21 thoughts on “Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “Same Love””
Danika Cline: This song, sung by Macklemore, illustrates the preconceived views about gays. It goes into the fact that growing up as a child, he thought he was gay because his uncle was and and that he could draw, but only thought these views because this is what society taught him. It further delves into the religion aspect when he says, “And you can be cured with some treatment and religion” which means that being gay in society is looked down upon as a sin because the Bible states that love and marriage is between a man and a woman solely. However, you can be “cured by religion” once you repent and receive salvation. On a different spectrum, Macklemore speaks about people who constantly put down and call gays awful names such as “faggot” etc, and then go to church after, “those words aren’t anointed.” This means that just because you go to church, does not mean that your sins are forgiven. God wants us to be created equal and to treat others that way. We don’t get to put down others and then go to church just to get gratification that our sins are immediately forgiven.
Marta Fernanda Davila: The song “Same Love” explains society’s interpretation of gays and is critiquing the idea that society makes them feel like it is their choice. In todays society, people automatically categorize boys that aren’t manly as gay. The song recognizes that the word “gay” is synonymous to the lesser and the stereotypes that go along with the word. A sentence in the lyrics that stood out to me was a part that says ” you can be cured with some treatment and religion”, as if being gay was a sickness that you need to be cured from. We all come from the same God which makes us all equal, and we should have equal human rights. We are looking at the bible as a reference and we are getting bible versus from a long time ago that may not be relevant anymore. Also like with the pro-slavery movement, we are looking at some passages and paraphrasing them. Macklemore explains how religion can be used as a means to “salvation” but as we had mentioned before in class, just because you are straight and you go to church, does not mean that you are a good person and are going to be saved.
Caity Lozinak: In the song “Same Love”, by Macklemore, there is an argument against the conviction that homosexuality is a sin. The song starts off with him thinking that he was gay because his uncle is gay. This shows that society taught him and gave him a preconceived notion that he was gay just because his uncle was. This song mentions religion in the lyrics when it says, “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” In this part it is saying that your sexuality is something that you can cure, even though it is not, it is being treated as if it were a sickness. It is making homosexuality looked down upon like a sin, but if you go to church and asked for forgiveness then things will be alright. This is similar to what we learned in class about the slave owners. If you go to church things will be ok, but as soon as they left they went back to their plantations and continued to abuse their slaves mentally and physically.
Question 2: This whole song critiques society and how they treat people who are different from what is preconceived as “normal.” In the first verse, he critiques the conservative side of politics who think being gay is a choice and that religion can change them. He then critiques religion and how they have forgotten that God loves everyone no matter their sexuality and that they are basing their views on a book with some outdated ideas. In the second verse, Macklemore critiques hip hop and rap lyrics for calling things “gay” as a slang term; however, this can cause young people whose sexuality is defined as gay to associate their choices with this negative connotation. He is also critiquing society and how they call each other negative names but only on the internet where they can hide behind the keyboard and be bullies without physical confrontation. He compares this hate to the hate of black people back where there was segregation and how society turned to religion to explain their beliefs and hatred. He compares the fact that many people stay “voiceless” and don’t fight for themselves or others who have “had their rights stolen.” The third verse explains that people turn their backs on this cause and that even though in some states the law allows same sex marriage, the fight isn’t over. Gays will still receive discrimination from others and he claims they must rise up if they want change past the written law. This cause he sings about parallels to the fight for equality within race. They received a written law that outlawed segregation but they were still discriminated and had to fight for their rights.
Kat Findley: This song made it big in my hometown when it first came out. Being from a small, Bible belt town in Georgia, it was met with resentment from my parents’ generation. Surprisingly my church even mentioned it once during a sermon. The artist in this song is critiquing society in that people are quick to assume someone is gay due to a set of preconceived qualities of what gay should look like, and if that person is gay, he or she is of lesser value and is sinning. Sadly those that believe this back it up with evidence in the Bible. This song is standing up for the rights of those who are homosexual(mostly against the Christian opposition) along with fighting against the stereotype of what gay does and does not look like. “Whatever God you believe in, we come from the same one.” Those lyrics stuck out to me. Macklemore is making a statement that we can be Christian, come from the same God and still support homosexuality. The controversy over same sex marriage and love is one that has a social and religious aspect all in one and Macklemore is critiquing them both by asking for them to work in harmony. The Christian religion, similar to what King emphasized, is based around love. So how can the Christian majority not allow someone to love another person?
Emily Hopkins: This song critiques many aspects of society including politics, Christianity, music, and even race to suggest how our society is flawed with how people view and treat homosexuals. For an overall assessment of our society, Macklemore says, “a culture founded from oppression.” I think this is very interesting as most of the other problems within the United States have started from groups of people being oppressed, such as racism and feminism. Not only does Macklemore address the different aspects of society that are flawed, but he also addresses the effects these things have on those who are homosexual. He says, “When kids are walking ’round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart; a world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are.” Along with critiquing society, he also critiques the music. One of the things he says is, “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me.” Macklemore recognizes that the word ‘gay’ has been added to everyday vocabulary, yet people don’t recognize the significance the word has. The point he is trying to make is that the word ‘gay’ or ‘faggot’ for homosexuals is as equally offensive as the ‘r’ word used against those with disabilities. People don’t realize the effects their words have on others. We have become “numb to what we’re saying.”
