where the women are serving the man cake is very significant. The man is just sitting in a comfy chair, enjoying everything, while the woman is walking up to him, bringing him a plate of little cakes. This illustrate the point that women are like servants to men because women are the ones bringing up all the good stuff while men can just sit around and wait to be served.
The music video Carry Out by Justin Timberlake discusses the myth that women should serve men because women are inferior. The lyric of the song relates women to waitresses in restaurants, making them inferior. The setting, placement of the characters, clothing and expressions of the characters, and the camera angle show the inferiority of women to men and how women are like waitresses, waiting to take orders from men. Various aspects and interactions of the characters all prove the myth that women are like servants to men.
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