carved her name into the leather seats of his car with her key, smashed his headlights, and slashed holes in all of his tires(“ Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats”). This is a very severe way to react if a person isn’ t even certain whether or not they have been cheated on. Much of the way people react in these types of situations can be a result of the brain. According to the article“ Considering Anger from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective,” reactive aggression is the most common behavioral expression of anger( Blair). Reactive aggression is said to be caused by a“ frustrating or threatening event and involves unplanned, enraged attacks on the object perceived to be the source of the threat / frustration”( Blair). In the case of“ Before He Cheats,” the girl takes her anger out on the car and not the source of the frustration, but it is still a way for her to get back at that source without physically harming him. Love can turn to hate very quickly after being betrayed. It was found that love and hate are very closely linked in the brain( Harmon). The areas in the brain, the putamen and insula, are activated both for hate and love( Harmon). This can cause a drastic shift in emotions if cheating occurs. Although anger and hate are two completely different terms, in regard to cheating the two usually go hand in hand. The brain plays a major role in how people react to frustration, anger, and hate.
“ Before He Cheats” was written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear( Horner). They originally wrote the song thinking that it would be lighthearted and funny( Horner). They were showing that cheating is a problem in society, but trying to portray it in more of an upbeat way. They were not expecting Carrie Underwood to put her own twist on it like she did, but they were happy with how it turned out( Horner). When Carrie Underwood sings this song, she empowers her audience. It gives her listeners a way to connect with her and feel like they are not alone. People like to feel like other people have the same problems as them. This song gives women a sense of“ girl power.” It shows how women can come together against men who have done them wrong. Carrie Underwood shows this in her line in the song“ I might have saved a little trouble for the next girl”(“ Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats”). This shows that women are backing each other up and trying to prevent cheating from happening to other girls. Another one of her goals was self-empowerment. She says the line“ the next time that he cheats, it won’ t be on me.” This shows that she is a powerful and independent woman which all women like to feel like. Listening to“ Before He Cheats” is very empowering to anyone, even if they have never been cheated on.
Revenge is a major aspect when it comes to anger. According to Sigmund Freud, the notion of catharsis can make revenge pleasurable( Chester). Catharsis is the process of releasing emotions which usually provides relief( Chester). In the case of revenge, catharsis is usually in the form of an aggressive act( Chester).“ Before He Cheats” is the perfect example of this. The girl in the song releases all of her anger onto her ex-boyfriend’ s car. In today’ s society, catharsis through aggressive acts is usually seen as an acceptable way to deal with anger( Chester). Many people believe that revenge will make them feel better or provide relief for them, but how much better can someone actually feel after being cheated on? It will usually take more than slashing a few tires to let go of that anger.
Revenge is not the only way to deal with anger. Santideva would not have agreed with Carrie Underwood’ s song. He believed that anger did not allow for the mind to be at rest( Lele). It wouldn’ t allow for peace, pleasure, happiness, sleep or satisfaction( Lele). For most people it would be hard to understand, but Santideva believes that when someone is wronged, they should be happy and not let anger overcome them( Lele). He thinks that everyone has the choice of whether or not they become angry, and that they should choose not to. For the majority of people, being cheated on would not result in a happy emotion, but Santideva would’ ve liked to believe that it was possible.
Unfaithfulness in relationships has become a growing problem within society. The percent of the population that has cheated or been cheated on is much higher than it should be. It has created feelings of anger, hate, and frustration throughout society. Carrie Underwood’ s song revealed the way that most people would react to being cheated on. She created a sense of girl power and self-empowerment through the way she delivers the song to her audience, which was unexpected by the two writers of the song. Although it might not be the best way to deal with a situation, revenge is a common theme of anger. It is shown to be rewarding for many people.“ Before He Cheats” shows a major problem in society and the expected way that people react to this type of anger.
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