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
At the beginning of the song, Macklemore states characteristics our society perceive with being gay. If a man is seen doing things that are flamboyant or feminine, his sexuality is questioned. The lyrics are about a person who is contemplating his sexual orientation and trying to omit the idea by countering the stereotypes associated with being gay. He then goes on to talk about how people expect God and religion to cure anyone with the “curse” of being gay. The best line, in my opinion, is, “‘God loves all his children’ is somehow forgotten.” In all religions, it is said that God is accepting, and loves all no matter what race, religion, culture, or background. Sexual orientation has been questioned throughout society, and it has been seen as a sin yet, it is still said that God loves all his children. This song is extremely powerful and explains that despite religious beliefs and ideals, a person who is gay can not change. No matter how hard a homosexual can try to change, no matter how embarrassed or ashamed a homosexual is, he or she simply can not change. Being christian, mormon, or any other religion will not get rid of that orientation. It also talks about the word “gay” in our society and how it is used with a negative connotation. People refer to stupid behavior or wrong behavior as being gay. The word itself has a negative meaning in our society, and has for many generations. The song is about acceptance and realizing that a person has no control over his or her sexual orientation. A person being gay does not change his or her morals, beliefs, attitudes towards life, and does not make a person any less of a person. Love is neutral and can be felt by people all over the world no matter what religion or orientation.
Madeline Morris: “Same Love” by Macklemore critiques religion in regards to homosexuality. The song starts off with characteristics that society uses to define the homosexual culture. The music video that accompanies the song illustrates the struggle a young man is going through has he questions his sexuality. One part that particularly points out the topic of religion is the line that talks about how God is supposed to be able to cure anyone of homosexuality, as if it a sin or some sort of disease because that is how certain aspects of society have laid it out to look. The song also points out the fact that people who disagree with the homosexual culture will paraphrase the bible in order to support their views, which is similar to what we discussed in the beginning of the semester with slave owners. Another part I thought related to the topic of religion in a way was when Macklemore alluded to Martin Luther King, Jr and the freedoms that he fought so hard for people to have. This song’s overarching message is that being gay cannot be cured by going to church and praying for God to change you, it is the way you are and “treatment and religion” are not going to change anything.
Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
An Nguyen: In the song “Same Love” by Macklemore, it was obvious that he was critiquing society on our perception of homosexuality. He begins by listing out the characteristics of what society believes being “gay” is. If someone does something that has is even close to those characteristics, his/her sexuality is instantly questioned. He then says that “God loves all his children” and that even if they wanted to change, they could not.
Farren Barnett: With the song “Same Love” Macklemore is criticizing society, and it’s typical view of gays. Our society has put a negative stigma on gays, viewing them as lesser. In fact, today people still think that if you’re gay “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” Macklemore’s statement rightly implies that people today think that being gay is something that can be cured, as if it were a sickness. Macklemore also criticizes religion in this song saying we “paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago.” People spend their time “playing God,” judging people when they have no right to. When people are choosing to hate others just because they are gay, they are forgetting that “God loves all his children.” By hating others for no reason we aren’t being good Christians. We have these stereotypes in our head of what being gay is, but the truth is, unless you’re gay, you don’t know. Macklemore’s point with this song is to show how we should all be more accepting of others. We need to forget the preconceived notions in our head, we need to stop with the gay slang. People are people, and in the eyes of God we are all equal.
Question #2
Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
In one of my favorite songs by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, there are several instances where Macklemore critiques religion, society, and hip hop culture. Macklemore criticizes religion by saying “And “God loves all his children” is somehow forgotten / But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago”. What Macklemore is trying to say is that maybe our churches are ignoring important messages such as “God loves all his children” and are “paraphrasing” the Bible in order to justify why we discriminate against homosexuals. Macklemore continues to criticize religion by stating “If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed / That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned”. These lyrics point out that preachers have a large influence over what their congregation comes to believe is right, but that doesn’t mean that just because your preacher says to hate gay people, that it’s true. In this way the “holy water… has been poisoned” because God is love, yet so many churches are hateful towards gays. In some of my favorite lines, Macklemore raps “Whatever God you believe in / We come from the same one / Strip away the fear / Underneath it’s all the same love”. What he means by this is that God created everyone and we are all made in his image and likeness. At least, that is what is taught in the very same Bible that some religious people use to justify discrimination. What we need to realize is that love between two straight people and two gay people are the “same love”. The lyrics can even be taken as far as to suggest that love between homosexuals is the “same love” that God has for all of us.
Macklemore begins to criticize society from the very first line of the song that starts “When I was in the third grade, I thought that I was gay… / Bunch of stereotypes all in my head”. Macklemore thought he was gay which very much upset him at a young age. He did not think he was gay because he liked boys, but because there were things about him that were not masculine. The fact that he was traumatized by the idea of him being gay shows us that there is definitely something wrong with society. Being gay should not be a reason to hate yourself. The US was settled in order to escape oppression from the British. “A culture founded from oppression / Yet we don’t have acceptance for ’em” demonstrates our own hypocrisy as we oppress a group in a place we like to call “the land of the free”. There are many similarities between the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. Macklemore recognizes how people hate people that are different from them when he says “The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins / It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!”
Macklemore criticizes hip hop culture when he says “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me” because the word gay is used in such a derigatory way, especially in hip hop lyrics. When he says “A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it / Gay is synonymous with the lesser”, Macklemore is showing us how insensitive hip hop artists are by using the word gay to mean things that it doesn’t.
