The song is about a boy who was named Sue by his father and then abandoned by his father. The boy talks about all the ridicule he faced because he was given such a girly name and how he lived in shame. He also talks about his father left him and the family. This applies to sociology because first it goes against the typical family. Since the father left, "Sue" was raised in a single parent household by his mother and probably faced many financial difficulties because of this. Next, Sue also faced the difficulty of gender stereotypes. Since Sue is considered a girl name in society, the boy was teased and mocked by others for not being a real man.
It's crazy how gender roles in our society affect the way that we think and act. How a boy named "Sue" will get criticized because his name is "feminine" or a girl named "Devon" will be bothered because her name is "masculine". Because of the way we are raised and brought up we will always feel the need to categorize little details such as these into male or female when in reality a name is just a name and should not have a gender attached to it. When I took women's studies this was one of the things we talked about and it was interesting to see how we have been taught to think that certain things MUST be male or female and anything out of that is out of the ordinary and strange and wrong. A male nurse is weird. A woman construction worker is strange. But in reality it should not be this way because we are all still just humans
The song details the narrative of a young boy from an early age up until adulthood, eventually boiling up to a final confrontation between the boy and his father. Within the lyrics of the song, lay messages about gender stereotypes and roles as well as society in general. The boy described how tough of a life he has had since his father left their family. However, the challenges faced in growing up in a single parent household are nothing compared to the ridicule that the boy suffered through his life due to his name being "Sue". Towards the end of the song, when he boy finally catches up with his father, the two of them enter a brawl with the son eventually besting his father. At the very end, however, the two are depicted as amicable as their relationship starts to heal.
In a way, the song serves to redefine the gender stereotypes surrounding girls' and boys' names. In the song, the boy named Sue grew up to be a better embodiment of a "man" than most other people due to the struggles that he has faced. His struggles were what shaped his ultimate identity, not his name. Perhaps the most underlying theme in the song is one of identity. Cash describes the social factors that play into shaping one's identity.
I agree with you on the identity shaping point. My sister-in-law had a very difficult last name growing up and was constantly ridiculed for it. It actually made her a very strong woman, and she seems to face adversity and difficulty with great ease. She's the kind of person that let's things "roll off", if you know what I mean. -Secret Agent
A Boy Named Sue is about about a boy and his lifelong struggle to take on manly stereotypes to compensate for the fact that he is named Sue. Sue is a name that in our society has really feminine connotations; I have never in my life met a man named Sue. If you hear about somebody named Sue, people automatically assume it is a woman. Because we live in a society that encourages men to be "manly", Sue in the song takes on many traits of a "manly" man. Mainly, he becomes tough. There is irony at the end when he meets his father and his father basically says that Sue should be thanking him for giving that name because it made him into a manly man.
I agree with Drew Brees that this song is about a boy and his lifelong struggle dealing with having a girls name. The boy named Sue in the song attempts to overcompensate for his "girly" name, and eventually embraces the name. Sue is considered a female name; my nickname is actually Jamie and I go by Jamie in everyday life. I remember as a kid my buddies would joke about having a "girl" name. Although always in good fun, it is funny to see first hand how people can joke about the gender identities surrounding their names.
The song focuses on the idea that a boy was named Sue by his father, and with it came a lot of struggles in life just because of his name. Throughout his life, he grew being ashamed of his name, as it is a very feminine one in our society. When he got older, he went and confronted his dad and they got into a fight about his name. However, his father's intentions from the very beginning of naming him Sue were that he'd either have to succumb to the ridicule society was giving him or show the world that his name has nothing to do with the person he wants to be. He became a really tough man throughout his life, simply from bearing the name 'Sue.' He redefined himself through society and changed the stereotype that accompanies feminine names, because he grew up a man.
Ryan Muscatella As a result of living in a single family household after his father had left, Sue never really forgave his dad. To start, Sue represents the sociological effect of how living without a father figure in the household shaped him into the person he was at the end of the song. In addition, the song also relates to sociology through the identity factor of Sue. By having a feminine name, Sue was stripped from certain dignities he wish he had and as a result, he became embarrassed around girls and angry when other men made fun of him. This can help show how a single parent can have trouble raising a child or how a child may suffer from the absence of a parent. Struggling to find his identity, Sue managed to become tough and ultimately create his own path by learning from the mistake his father had made in the past by not naming his own son a girl's name.
The song "A Boy Named Sue" is about how this young boy being so angry with his father for giving the name Sue before he left. Sue is basically a female name, which results in the young man suffering from ridicule and harassment by everyone. After being embarrassed, Sue grows up being tough and mean. I don't think it was necessary for Sue to attempt to kill his father for giving him the name. However, this is example of gender stereotyping when a boy has a girls' name.
