Jeannina Perez
WST 3015 Sec. 0002
March 8, 2010
Did Earl Really Have To Die?
"Goodbye Earl" by The Dixie Chicks tells the tale of two best friends that scheme to end the life of one of the girl's husband because of his abusive ways. The one best friend, Mary Anne, escaped the town after high school graduation. In the song they never mention where she went but one can assume that she was off earning an education. The other girl, Wanda, stayed in the town and ended up with Earl. After marrying Earl she began being abused by him. This is when Wanda enters what Megan Seely describes in her essay "Fighting Back" as a cycle of domestic violence.
Their cycle started at the Honeymoon stage. As portrayed in the music video, Wanda enters Earl's car wearing her wedding gown and a wide grin on her face. Shortly after that moment the cycle of violence is put into motion. When Wanda enters the denial stage she chooses to cover up her reminders of her daily abuse ("She put on dark glasses and long sleeved blouses and make-up to cover a bruise") (The Dixie Chicks). This denial stage of the cycle led into the Tension Building stage. This is the stage in which Wanda decides that she's had enough of the abuse and of Earl and files for divorce, along with a restraining order against Earl. Earl fights back by abusing Wanda to the point of landing her in intensive care. Wanda's friend Mary Anne, who never seemed to be to present in Wanda's post-marriage life, magically shows up at her friend's bedside. They both then scheme to end Earl's life. Earl's final abuse against Wanda and Wanda and Mary Anne's murder plot against Earl are both to be described as the fourth stage of the domestic violence cycle as the "Explosion of Violence" stage.
Seely's article states that this cycle goes on until the woman leaves the relationship or dies (Seely 189). In this case however, Wanda left the relationship by killing Earl. Both Wanda and Mary Anne discussed that the only way out of Wanda's relationship was for them to poison and kill Earl. In the article "Violence Against Women" it is stated that "Occasionally women kill abusive partners, seemingly the only way out of situations in which they believe they would be killed if they did not defend themselves" (Kirk 258).
While the subject of being in an abusive relationship and seeing no way out of it other than ending the life of the one who is abusing you is one of very morbid tones, The Dixie Chicks make the subject into an upbeat song that screams "Girl Power!" By the end of the music video the whole town (including the zombie Earl) is dancing in the streets celebrating the death of Earl. "Goodbye Earl" gives an almost positive message to women that killing your abusive spouse is an accepted and okay way to leave a relationship infected with domestic violence. Many women (sadly including myself) love this song too. Why does it seem that the only songs that women have to look to that embody women empowerment also deal with violent matters such as this? Does the proverbial Earl in every domestic violence relationship have to be murdered in order for these battered women (and sometimes men) to escape their horrible situation they were dealt with? If only women today had more positive female power songs to look up to.
Works Cited
The Dixie Chicks. "Goodbye Earl." Fly. Monument Records, 1999. MP3.
The Dixie Chicks. "Goodbye Earl." Fly. Monument Records, 1999. MP3.
Seely, Megan. "Fighting Back." Fight Like A Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. 185-217. Print.
"Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009. 257-73. Print.
Madison,
ReplyDeleteI think maybe they focus on songs like this one because domestic violence and all the above are the most prevalent today in society.It is very unfortunate can't focus on the positive standpoint of women's empowerment but I think in cases such as these,both people in the relationship should be seen as the victim/victor you know? I definitely don't think that killing "Earl" is the way to go about gaining power though.
As far as positive female songs to look up to, I think Beyonce does a wonderful job of displaying this. She is by far my favorite artist and always makes me feel good when I'm listening to her music!
This song disturbed me a bit with its tragic subject matter sung with an upbeat cheeriness. I had never heard the song, despite its popularity, and choose it based on the lyrics. When I actually listened to the song it surprised me and I found myself forgetting what it was really about. I think it's good write songs fighting violence against women but I agree with you that recording artists today need to start producing more female empowering songs that don't have "Earl" being killed off.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth noting that Wanda could have just let law enforcement handle it. They did come by to bring Earl in after he was murdered and the body disposed of. It never occured to the police, however, that Earl could have become the victim of abuse at the hands of his wife and her friend.
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