Callie George: In Macklemore’s “Same Love” there are multiple moments where he critiques religion, societal stereotypes, and the hip hop culture. As a child, all of the stereotypes about homosexuals had led him to believe he was gay. Society has pre-conceived ideas, fears the unknown, and as Macklemore says, “The right-wing conservatives think it’s a decision and you can be cure with some treatment and religion”. He critiques society for not being more open minded and being so quick to judge and shun people just for being different. Then he goes on to critique religious people who forget that “God loves all his children”, but want to paraphrase the Bible to fit their own views and beliefs. He really speaks out about religion when he says that he personally heard hatred being preached in church and believes a lot of churches to be corrupt by saying “that Holy Water that you soak in is poisoned”. Because people want to believe they are kind and fair, but they aren’t making any difference by staying quiet. Macklemore leads off the second verse with “If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me” regarding all the derogatory remarks made about gays in a lot of today’s music and how there is little being done about it. He points out that people are senseless about their use of the word “gay” and “faggot”. He also makes historical references to the oppression that haunts this country and the confrontations that have come from it, such as religious wars, racial discrimination, and even the sit-ins during the civil rights movement. Throughout this song he virtually preaches human rights and equality and what kind of hypocrisy, discrimination, and hatred our society has embraced by making people feel of lesser value than the rest of the world.
M. Burnett. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s song “Same Love” criticizes religion, society and hip hop’s perception and portrayal of gay marriage. In the beginning of the song, he says that he thought he was gay because he could paint but then rationalizes that he is straight because he’s good at little league baseball. He mentions a variety of gender stereotypes that society has created and associates with heterosexuality and homosexuality. He addresses the “preconceived idea of what [homosexuality] all meant” yet we know nothing about what is to be gay. Macklemore says that right-winged conservatives think that homosexuality is “a decision and you can be cured with some treatment and religion”. Furthermore, he states that we play the role of God and reject the idea of equality among sexual orientations, even though we preach that God ‘loves all his children’. The hypocrisy of our religion turns the holy water to poison and as a people working for the better of society, we should fight for the equal rights of gay people. Then he says that hip hop is just as guilty for this misrepresentation of homosexuality from the hateful songs that negatively use the term ‘gay’ as being “synonymous with lesser”. Hip hop’s insensitivity to that word further worsens society’s perception of homosexuality. After these arguments, he then states “damn right” he supports gay marriage.
In “Same Love” Macklemore critiques religion, society, and hip hop culture. He is critiquing religion when he says “And you can be cured with some treatment and religion Man-made rewiring of a predisposition Playing God, aw nah here we go” He is talking about religious people thinking that homosexuality can be treated and that people can change their sexual orientation. Macklemore disagrees with this statement and believes that people are trying to play God because they can not control an individual’s sexual orientation. He goes on to criticize society by saying “Bunch of stereotypes in my head. A preconceived idea of what it all meant” He is saying that society has stereotypes of homosexuals and believe that any and all people who fit them must be gay. He believes that society is putting these people into a separate category because of certain characteristics they may share. Lastly, Macklemore critiques hip hop culture by stating “If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me” He is showing how being homosexual in the hip hop community is not only frowned upon but blatantly disregarded. Overall, Macklemore highly criticizes religion, society, and hip hop culture in many lyrics of his song. He believes that people are discriminating against homosexuals and gay marriage. He blatantly states in the song that he supports gay marriage which is also represented throughout the music video. -Haley Pierson
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
In Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s song, “Same Love, there are definitely moments where the artist is critiquing society, hip hop and religion. He is critiquing society when he says “bunch of stereotypes in my head,” and when he talks about the stereotypes. He thought that he was gay because he was good at drawing and kept his room clean, and then decided that he wasn’t because he was good at little league baseball. Macklemore is trying to make the point that just because people have certain characteristics doesn’t mean that they are gay – society makes people feel that way. He is critiquing religion when he says “and you can be cured with some treatment of religion.” He is showing here that people try and get gays “cured” from being gay by going to church, and talking to preachers about it. Religious people should not force others to be cured of liking the same sex. Macklemore is critiquing hip hop culture when he says “if I was gay, I would think hip hop hates me.” He then goes on talking about YouTube and the mean jokes about gay people on there. He is trying to make hip hop music more open to gays, and not use mean words like “faggot” in songs. Overall, by critiquing society, religion, and hip hop culture, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis make it loud and clear that they support gay marriage.
Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, society or hip-hop culture?
Definitely. He talks about just because he had the characteristics of a gay person, that he was concerned if he was gay because of all the stereotypes that were going around in the world. “The right-wing conservatives think its a decision”, talking about how in our society, straight people look at gays and wonder why they’re like that or why they can’t change, which also explains how in the chorus he repeats “and i can’t change, even if i tried, even i wanted to”. Also in his song he says “and you can be cured with some treatment and religion” speaking for straight people and how they think that it is a decision and it can and should be changed based on religion. But he talks about how God loves all his children, but people on Earth sometimes forget that. How equal rights should be for all, gay or straight, but we forget also forget that. The whole song is basically critiquing how messed up it is for our society to tell gays its wrong of them, and how religion is also on their side, but in reality and the point that he’s trying to get across is that God loves everyone and thats how we should be spreading religion.