The song "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny cash talks about a young boy who received the name Sue, commonly known as a feminine name and is both embarrassed as well as furious with his fathers decision. Sue does the most "manly" things you can do and becomes the complete opposite of a female. The outside world embarrasses him and defines him as weak and the opposite of a man, even though he has proved people wrong with his actions. His father explains to him that he should be thankful of his decision on naming him Sue, because this has forced him into becoming a tough, strong man.
This song talks about a boy who tries his best to become what society thinks is a man. He believed that because of his "feminine" name he would have to try extra hard to become a man even if it meant resorting to violence. The song emphasizes how society has engrained in us the importance of gender roles and how we try to fit them the best we can.
I think this song does a lot in terms of bring gendered stereotypes to light. There is such a strong sense of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity in our society that it is crippling to those who do not fit into the neat box of gender. This song also exams how exactly we perceive acceptable performances of gender in society and what we strive to "perform" in order to fit in and meet the generalized other's expectations.
I think this song is about a boy who had a father that gave him nothing but a bad name. He grew up ridiculed for his girly name and in turn felt he had to become tough and "grew up mean" in order to defend himself from his issues with society. Sue has grown so upset with his father that he decides that upon finding his father, he would kill him. However, upon finding his father and beginning to fight, he is told that he was named Sue by his father to ensure he would grow up strong. The song really tackles into a person's feelings of obligation to 'fit into' society. -12keys
This song shows you how the boy named sue discovered his own self. He used some of the looking glass self because he knew that because he had a "girly" name that people would act or treat him different which could have changed how he thought about himself. This also deals with gender stereotyping because it is said that sue can not be a boys name, but there is no law against it. Boys and girls should be able to take any name they feel suited for themselves.
Kiana Smith "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash is about a boy who was named Sue, which is recognized as a female's name, by his fathrer who abandoned him. He talks about about how he "grew up quick, and grew up mean" to retaliate against the people who would laugh and mock him because of his, in which he says "life ain't easy for a boy named Sue." Over time he builds up a rage towards his father and wants to kill him and midst a violent brawl, his father explains to him that it's the name that helped to make him strong. The song exams how we live in a gender expectation society, where names belong to certain genders.
I agree with this statement. This song proves that gender stereotyping exist because a boy was named sue he is made to feel shameful for having a "feminine" name. But if a boy is named Sam or Taylor those names can sway either way. A boy should be able to have whatever name he wants without feeling the judgment that gender stereotyping puts on some things. Gender stereotyping has caused people to put labels on others such as "girly", or "feminine" just because their name is Sue, a boy should be able to have any name he wants and feel masculine about it.
This song can speak for a lot of people who have names that do not supposedly fit their "gender". I think people often say that is a "boy " name or a "girl" name and they do not realize how it effects that person. Our society puts people in a box and sometimes its nothing we can do about it. Sue did not choose his name and he had to live with the stereotypes of that given name. It made him "stronger" but honestly did his name have to be the reason why he became stronger.
This song is so comical to it's audience because of the cultural deviance of naming a male a predominantly female name, Sue. I can honestly say that I did not find as much humor in this song as Jonny Cash's audience might have because of the loose lines we have on gender norms in today's society. It is very interesting to me to think of how gender deviance has evolved to a norm in the past 40 years. A song ridiculing the differences between males and females and the norms associated with the sex would not be as accepted in today's culture. In Johnny Cash's song, it is interesting to me to think that no one would question the humor behind the message in the lyric. It also comes to show how long of a way our culture has come with better accepting culturally deviant tendencies including gender preferences.
I wonder what went through the father's head when he named his son Sue? Surely there are innumerable ways to teach your son how to be tough. I wonder what Sue's mother said when she was asked why he was given such a name? Does the father have a better respect for toughness and personal growth than other parents who give their children gender specific names? If Sue was born gay, would he hate his father anymore? Is it really any harder for one to grow and be tough with a name dissociated from their gender? Children belittle and denigrate each other for anything. ----Bl@ckThought---
The song demonstrates the generalized assumption of boys and girls names. As the father named his son Sue, that boys childhood would forever change. The amount of suffering the boy endured by having the name Sue is unbearable. His life was already tough by having only a single parent when his father left, but to add to that with gender stereotypes is unbearable. It is a shame that a person has to go through with something like that. Towards the end of the song when the boy confronted the father, they fight in anger. Overall, the theme of the song had to deal with the identity of a person not through his name but also through the life he lived. Johnny Cash did a great job underlying the message of identify and the social factors that belong to it.
