ECLECTIC said:

CarrieMpls said:

I have fabulous taste. Which is why it think the song is such crap.

purplesweat said:

SEXY as hell!

Most single worthy song on the album.

Would LOVE to see this live.

I believe too that "i heard it said my lovers look alike" is a reference to the org

1. It objectifies woman as only good for "breeding" or sex with an 'oops she got knocked up' result.

2. Being a "baby mama" implies that there is no intent from the male to get married or even necessarily support the woman or child (which leads me back to #1). This point could also be discussed in relation to the larger problem (especially within the African-American community where this term is often used), of men having babies with several different women (or several babies with one woman) and not supporting them--whether that be financial, emotional, taking care of the kids, etc. The women are simply the "baby mama," nothing more. (This could also lead into a discussion of why/if women feel the need for an 'emotional' attachment more than men but that's an entirely different forum.)

3. I think it's a little like when he had Tony M. rapping all over D&P: instead of creating his own catch phrase (which we all know he is capable of), he is borrowing from the mainstream vernacular and it just sounds desperate.

4. Finally, I'm disappointed that Prince resorted to using a term with these connotations--even if he's trying to spin it that the women in the song aren't even good enough to be his baby mama. (Being someone's "baby mama" really isn't something I'd want to aspire to--see points #1 & 2.)
What happened to:
Hooker, bitch and ho, I don't think so
I only knew one and never told her though
I thought about it many times (Diss me?)
....
A woman every day should be thanked
Not disrespected , not raped or spanked?

5. Post script: Even though this isn't directly about the term "baby mama" I also dislike the part of the chorus that talks about bending instead of breaking to keep a man. You cannot "keep" (possess) a person, they have free will; and while I know it's meant to imply that bending actually takes more strength I feel it insinuates that "future baby mamas" might want to compromise (e.g. "bend") their values to get/keep a man in the hopes of being his baby mama. (See again points #1 & 2.)

CarrieMpls said:

I hate hate HATE this song.



Easily the worst on the album. Lyrically it's just plain sad.

Personally I find the term "baby mama" fairly degrading & disrespectful to woman in that:

1. It objectifies woman as only good for "breeding" or sex with an 'oops she got knocked up' result.

2. Being a "baby mama" implies that there is no intent from the male to get married or even necessarily support the woman or child (which leads me back to #1). This point could also be discussed in relation to the larger problem (especially within the African-American community where this term is often used), of men having babies with several different women (or several babies with one woman) and not supporting them--whether that be financial, emotional, taking care of the kids, etc. The women are simply the "baby mama," nothing more. (This could also lead into a discussion of why/if women feel the need for an 'emotional' attachment more than men but that's an entirely different forum.)

3. I think it's a little like when he had Tony M. rapping all over D&P: instead of creating his own catch phrase (which we all know he is capable of), he is borrowing from the mainstream vernacular and it just sounds desperate.

4. Finally, I'm disappointed that Prince resorted to using a term with these connotations--even if he's trying to spin it that the women in the song aren't even good enough to be his baby mama. (Being someone's "baby mama" really isn't something I'd want to aspire to--see points #1 & 2.)
What happened to:
Hooker, bitch and ho, I don't think so
I only knew one and never told her though
I thought about it many times (Diss me?)
....
A woman every day should be thanked
Not disrespected , not raped or spanked?

5. Post script: Even though this isn't directly about the term "baby mama" I also dislike the part of the chorus that talks about bending instead of breaking to keep a man. You cannot "keep" (possess) a person, they have free will; and while I know it's meant to imply that bending actually takes more strength I feel it insinuates that "future baby mamas" might want to compromise (e.g. "bend") their values to get/keep a man in the hopes of being his baby mama. (See again points #1 & 2.)

I'm sure I'll get told that I'm reading waaayyy too much into it, over-analyzing, etc. but those are the reasons (as a woman, a feminist, and a Prince fan) why I think it's an awful phrase. (Disclaimer, I'm also trained as an art historian so I automatically like to look for hidden meanings in everything, even if it seems innocuous on the surface. Occupational hazard. )