Caitlin R.
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
Rachel Kite: This song illustrates the powerful influence that celebrities have on society through the messages that they convey. The lyrics are critiquing society for the way we react to same sex marriage, a major issue that is presently inescapable. I believe that throughout this song, the artist is critiquing many aspects of society, including, Christianity, music culture and political stances. He explains that a homosexual has no choice about who he loves, so how is it fair that society judges them for that. People throw the word “gay” around in a vulgar and nonchalant manner, as Macklemore brings this up in his song. He consistently brings up valid points that turns to the misjudgment and mistreatment of homosexuals. I believe that he created this song in order to present the younger generation with a positive message and bring to light the issues that we will continue to face unless society changes outlooks on homosexuals.
Houston McCullough:
Question 2:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song, “Same Love” addresses the issues in society’s approach and reaction to homosexuality. The first instance in the song that points this out is in the sarcastic lyric, “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” This line points out how society views homosexuality as an illness or a disease, and its satiric manner in which it is used shows the artist’s disgust with society’s misunderstanding and unsympathetic manner on the subject of homosexuality. He even goes on to say that some people are trying to “play God” and dictate over issues that they have no business in dealing with. The artist then argues that “God loves all his children.” He is saying that people are falsely misjudging people when they have no authority to do so, and they are wrongly “paraphras[ing] a book written thirty-five hundred years ago.” The artist is obviously on the side for social and marital equality and criticizes society- religious people in particular- for coming to rash conclusions and assumptions. Especially when the artist says, “when I was in church, they taught me something else…” he is not referring to another bible verse or a Sunday sermon, but that the church and its followers is sending out a message of hypocrisy since it preaches love to everyone but restricts it against homosexuals. In the end, all Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are trying to project is an image of equality, saying, “whatever God you believe in, we come from the same one.” This statement ties in every person: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Atheists, Agnostics. The overall message is that however we came to be on this earth, we all arrived from the same source in the same manner, so we are all the same and are equal.
Allie Castagna: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song “Same Love” critiques society’s twisted take on homosexuality and criticizes religion’s role in molding this negative view. Macklemore is mainly criticizing “right-wing conservatives” in saying that they are “playing God” and assuming that gays choose to be the way that they are. Macklemore also criticizes conservatives for thinking that homosexual people can be “cured with treatment and religion”. He infers that Americans are “fearing what they don’t know” when it comes to accepting homosexual people. Macklemore criticizes Americans for their literal interpretation of an ancient book (the Bible). He implies that we should take a more liberal approach to the Bible and understand that the idea of “God loving all his children” has not died away. Macklemore does not necessarily explicitly say that he is against religion, but he definitely makes the argument that conservative Americans are too narrow-minded in their treatment of homosexual people. Ultimately, this song was intended to shed a positive light on how younger generations can eliminate negative thoughts about gay people and treat them as equals, while staying true to their own religious values.
Gregory Beau
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
Macklemore’s “Same Love” critiques religion, society, and hip hop culture. After having identified copious stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices of what being gay is, the song criticizes religion because many claim that gays or gayness can be resolved and eliminated through religion. The song represents that being gay is regarded as wrong by religion and through religious arrogance. This arrogance is also apparent in all of society. “Same Love” criticizes society because of how it has manipulated what it means to be gay and what gay is. For example, Macklemore references how calling someone or something gay is utilized as an insult and is meant to be a derogatory term. Furthermore, society’s arrogance to the actual meaning what it is to be gay and the societal acceptance of gay prejudice. Macklemore then criticizes hip hop culture, as a hip hop artist this makes for a very powerful message. In the song, Macklemore states “if I was gay I would think hip hop hates me.” He explains this by how hip hop lyrics and endorsed behaviors completely degrade ‘people who love the same sex.’ The entire song serves to critique how gays are viewed and treated in modern society. Macklemore preaches the unjustified prejudices that gays face and Mary Lambert (female singer) serves as a powerful primary source singer throughout the song which aids the song’s critique by providing emotional instances and examples what it is really like to be gay and how it is to be gay in modern society.
In Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s same love they critique society, religion, and hip hop culture and their views and attitudes toward the LGBTQ community.
They critique society by talking about the stereotypes that are reinforced daily. He talks about how he thought he was gay just because his uncle was and he was neat but then he realized he must not be because of other stereotypes like being good at baseball. He also talks about the Republican Party being a another big issue in thinking something is wrong with gay people and that it can be fixed. They also talk about just changing the law won’t fixed it. We must change ourselves and our society’s mindset to truly make everyone equal.
They then go on to critique religion. Christian’s views on the LGBTQ community. He talks about how Christians are supposed to believe God loves everyone yet many Christian groups protest against gay rights with signs that blatantly say things such as “God hates fags.” He also address the idea that many Christians have that they can simply pray the gay away. His last main critique that involves religion is reminding people that when you spread hate you are just hurting your own spiritual well being.
Lastly the critique on hip hop culture. One line in his song even says “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me have you read the YouTube comments lately?” Here he critiques the derogatory terms that hip hop and people in general use in every day conversation. For example saying something is gay to me it is less or that it is stupid. Words like these are perpetuating the idea that being gay means being lesser and that it’s ok to use these hateful words even though they hurt a huge percentage of our population.