The song "A Boy Named Sue" is about the struggles a boy faces once given a feminine name. In society, when we hear the name Sue, we automatically associate it with a girl. This stereotype is what made a boy named Sue's life difficult. He was constantly teased for his girly name. He grew angry and bitter towards his father for giving him that name. Ironically though, his father gave him that name for him to become manlier. Through the bullying, Sue would become stronger and tougher. His name was the foundation of who he was to become. -Tita
The song “A Boy Named Sue” explicitly expresses the emphasis that our society puts on names. The song posits that names, like all else in our society, are gendered. Just like with the exercises that we did in class comparing the masculinity and femininity of inanimate objects, animals, musical instruments, colors, jobs, etc., we could do the same thing with names. Sue, is assumed to be a feminine name. In the song, gender inequality is typified as we see that the male character Sue is taunted by fellow men and expected to be weak, because women are stereotypically weak beings. Sue spent his upbringing learning to be mean and learning to use his fist because that was the only way he found to prove his manliness with an “unmanly” name. This idea is later reinforced by the explanation that the father gives fro naming his son Sue. He explains that it is expected of men to be rough and tough. Sue spends his whole life trying to be strong all because that is what he feels is expected of him as a man, and that is what he must do to convince the socialized society around him that even though his name imparts a different message, that he really is what he is expected to be. - Max Samuels
I thought this was awesome. Names are a big part of society today. Names are definitely growing more and more different over the years. Sue however is still a name that many people would probably make fun of or think is weird. I for instance have an odd name. I love my name but I have gotten weird looks and sometimes thought things would be a little different if my name was David or Mike or something. In the song the boy named Sue hates it, but at the end when he realized why his dad named him that, he loves it. He'd still never name his son Sue which pretty much means that even something like a name influences the views of others.
The song, “A Boy named Sue” is a perfect example of how the society stereotypes names as being either masculine or feminine. In the song, Sue doesn’t like his name because it is stereotyped as being a girl’s name. Wherever he goes, he laughed at. People make funny jokes about him which embarrass him. The society stereotypes women as being weak, timid and incapable of doing the “manly” work. Sue faces the same treatment because of his name. His friends make fun of him as being timid and weak. Sue gets frustrated, but when he realizes why his dad named him and the love he has for him. His dad named him Sue so that he could rise above the common stereotypes and become bold and strong. Sue finally calms down and accept his name. He knows that his name can’t be changed now and he has no other option than to accept his name, eventhough he isn't what his name commonly suggests.
This song helps explain how gender stereotypes can affect an individual through his lifetime. Although Sue could have easily been a name for a guy, it has been associated with a more feminine side, and this is what leads to the demise of the boy in the song. He has been ridiculed and judged all of his life because of his name which shows how strongly these stereotypes can change perceptions of people. Despite his masculine demeanor, his classmates all teased him about his name which also leads him to believe in this stereotype as well. I also think that because of this name, the boy has also become more masculine as a result. He felt the need to prove his masculinity in order to defy what he interprets as the meaning of the name and the femininity that accompanies it.
The song here shows two things. One, the most important thing for the father to leave his son was to make sure he grew up tough. The only thing he left his son was a reason to learn how to be. The second thing is that the boy Sue became tough because of. He felt emasculated by the name and would do anything to show that he’s not a girl. He made his whole identity centered on the need to overcompensate the perceived femininity of the name, not because he cared about the name, but because others thought that it was his character to be like the name. -Matthew (11/27/14)
The song by Johnny Cash is about a boy who is named Sue, which is considered by society to be a "girly" name. We often never hear the name Sue and associate it with a boy. Sue's father left when he was young. With that, and society's view of his girly name, Sue had a lot of difficulties growing up. However, at the end we realize the irony of this girly name, because Sue was tough enough to ignore society and fight off the stereotypes, he became very "manly" which is quite opposite of his name. The dad in the end even suggests Sue thank him for leaving and making him tough, so now Sue is very manly.
The song goes against the normal gender stereotypes. Sue, which most people typically associate with females, is a guy's name here. At the end, it is revealed that Sue is actually very manly which surprises the majority of the audience since the name is particularly feminine and most people are initially shocked when finding out that it is a boy in the first place, let alone a tough male.
This song shows the impact of our gender stereotypes on children. The song is about a boy named Sue and his attempt to overcompensate for his feminine name with manliness. Since the name Sue is arbitrarily defined to be considered feminine, the boy feels the need to prove himself to be a man by being tough and develop traits of a stereotypical man. In the end, he became even more manly because of his feminine name. -Shannon Healy
This song is a very accurate summary of the role men are suppose to play in society. Although they are "suppose" to stay with their families it is far more likely a dad will leave a mom and child than a mom leaving a dad and child. The narrative centers around a boy whose father left when he was young. If that wasn't scaring enough his father named him Sue; a name our society has deemed feminine. At the end of the song Sue's father explains that without him to teach Sue how to be a "man" he had to name him Sue so he would become tough. The father acts like Sue should be thankful he made Sue a "man" even when he wasn't there for him growing up. This song also highlights how gender roles are reinforced in our minds by our parents and something as simple as a name. -Celia Reilly
This hysterical song is about a boy who's father has left him and seeks vengeance. Not specifically for leaving him, but rather for giving him a girl name "Sue." Throughout the song the son is portrayed as tough. When the son finally meets his dad and asks him why he named his son Sue, he responds by saying that all his anger and embarrassment of the name would make him tough enough to survive in the real world. This reinforces the gender stereotype of women being soft and weak, while men are considered to be strong and hardy.
