Kimbra - Settle Down

"I wanna settle down
Baby there's no need to run
I'll love you well
I wanna settle down
It's time to bring you down
On just one knee for now
Lets make our vows"

I thought Kimbra was insane the first time I watched this music video and heard the lyrics. I thought she was being literal about settling down. However, I began to look between the lines, noticing the undertones of satire in the video. Now, I feel as if this video is a commentary on how society puts pressure on young girls that their end goal is to settle down and have children. These young girls need to plan out their inevitable settled lives. This is displayed through the young girl living out a "married life" with her grown husband. He begins to cheat on her but she continues her daily chores of married life, all the while she keeps an expressionless facade. The girl being expressionless gives the viewer a feeling she is unfulfilled in this monotonous settled life.

I don't want to get super feminist sounding but I do agree with the message Kimbra is sending. I went to a small private college for a year while at this school I noticed so many girls that were attending end goal was not using the degree they will earn to get a career, but to find a husband during those 4 years. The school promoted that way of thinking by keeping wedding magazines right by the registers in the bookstore. They even had a special lecture of ladies working in administration talking about how they met their husbands while attending college for the girls. I attended the lecture on the presumption they were going to talk about their careers or great feats they completed after they received their degree. I was disappointed to say the least.

Now don't get me wrong. I want to settle down and eventually have a family of my own. I'm a total sap for that. But it's not my ultimate life goal. I want to go to graduate school; I want to teach English in a foreign country. I want to run my own business. I want to travel, meet tons of people and experience new things. I want to have a career that I'm passionate about. I'm not sure which of these will come first. But I don't want to limit myself to one life goal, especially one that is pushed upon me because of my gender.