A merry beat, humorous themes, and an eye-catching music video may have contributed significantly to the 10 million views Tameem Youness’ song Salmonella reached on YouTube since its release on New Year’s Day. But while its catchy chorus may lead to it gracing upcoming wedding playlists, it is not the only reason for the song’s outstanding notoriety. Salmonella’s lyrics tell of a man in pursuit of a romantic relationship with a woman, listing the many perks being with him would entail for her. But with a stark shift in tone, it goes on to describe the chaos that would ensue should she dare to reject him. Voices rose in indignation as well as in defense. Some expressed the view that this song perpetuates a lack of respect for women’s say in relationships with men and a disregard for the sanctity of consent, other responded claiming that the lyrics were clearly satirical. Youness himself released a video on Facebook in response to the backlash, asserting that the song was meant to ridicule men too fragile to handle rejection. “I was joking and I will continue to joke,” he said in the…
Strategic Sexism and ‘Salmonella’: Who Gets What out of the Controversy?
January 13, 2020