This video is a good example of how society generalizes sex and gender with things like colors, names, and stereotypes of how each sex should be. In the video we see a young boy who is given a "girly" name SUE being ridiculed for it. This causes him to work harder to be the opposite of his name and work hard to fits societies idea of a boy. which he does a good job of because he is "tough". at the end of the video we see that was the fathers reason exactly for giving his son a girly name. -Christina Asare
A lot of different discussion has been done, especially in sociology courses, about how gender has been basically given to us from the time of birth. Like this video is saying, even when a male is given a typically female first name, it seems like that person is somehow not manly and has to prove themselves to the rest of society to feel that typical masculine role. If no pink or blue or girl toys vs boy toys ever existed then people wouldn't feel the need to try to somehow prove themselves to the rest of society and they would probably be more content with themselves and what they liked regardless of what the rest of society thought.
This song is about as the title suggests, a boy named Sue, who spends his life attempting to overcome negative gender stereotypes because of his name being one that is generally reserved for a woman. The song comments on how gender stereotypes can overwhelm us and affect our behavior and personality, shown through Sue's dad giving him a girls name as a means to toughen him up.
I agree as well. This gender stereotypes and gender socialization can have serious impact on a persons life, but especially for a child. He would be bullied often for having a girl name making him socially unacceptable. It was wrong doing for what his father did to him. Although his name was Sue, he was actually a very manly person. He broke his social stereotypes and generalization, making him very manly. I believe that what he did to his father might be over the top, but the amount of stress and harm that the boy went through in his childhood is overwhelming.
This song is about a boy, named Sue, living with the gender stereotypes associated with his name because Sue is usually considered a female name. Also, his father left when he was young. He grew up ashamed, which caused him to confront his father later in life. You find out that his father intention for the name was to show him either he could succumb to society’s ridicule or prove them wrong that a name does not define people. I feel the song emphasizes the importance of experience and how it plays in the role of shaping an individual’s personality. The struggles Sue goes through help to shape him as an individual, showing how to face adversity and overcome it. He was able to be a strong independent person creating his own path, separate from the gender stereotypes associated with his name. It also demonstrates how names can belong to certain genders. -Foofie
This song is about a boy who faces many struggles and has to deal with different gender stereotypes. Sue is generally considered a name given to females and while he is not a female, that poses a threat to the stability of the image of his household that others may have. In addition, being that his father also left disrupts the family image as he is now to be raised by a single mother. This raises financial issues. However, even through his adversity, Sue manages to pick himself up and break free of the stereotypical shackles that society put on him. Kenny P
The song describes a story of a son who's father has given him the name Sue which is considered as a female name. The many people would stereotypically think of the name "Sue'" as a female name and assume anyone with this name is immediately a female. The song described the life story of the boy having the burden of carrying a girl's name and having to deal with criticism and humiliation from society. Ironically, the humiliation and criticism the boy received molded him into the man his father dreamt of him becoming. This is an example of how society places stereotypes in names to help identify humans by gender and even their character, however this is not always the case, for the song exemplifies a break in that stereotype. Not all men will have masculine names. Same goes with women having feminine names.
This song brings up an interesting point about gender stereotypes.In our society we have certain names that are dubbed masculine and others that are feminine. In some Spanish societies my name Danielle is considered to be a boys name and I have had some of my Hispanic friends snicker when they heard my name because it sounded like I was a boy.
As demonstrated in this song, the name sue is sought to be a girls name and a girls name only. so guys at bars and other places would make fun of him for his name because sue is typically a feminine name given to women. it exemplifies the gender stereotypes our society faces to this day. Bryce Young
This reminds me of the powerpoints in class that showed how we associate certain toys, professions, and even everyday objects with certain genders. Names are no different. In the song, the boy named Sue obviously faced a lot of hardships because of his name being associated with females. It's interesting how we have classified names as either male or female while others can work for either gender, i.e. Alex, Jamie, Drew, Taylor, etc.
Upon seeing the title of the song and before listening to the song, I unknowingly thought to myself “why would you name a boy Sue?” This goes to reinforce that gender stereotypes are very unconscious. Even though this song was written and performed in 1969, the message of gender socialization still carries on to today, showing that socialized gender perceptions are culturally transmitted from one generation to the other. The song essentially details the journey of a boy whose father names him Sue and abandoned him. Sue experienced hardship due to his name while growing up and thus sought to seek revenge on his father. He finally encounters his father and a fight ensues among the two men. At the end of the fight, his father comments on how strong Sue was and notes “it’s the name that helped make you strong.” Sue’s father is insinuating that all the hardships Sue experienced with regard to his name made him a stronger man. Society attaches gender to many things and names are one of those things. Sue is commonly a girl’s name therefore it would seem odd to have a boy named Sue. Since Sue is a female name, many female stereotypes are most likely attached to the name. I can only imagine all the torment Sue received concerning his name. This instance shows the negative effects of gender socialization by society as Sue remarks “If I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna name him Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!”