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Danika Cline: This song, sung by Macklemore, illustrates the preconceived views about gays. It goes into the fact that growing up as a child, he thought he was gay because his uncle was and and that he could draw, but only thought these views because this is what society taught him. It further delves into the religion aspect when he says, “And you can be cured with some treatment and religion” which means that being gay in society is looked down upon as a sin because the Bible states that love and marriage is between a man and a woman solely. However, you can be “cured by religion” once you repent and receive salvation. On a different spectrum, Macklemore speaks about people who constantly put down and call gays awful names such as “faggot” etc, and then go to church after, “those words aren’t anointed.” This means that just because you go to church, does not mean that your sins are forgiven. God wants us to be created equal and to treat others that way. We don’t get to put down others and then go to church just to get gratification that our sins are immediately forgiven.
Marta Fernanda Davila: The song “Same Love” explains society’s interpretation of gays and is critiquing the idea that society makes them feel like it is their choice. In todays society, people automatically categorize boys that aren’t manly as gay. The song recognizes that the word “gay” is synonymous to the lesser and the stereotypes that go along with the word. A sentence in the lyrics that stood out to me was a part that says ” you can be cured with some treatment and religion”, as if being gay was a sickness that you need to be cured from. We all come from the same God which makes us all equal, and we should have equal human rights. We are looking at the bible as a reference and we are getting bible versus from a long time ago that may not be relevant anymore. Also like with the pro-slavery movement, we are looking at some passages and paraphrasing them. Macklemore explains how religion can be used as a means to “salvation” but as we had mentioned before in class, just because you are straight and you go to church, does not mean that you are a good person and are going to be saved.
Caity Lozinak: In the song “Same Love”, by Macklemore, there is an argument against the conviction that homosexuality is a sin. The song starts off with him thinking that he was gay because his uncle is gay. This shows that society taught him and gave him a preconceived notion that he was gay just because his uncle was. This song mentions religion in the lyrics when it says, “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” In this part it is saying that your sexuality is something that you can cure, even though it is not, it is being treated as if it were a sickness. It is making homosexuality looked down upon like a sin, but if you go to church and asked for forgiveness then things will be alright. This is similar to what we learned in class about the slave owners. If you go to church things will be ok, but as soon as they left they went back to their plantations and continued to abuse their slaves mentally and physically.
Question 2: This whole song critiques society and how they treat people who are different from what is preconceived as “normal.” In the first verse, he critiques the conservative side of politics who think being gay is a choice and that religion can change them. He then critiques religion and how they have forgotten that God loves everyone no matter their sexuality and that they are basing their views on a book with some outdated ideas. In the second verse, Macklemore critiques hip hop and rap lyrics for calling things “gay” as a slang term; however, this can cause young people whose sexuality is defined as gay to associate their choices with this negative connotation. He is also critiquing society and how they call each other negative names but only on the internet where they can hide behind the keyboard and be bullies without physical confrontation. He compares this hate to the hate of black people back where there was segregation and how society turned to religion to explain their beliefs and hatred. He compares the fact that many people stay “voiceless” and don’t fight for themselves or others who have “had their rights stolen.” The third verse explains that people turn their backs on this cause and that even though in some states the law allows same sex marriage, the fight isn’t over. Gays will still receive discrimination from others and he claims they must rise up if they want change past the written law. This cause he sings about parallels to the fight for equality within race. They received a written law that outlawed segregation but they were still discriminated and had to fight for their rights.
Kat Findley: This song made it big in my hometown when it first came out. Being from a small, Bible belt town in Georgia, it was met with resentment from my parents’ generation. Surprisingly my church even mentioned it once during a sermon. The artist in this song is critiquing society in that people are quick to assume someone is gay due to a set of preconceived qualities of what gay should look like, and if that person is gay, he or she is of lesser value and is sinning. Sadly those that believe this back it up with evidence in the Bible. This song is standing up for the rights of those who are homosexual(mostly against the Christian opposition) along with fighting against the stereotype of what gay does and does not look like. “Whatever God you believe in, we come from the same one.” Those lyrics stuck out to me. Macklemore is making a statement that we can be Christian, come from the same God and still support homosexuality. The controversy over same sex marriage and love is one that has a social and religious aspect all in one and Macklemore is critiquing them both by asking for them to work in harmony. The Christian religion, similar to what King emphasized, is based around love. So how can the Christian majority not allow someone to love another person?
Emily Hopkins: This song critiques many aspects of society including politics, Christianity, music, and even race to suggest how our society is flawed with how people view and treat homosexuals. For an overall assessment of our society, Macklemore says, “a culture founded from oppression.” I think this is very interesting as most of the other problems within the United States have started from groups of people being oppressed, such as racism and feminism. Not only does Macklemore address the different aspects of society that are flawed, but he also addresses the effects these things have on those who are homosexual. He says, “When kids are walking ’round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart; a world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are.” Along with critiquing society, he also critiques the music. One of the things he says is, “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me.” Macklemore recognizes that the word ‘gay’ has been added to everyday vocabulary, yet people don’t recognize the significance the word has. The point he is trying to make is that the word ‘gay’ or ‘faggot’ for homosexuals is as equally offensive as the ‘r’ word used against those with disabilities. People don’t realize the effects their words have on others. We have become “numb to what we’re saying.”