This song is a chronicle about a boy named Sue becoming a man. He was given the name Sue by a dad that wasn't going to be there for him. This is what his dad finally says to him when Sue confronts him at the end of the song. This song tackles two issues. The first is that a man having the name Sue is wrong. We all have gender stereotypes and names do not escape it. Our society has two sets of names, guy and girl names, and having a name from the opposite sex goes against all of our ideas of gender. The point is that gender is socialized, Sue doesn't have to be a girl's name, but it is because we made it so, so it is wrong when a guy has that name. The second issue that this song tackles is about gender socialization is families. The dad assumes that he has to name the boy Sue to make him tough, because the dad wasn't gonna be there for him. This is saying that the dad in the family teaches toughness, but this is less socialized than names, although it may not initially seem like it. Back in the hunter-gatherer days, it was the men who had to be tough and strong so they could hunt. They had to be taught from a very young age and who else is going to teach them how to be tough and strong then their fathers. So we have passed this down generation to generation and it is just how it is now. The first issue is completely sociologically constructed but the second comes from our nature. Strange how these ideas can be brought up in a song.
This song brings up two sociological issues faced today. One being a single family home, and the other being gender stereotypes. Sue had a hard life. His father named him a "girl" name, and then left him. This means he was brought up in a single family home; statistically, he probably faced economic hardships being raised by a single woman who probably doesn't make as much as a man does. He also had the absence of a male figure in his life. On top of that, he faced ridicule in school because he was a boy with a girl name. Sue is a name that society has deemed for women. Because his name breaks that norm, people think it's weird, thus, they make fun of him.
The song is about a boy who is named Sue given by his father so that the boy can grow up strong because he would be ridiculed his life by having that name. This song enforces gender stereotype that someone with the name Sue is going to be weak and easily put down. I think in society today, male and female names are somewhat arbitrary and only given their masculinity or femininity based on what society has created that name to be. From an outside point of view a name is just a title for a person put together by letters and should not signify any meaning about who they are as a person
Johnny Cash’s song ‘A boy named Sue’ fits very well with the topic of gender socialization. When you hear the name Sue you automatically attach a woman next it. The song pretty much depicts a father who named his son Sue where after he abandoned the family and left the boy to have a rough upbringing being teased and ridiculed for having a woman’s name. The song reflects a gender expectation society where we expect males and females to fit certain roles and stereotypes to fit the mold of the rest of society.
7) A very important aspect in a child’s development is feeling accepted by ones peers. Because “Sue” was ridiculed by boys and not liked by girls, he describes how he became “mean” and full of shame. Because Sue is typically a girls name, when a boy is named Sue, society will react strangely to it. This goes back to class when we discussed gender socialization. We as a society attach the name Sue to girls, and it seems out of place otherwise. This treatment by society of seeming out of place had a direct effect on how to boy grew up. -Sarah Wigmore
This song illustrates how names (or other characteristics) that are associated with particular gender, negatively affect the person of the other gender. Sue is a name for girls, and because people live in societies, they are influenced by the norms and perceptions of the society. A boy that has a girl's name is treated as deviant, and struggle through life. But in Sue's case, who grew up in a poor family, this was one of the means that could help him get out of the poverty, because since the childhood he had to learn to be better than the others (physically, mentally) in order to survive. In general this video shows how our life is affected by other people, and the norms that the society adopted.
So this is about a boy whose father left him and his mother, and to make the matter worse, named him Sue. So we can imagine how the boy was teased growing up with such a feminine name. He was angry so he became tough, and after he finally found his dad and was about to kill him, he told him that he named him Sue to help him became tough. It is a very moving song, and we can see what will happen to a boy with a girl’s name. This is not really gender inequality, more like what we assume for a certain gender, like girl should have a name like sue, playing with Barbie dolls and be a nurse. It is not very easy to achieve equality between genders if we have all those stereotypes and reinforce them with what we do in our daily life. Li
This song depicts the story of a boy who’s father name him Sue before he left. The boy grew up mad at his father and ashamed of his name because it is typically a girls name. This stereotype effected Sue’s behavior and perspective on life. Fast forward to when he is older and his father tells him, after a fight, that he was trying to teach the point a lesson about life. By having this name, the boy would grow up to be strong. This meant he could potentially not give into the gender stereotypes seen today and teach others to do the same. After this encounter with his father, he noted that although he would never name his child Sue, he gained a new perspective from this experience. This song can act as an explain of the impact that gender stereotypes have on people, and making them stronger, might not always be the end result.
Johnny Cash tells a story about a boy named Sue. His father gave him the name before leaving the family. Sue spent many years hating his father because of his embarrassing first name. Johnny Cash reveals the apparent gender stereotypes that exist. Sue is typically a girl's name. I would imagine that Sue faced a lot of mockery and humiliation because of his name. Society, for the most part, tends to conform with norms and make fun of differences. Sue was bound to experience a hard time, only because he name is Sue. -Brandon Chambers
A Boy Named Sue is a song about a boy that grows up in a society where he does not gets judged by his qualities but by his name: Because he has a girl’s name, he gets faced different problems. Eventually he wants to kill the man who gave him the name: his dad. But the dad told him he gave a girl’s name to him on purpose. He wanted him to be tough. -Jeroen Meefout
This song has always been one of my favorites and until recently I have never seen the true nature of the song. The song is about a boy who receives what is perceived to be a girls name before his father leaves him, and how he grew up with his name.it is crazy to think that both then and now we still have the problem with the gender socialization of something as small as someone's name.
It’s unsettling to think that a person’s name can shape their personality in a way, and even make them harbor so much hate. I think that the only reason a person’s name has so much importance is because society puts importance on it- and as this song shows, utilizes it for gender socialization. But I think it should be noted that a in the recent past, a lot more parents are naming their kids names that could be female or male names, but the old traditions and socialization still goes strong. However, there is one thing that I’ve noticed. Since America has so many different cultures and ethnicities within it, people tend not to judge foreign names. Names that are in another language, or seem foreign, don’t get judged as much in America because the gender socialization for names is specific for each country. For example, a traditional Chinese name may sound feminine to Chinese Americans, but other Americans (who don't know the language) do not know these connotations, so they would treat that person the same. I think that we should start treating everyone equally despite their names, whether we recognize the connotations of the name or not.
to the ridicule society was giving him or show the world that his name has nothing to do with the person he wants to be. He became a really tough man throughout his life, simply from bearing the name 'Sue.' He redefined himself through society and changed the stereotype that accompanies feminine names, because he grew up a man.
The song “A Boy Named Sue” is, like the title hints at, a boy who is named Sue by his father. This is clearly uncommon and typically a girls name, giving Sue a hard time in regards to gender socialization and how society will respect him. Throughout the child’s life, he is ashamed of his “girl” name. One he got older, however, he confronted his father about this situation and was determined to get answers. This led to an argument over his name. It is revealed to us that his father’s intentions from the start were so that he would not have to surrender to the negative reception from society or his friends. His father intended to teach Sue that his name would not hinder him as a person, as he could continue to grow up into the very person he dreamed of being. Because of this, Sue grew to be a resilient person with a tough attitude. By doing so, Sue was challenging the stereotypes that are reinforced throughout society and stood out.
This song is about a boy named Sue which is typically a female name. He hated his father for years because of the name however his father says that he gave him this name on purpose. He believed that giving him this name would make him strong. This shows the direct impact of gender stereotypes can have on a person.
This song discusses an issue that is becoming more prevalent in our society, as names and gender begin to open up for discussion. The song centers around a boy named Sue, which is traditionally a name awarded to females. Sue feels distain for his father, having given him a name which can be perceived as weaker than more typical male names. Although, Sue doesn't necessarily realize the gift he has been given with a name such as this. Through the adversity associated with the name, Sue grew to be stronger and develop a resilient personality. This song speaks to many of the gender stereotypes which exist in our society today.
This song is about the story of a boy named Sue growing up without his father. When Sue rejoins with his father later in life, he asks his father why he would give him a "girl's name" essentially. Sue's father replies saying that he was going to have to learn how to fight without him being there. Though this song is supposed to comedic, this explores the idea of gender stereotypes. Often times, Sue is thought of as a girl's name, and as a child, Sue was teased for having that name. Sue is still angry with his father by the end of the song, but he misses the point of his father giving him that name. Sue was able to prove himself and create a name/identity for himself, regardless of his "limitation".
This song is about a boy named Sue and how he was given that name by his father who left him and his mother. He got made fun of a lot because his name was so feminine. This relates to gender stereotypes and how everybody considers Sue to be a girl's name. Normally there aren't any boys who are named this name because it is so feminine. The boy had to deal with this for a long time and you can tell that it upsets him very much. He decided to become tough so he can show everybody he is not so feminine after all. He finds his father and was going to kill him. His father told him that he named him SUe was so that he could be tough.
"Sue" as a name for a boy doesn't fit our social norms and expectations about gender. As a result, the boy is labeled as a deviant and suffers most of his life.
Alanna Rothman:
ReplyDeleteThe song is about a boy who was named Sue by his father and then abandoned by his father. The boy talks about all the ridicule he faced because he was given such a girly name and how he lived in shame. He also talks about his father left him and the family. This applies to sociology because first it goes against the typical family. Since the father left, "Sue" was raised in a single parent household by his mother and probably faced many financial difficulties because of this. Next, Sue also faced the difficulty of gender stereotypes. Since Sue is considered a girl name in society, the boy was teased and mocked by others for not being a real man.