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
At the beginning of the song, Macklemore states characteristics our society perceive with being gay. If a man is seen doing things that are flamboyant or feminine, his sexuality is questioned. The lyrics are about a person who is contemplating his sexual orientation and trying to omit the idea by countering the stereotypes associated with being gay. He then goes on to talk about how people expect God and religion to cure anyone with the “curse” of being gay. The best line, in my opinion, is, “‘God loves all his children’ is somehow forgotten.” In all religions, it is said that God is accepting, and loves all no matter what race, religion, culture, or background. Sexual orientation has been questioned throughout society, and it has been seen as a sin yet, it is still said that God loves all his children. This song is extremely powerful and explains that despite religious beliefs and ideals, a person who is gay can not change. No matter how hard a homosexual can try to change, no matter how embarrassed or ashamed a homosexual is, he or she simply can not change. Being christian, mormon, or any other religion will not get rid of that orientation. It also talks about the word “gay” in our society and how it is used with a negative connotation. People refer to stupid behavior or wrong behavior as being gay. The word itself has a negative meaning in our society, and has for many generations. The song is about acceptance and realizing that a person has no control over his or her sexual orientation. A person being gay does not change his or her morals, beliefs, attitudes towards life, and does not make a person any less of a person. Love is neutral and can be felt by people all over the world no matter what religion or orientation.
Madeline Morris: “Same Love” by Macklemore critiques religion in regards to homosexuality. The song starts off with characteristics that society uses to define the homosexual culture. The music video that accompanies the song illustrates the struggle a young man is going through has he questions his sexuality. One part that particularly points out the topic of religion is the line that talks about how God is supposed to be able to cure anyone of homosexuality, as if it a sin or some sort of disease because that is how certain aspects of society have laid it out to look. The song also points out the fact that people who disagree with the homosexual culture will paraphrase the bible in order to support their views, which is similar to what we discussed in the beginning of the semester with slave owners. Another part I thought related to the topic of religion in a way was when Macklemore alluded to Martin Luther King, Jr and the freedoms that he fought so hard for people to have. This song’s overarching message is that being gay cannot be cured by going to church and praying for God to change you, it is the way you are and “treatment and religion” are not going to change anything.
Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
An Nguyen: In the song “Same Love” by Macklemore, it was obvious that he was critiquing society on our perception of homosexuality. He begins by listing out the characteristics of what society believes being “gay” is. If someone does something that has is even close to those characteristics, his/her sexuality is instantly questioned. He then says that “God loves all his children” and that even if they wanted to change, they could not.
Farren Barnett: With the song “Same Love” Macklemore is criticizing society, and it’s typical view of gays. Our society has put a negative stigma on gays, viewing them as lesser. In fact, today people still think that if you’re gay “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” Macklemore’s statement rightly implies that people today think that being gay is something that can be cured, as if it were a sickness. Macklemore also criticizes religion in this song saying we “paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago.” People spend their time “playing God,” judging people when they have no right to. When people are choosing to hate others just because they are gay, they are forgetting that “God loves all his children.” By hating others for no reason we aren’t being good Christians. We have these stereotypes in our head of what being gay is, but the truth is, unless you’re gay, you don’t know. Macklemore’s point with this song is to show how we should all be more accepting of others. We need to forget the preconceived notions in our head, we need to stop with the gay slang. People are people, and in the eyes of God we are all equal.
Question #2
Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
In one of my favorite songs by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, there are several instances where Macklemore critiques religion, society, and hip hop culture. Macklemore criticizes religion by saying “And “God loves all his children” is somehow forgotten / But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago”. What Macklemore is trying to say is that maybe our churches are ignoring important messages such as “God loves all his children” and are “paraphrasing” the Bible in order to justify why we discriminate against homosexuals. Macklemore continues to criticize religion by stating “If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed / That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned”. These lyrics point out that preachers have a large influence over what their congregation comes to believe is right, but that doesn’t mean that just because your preacher says to hate gay people, that it’s true. In this way the “holy water… has been poisoned” because God is love, yet so many churches are hateful towards gays. In some of my favorite lines, Macklemore raps “Whatever God you believe in / We come from the same one / Strip away the fear / Underneath it’s all the same love”. What he means by this is that God created everyone and we are all made in his image and likeness. At least, that is what is taught in the very same Bible that some religious people use to justify discrimination. What we need to realize is that love between two straight people and two gay people are the “same love”. The lyrics can even be taken as far as to suggest that love between homosexuals is the “same love” that God has for all of us.
Macklemore begins to criticize society from the very first line of the song that starts “When I was in the third grade, I thought that I was gay… / Bunch of stereotypes all in my head”. Macklemore thought he was gay which very much upset him at a young age. He did not think he was gay because he liked boys, but because there were things about him that were not masculine. The fact that he was traumatized by the idea of him being gay shows us that there is definitely something wrong with society. Being gay should not be a reason to hate yourself. The US was settled in order to escape oppression from the British. “A culture founded from oppression / Yet we don’t have acceptance for ’em” demonstrates our own hypocrisy as we oppress a group in a place we like to call “the land of the free”. There are many similarities between the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. Macklemore recognizes how people hate people that are different from them when he says “The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins / It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!”
Macklemore criticizes hip hop culture when he says “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me” because the word gay is used in such a derigatory way, especially in hip hop lyrics. When he says “A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it / Gay is synonymous with the lesser”, Macklemore is showing us how insensitive hip hop artists are by using the word gay to mean things that it doesn’t.