It's crazy how gender roles in our society affect the way that we think and act. How a boy named "Sue" will get criticized because his name is "feminine" or a girl named "Devon" will be bothered because her name is "masculine". Because of the way we are raised and brought up we will always feel the need to categorize little details such as these into male or female when in reality a name is just a name and should not have a gender attached to it. When I took women's studies this was one of the things we talked about and it was interesting to see how we have been taught to think that certain things MUST be male or female and anything out of that is out of the ordinary and strange and wrong. A male nurse is weird. A woman construction worker is strange. But in reality it should not be this way because we are all still just humans
DeleteThe song details the narrative of a young boy from an early age up until adulthood, eventually boiling up to a final confrontation between the boy and his father. Within the lyrics of the song, lay messages about gender stereotypes and roles as well as society in general. The boy described how tough of a life he has had since his father left their family. However, the challenges faced in growing up in a single parent household are nothing compared to the ridicule that the boy suffered through his life due to his name being "Sue". Towards the end of the song, when he boy finally catches up with his father, the two of them enter a brawl with the son eventually besting his father. At the very end, however, the two are depicted as amicable as their relationship starts to heal.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, the song serves to redefine the gender stereotypes surrounding girls' and boys' names. In the song, the boy named Sue grew up to be a better embodiment of a "man" than most other people due to the struggles that he has faced. His struggles were what shaped his ultimate identity, not his name. Perhaps the most underlying theme in the song is one of identity. Cash describes the social factors that play into shaping one's identity.
-engMANeer
I agree with you on the identity shaping point. My sister-in-law had a very difficult last name growing up and was constantly ridiculed for it. It actually made her a very strong woman, and she seems to face adversity and difficulty with great ease. She's the kind of person that let's things "roll off", if you know what I mean.
Delete-Secret Agent
A Boy Named Sue is about about a boy and his lifelong struggle to take on manly stereotypes to compensate for the fact that he is named Sue. Sue is a name that in our society has really feminine connotations; I have never in my life met a man named Sue. If you hear about somebody named Sue, people automatically assume it is a woman. Because we live in a society that encourages men to be "manly", Sue in the song takes on many traits of a "manly" man. Mainly, he becomes tough. There is irony at the end when he meets his father and his father basically says that Sue should be thanking him for giving that name because it made him into a manly man.
ReplyDelete- Drew Brees
I agree with Drew Brees that this song is about a boy and his lifelong struggle dealing with having a girls name. The boy named Sue in the song attempts to overcompensate for his "girly" name, and eventually embraces the name. Sue is considered a female name; my nickname is actually Jamie and I go by Jamie in everyday life. I remember as a kid my buddies would joke about having a "girl" name. Although always in good fun, it is funny to see first hand how people can joke about the gender identities surrounding their names.
DeleteThe song focuses on the idea that a boy was named Sue by his father, and with it came a lot of struggles in life just because of his name. Throughout his life, he grew being ashamed of his name, as it is a very feminine one in our society. When he got older, he went and confronted his dad and they got into a fight about his name. However, his father's intentions from the very beginning of naming him Sue were that he'd either have to succumb to the ridicule society was giving him or show the world that his name has nothing to do with the person he wants to be. He became a really tough man throughout his life, simply from bearing the name 'Sue.' He redefined himself through society and changed the stereotype that accompanies feminine names, because he grew up a man.
ReplyDeleteRyan Muscatella
ReplyDeleteAs a result of living in a single family household after his father had left, Sue never really forgave his dad. To start, Sue represents the sociological effect of how living without a father figure in the household shaped him into the person he was at the end of the song. In addition, the song also relates to sociology through the identity factor of Sue. By having a feminine name, Sue was stripped from certain dignities he wish he had and as a result, he became embarrassed around girls and angry when other men made fun of him. This can help show how a single parent can have trouble raising a child or how a child may suffer from the absence of a parent. Struggling to find his identity, Sue managed to become tough and ultimately create his own path by learning from the mistake his father had made in the past by not naming his own son a girl's name.
The song "A Boy Named Sue" is about how this young boy being so angry with his father for giving the name Sue before he left. Sue is basically a female name, which results in the young man suffering from ridicule and harassment by everyone. After being embarrassed, Sue grows up being tough and mean. I don't think it was necessary for Sue to attempt to kill his father for giving him the name. However, this is example of gender stereotyping when a boy has a girls' name.
ReplyDeleteAmeerat Olatunde
The song "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny cash talks about a young boy who received the name Sue, commonly known as a feminine name and is both embarrassed as well as furious with his fathers decision. Sue does the most "manly" things you can do and becomes the complete opposite of a female. The outside world embarrasses him and defines him as weak and the opposite of a man, even though he has proved people wrong with his actions. His father explains to him that he should be thankful of his decision on naming him Sue, because this has forced him into becoming a tough, strong man.