Callie George: In Macklemore’s “Same Love” there are multiple moments where he critiques religion, societal stereotypes, and the hip hop culture. As a child, all of the stereotypes about homosexuals had led him to believe he was gay. Society has pre-conceived ideas, fears the unknown, and as Macklemore says, “The right-wing conservatives think it’s a decision and you can be cure with some treatment and religion”. He critiques society for not being more open minded and being so quick to judge and shun people just for being different. Then he goes on to critique religious people who forget that “God loves all his children”, but want to paraphrase the Bible to fit their own views and beliefs. He really speaks out about religion when he says that he personally heard hatred being preached in church and believes a lot of churches to be corrupt by saying “that Holy Water that you soak in is poisoned”. Because people want to believe they are kind and fair, but they aren’t making any difference by staying quiet. Macklemore leads off the second verse with “If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me” regarding all the derogatory remarks made about gays in a lot of today’s music and how there is little being done about it. He points out that people are senseless about their use of the word “gay” and “faggot”. He also makes historical references to the oppression that haunts this country and the confrontations that have come from it, such as religious wars, racial discrimination, and even the sit-ins during the civil rights movement. Throughout this song he virtually preaches human rights and equality and what kind of hypocrisy, discrimination, and hatred our society has embraced by making people feel of lesser value than the rest of the world.
M. Burnett. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s song “Same Love” criticizes religion, society and hip hop’s perception and portrayal of gay marriage. In the beginning of the song, he says that he thought he was gay because he could paint but then rationalizes that he is straight because he’s good at little league baseball. He mentions a variety of gender stereotypes that society has created and associates with heterosexuality and homosexuality. He addresses the “preconceived idea of what [homosexuality] all meant” yet we know nothing about what is to be gay. Macklemore says that right-winged conservatives think that homosexuality is “a decision and you can be cured with some treatment and religion”. Furthermore, he states that we play the role of God and reject the idea of equality among sexual orientations, even though we preach that God ‘loves all his children’. The hypocrisy of our religion turns the holy water to poison and as a people working for the better of society, we should fight for the equal rights of gay people. Then he says that hip hop is just as guilty for this misrepresentation of homosexuality from the hateful songs that negatively use the term ‘gay’ as being “synonymous with lesser”. Hip hop’s insensitivity to that word further worsens society’s perception of homosexuality. After these arguments, he then states “damn right” he supports gay marriage.
In “Same Love” Macklemore critiques religion, society, and hip hop culture. He is critiquing religion when he says “And you can be cured with some treatment and religion Man-made rewiring of a predisposition Playing God, aw nah here we go” He is talking about religious people thinking that homosexuality can be treated and that people can change their sexual orientation. Macklemore disagrees with this statement and believes that people are trying to play God because they can not control an individual’s sexual orientation. He goes on to criticize society by saying “Bunch of stereotypes in my head. A preconceived idea of what it all meant” He is saying that society has stereotypes of homosexuals and believe that any and all people who fit them must be gay. He believes that society is putting these people into a separate category because of certain characteristics they may share. Lastly, Macklemore critiques hip hop culture by stating “If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me” He is showing how being homosexual in the hip hop community is not only frowned upon but blatantly disregarded. Overall, Macklemore highly criticizes religion, society, and hip hop culture in many lyrics of his song. He believes that people are discriminating against homosexuals and gay marriage. He blatantly states in the song that he supports gay marriage which is also represented throughout the music video. -Haley Pierson
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
In Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s song, “Same Love, there are definitely moments where the artist is critiquing society, hip hop and religion. He is critiquing society when he says “bunch of stereotypes in my head,” and when he talks about the stereotypes. He thought that he was gay because he was good at drawing and kept his room clean, and then decided that he wasn’t because he was good at little league baseball. Macklemore is trying to make the point that just because people have certain characteristics doesn’t mean that they are gay – society makes people feel that way. He is critiquing religion when he says “and you can be cured with some treatment of religion.” He is showing here that people try and get gays “cured” from being gay by going to church, and talking to preachers about it. Religious people should not force others to be cured of liking the same sex. Macklemore is critiquing hip hop culture when he says “if I was gay, I would think hip hop hates me.” He then goes on talking about YouTube and the mean jokes about gay people on there. He is trying to make hip hop music more open to gays, and not use mean words like “faggot” in songs. Overall, by critiquing society, religion, and hip hop culture, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis make it loud and clear that they support gay marriage.
Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, society or hip-hop culture?
Definitely. He talks about just because he had the characteristics of a gay person, that he was concerned if he was gay because of all the stereotypes that were going around in the world. “The right-wing conservatives think its a decision”, talking about how in our society, straight people look at gays and wonder why they’re like that or why they can’t change, which also explains how in the chorus he repeats “and i can’t change, even if i tried, even i wanted to”. Also in his song he says “and you can be cured with some treatment and religion” speaking for straight people and how they think that it is a decision and it can and should be changed based on religion. But he talks about how God loves all his children, but people on Earth sometimes forget that. How equal rights should be for all, gay or straight, but we forget also forget that. The whole song is basically critiquing how messed up it is for our society to tell gays its wrong of them, and how religion is also on their side, but in reality and the point that he’s trying to get across is that God loves everyone and thats how we should be spreading religion.
Caitlin R.
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
Rachel Kite: This song illustrates the powerful influence that celebrities have on society through the messages that they convey. The lyrics are critiquing society for the way we react to same sex marriage, a major issue that is presently inescapable. I believe that throughout this song, the artist is critiquing many aspects of society, including, Christianity, music culture and political stances. He explains that a homosexual has no choice about who he loves, so how is it fair that society judges them for that. People throw the word “gay” around in a vulgar and nonchalant manner, as Macklemore brings this up in his song. He consistently brings up valid points that turns to the misjudgment and mistreatment of homosexuals. I believe that he created this song in order to present the younger generation with a positive message and bring to light the issues that we will continue to face unless society changes outlooks on homosexuals.
Houston McCullough:
Question 2:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song, “Same Love” addresses the issues in society’s approach and reaction to homosexuality. The first instance in the song that points this out is in the sarcastic lyric, “you can be cured with some treatment and religion.” This line points out how society views homosexuality as an illness or a disease, and its satiric manner in which it is used shows the artist’s disgust with society’s misunderstanding and unsympathetic manner on the subject of homosexuality. He even goes on to say that some people are trying to “play God” and dictate over issues that they have no business in dealing with. The artist then argues that “God loves all his children.” He is saying that people are falsely misjudging people when they have no authority to do so, and they are wrongly “paraphras[ing] a book written thirty-five hundred years ago.” The artist is obviously on the side for social and marital equality and criticizes society- religious people in particular- for coming to rash conclusions and assumptions. Especially when the artist says, “when I was in church, they taught me something else…” he is not referring to another bible verse or a Sunday sermon, but that the church and its followers is sending out a message of hypocrisy since it preaches love to everyone but restricts it against homosexuals. In the end, all Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are trying to project is an image of equality, saying, “whatever God you believe in, we come from the same one.” This statement ties in every person: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Atheists, Agnostics. The overall message is that however we came to be on this earth, we all arrived from the same source in the same manner, so we are all the same and are equal.
Allie Castagna: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song “Same Love” critiques society’s twisted take on homosexuality and criticizes religion’s role in molding this negative view. Macklemore is mainly criticizing “right-wing conservatives” in saying that they are “playing God” and assuming that gays choose to be the way that they are. Macklemore also criticizes conservatives for thinking that homosexual people can be “cured with treatment and religion”. He infers that Americans are “fearing what they don’t know” when it comes to accepting homosexual people. Macklemore criticizes Americans for their literal interpretation of an ancient book (the Bible). He implies that we should take a more liberal approach to the Bible and understand that the idea of “God loving all his children” has not died away. Macklemore does not necessarily explicitly say that he is against religion, but he definitely makes the argument that conservative Americans are too narrow-minded in their treatment of homosexual people. Ultimately, this song was intended to shed a positive light on how younger generations can eliminate negative thoughts about gay people and treat them as equals, while staying true to their own religious values.
Gregory Beau
2. Are there moments or instances in which the artist is critiquing religion, critiquing society, or critiquing hip hop culture?
Macklemore’s “Same Love” critiques religion, society, and hip hop culture. After having identified copious stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices of what being gay is, the song criticizes religion because many claim that gays or gayness can be resolved and eliminated through religion. The song represents that being gay is regarded as wrong by religion and through religious arrogance. This arrogance is also apparent in all of society. “Same Love” criticizes society because of how it has manipulated what it means to be gay and what gay is. For example, Macklemore references how calling someone or something gay is utilized as an insult and is meant to be a derogatory term. Furthermore, society’s arrogance to the actual meaning what it is to be gay and the societal acceptance of gay prejudice. Macklemore then criticizes hip hop culture, as a hip hop artist this makes for a very powerful message. In the song, Macklemore states “if I was gay I would think hip hop hates me.” He explains this by how hip hop lyrics and endorsed behaviors completely degrade ‘people who love the same sex.’ The entire song serves to critique how gays are viewed and treated in modern society. Macklemore preaches the unjustified prejudices that gays face and Mary Lambert (female singer) serves as a powerful primary source singer throughout the song which aids the song’s critique by providing emotional instances and examples what it is really like to be gay and how it is to be gay in modern society.
Question 2
Morgan Maxwell
In Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s same love they critique society, religion, and hip hop culture and their views and attitudes toward the LGBTQ community.
They critique society by talking about the stereotypes that are reinforced daily. He talks about how he thought he was gay just because his uncle was and he was neat but then he realized he must not be because of other stereotypes like being good at baseball. He also talks about the Republican Party being a another big issue in thinking something is wrong with gay people and that it can be fixed. They also talk about just changing the law won’t fixed it. We must change ourselves and our society’s mindset to truly make everyone equal.
They then go on to critique religion. Christian’s views on the LGBTQ community. He talks about how Christians are supposed to believe God loves everyone yet many Christian groups protest against gay rights with signs that blatantly say things such as “God hates fags.” He also address the idea that many Christians have that they can simply pray the gay away. His last main critique that involves religion is reminding people that when you spread hate you are just hurting your own spiritual well being.
Lastly the critique on hip hop culture. One line in his song even says “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me have you read the YouTube comments lately?” Here he critiques the derogatory terms that hip hop and people in general use in every day conversation. For example saying something is gay to me it is less or that it is stupid. Words like these are perpetuating the idea that being gay means being lesser and that it’s ok to use these hateful words even though they hurt a huge percentage of our population.