ReplyDeleteThis song talks about a boy who tries his best to become what society thinks is a man. He believed that because of his "feminine" name he would have to try extra hard to become a man even if it meant resorting to violence. The song emphasizes how society has engrained in us the importance of gender roles and how we try to fit them the best we can.
ReplyDeleteI think this song does a lot in terms of bring gendered stereotypes to light. There is such a strong sense of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity in our society that it is crippling to those who do not fit into the neat box of gender. This song also exams how exactly we perceive acceptable performances of gender in society and what we strive to "perform" in order to fit in and meet the generalized other's expectations.
ReplyDeleteI think this song is about a boy who had a father that gave him nothing but a bad name. He grew up ridiculed for his girly name and in turn felt he had to become tough and "grew up mean" in order to defend himself from his issues with society. Sue has grown so upset with his father that he decides that upon finding his father, he would kill him. However, upon finding his father and beginning to fight, he is told that he was named Sue by his father to ensure he would grow up strong. The song really tackles into a person's feelings of obligation to 'fit into' society.
ReplyDelete-12keys
This song shows you how the boy named sue discovered his own self. He used some of the looking glass self because he knew that because he had a "girly" name that people would act or treat him different which could have changed how he thought about himself. This also deals with gender stereotyping because it is said that sue can not be a boys name, but there is no law against it. Boys and girls should be able to take any name they feel suited for themselves.
ReplyDeleteKiana Smith
ReplyDelete"A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash is about a boy who was named Sue, which is recognized as a female's name, by his fathrer who abandoned him. He talks about about how he "grew up quick, and grew up mean" to retaliate against the people who would laugh and mock him because of his, in which he says "life ain't easy for a boy named Sue." Over time he builds up a rage towards his father and wants to kill him and midst a violent brawl, his father explains to him that it's the name that helped to make him strong. The song exams how we live in a gender expectation society, where names belong to certain genders.
The video bring stereotypes to focus. It shows the stereotypes on gender.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. This song proves that gender stereotyping exist because a boy was named sue he is made to feel shameful for having a "feminine" name. But if a boy is named Sam or Taylor those names can sway either way. A boy should be able to have whatever name he wants without feeling the judgment that gender stereotyping puts on some things. Gender stereotyping has caused people to put labels on others such as "girly", or "feminine" just because their name is Sue, a boy should be able to have any name he wants and feel masculine about it.
DeleteThis song can speak for a lot of people who have names that do not supposedly fit their "gender". I think people often say that is a "boy " name or a "girl" name and they do not realize how it effects that person. Our society puts people in a box and sometimes its nothing we can do about it. Sue did not choose his name and he had to live with the stereotypes of that given name. It made him "stronger" but honestly did his name have to be the reason why he became stronger.
ReplyDeleteThis song is so comical to it's audience because of the cultural deviance of naming a male a predominantly female name, Sue. I can honestly say that I did not find as much humor in this song as Jonny Cash's audience might have because of the loose lines we have on gender norms in today's society. It is very interesting to me to think of how gender deviance has evolved to a norm in the past 40 years. A song ridiculing the differences between males and females and the norms associated with the sex would not be as accepted in today's culture. In Johnny Cash's song, it is interesting to me to think that no one would question the humor behind the message in the lyric. It also comes to show how long of a way our culture has come with better accepting culturally deviant tendencies including gender preferences.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what went through the father's head when he named his son Sue? Surely there are innumerable ways to teach your son how to be tough. I wonder what Sue's mother said when she was asked why he was given such a name? Does the father have a better respect for toughness and personal growth than other parents who give their children gender specific names? If Sue was born gay, would he hate his father anymore? Is it really any harder for one to grow and be tough with a name dissociated from their gender? Children belittle and denigrate each other for anything.
ReplyDelete----Bl@ckThought---
The song demonstrates the generalized assumption of boys and girls names. As the father named his son Sue, that boys childhood would forever change. The amount of suffering the boy endured by having the name Sue is unbearable. His life was already tough by having only a single parent when his father left, but to add to that with gender stereotypes is unbearable. It is a shame that a person has to go through with something like that. Towards the end of the song when the boy confronted the father, they fight in anger. Overall, the theme of the song had to deal with the identity of a person not through his name but also through the life he lived. Johnny Cash did a great job underlying the message of identify and the social factors that belong to it.
ReplyDeleteThe song "A Boy Named Sue" is about the struggles a boy faces once given a feminine name. In society, when we hear the name Sue, we automatically associate it with a girl. This stereotype is what made a boy named Sue's life difficult. He was constantly teased for his girly name. He grew angry and bitter towards his father for giving him that name. Ironically though, his father gave him that name for him to become manlier. Through the bullying, Sue would become stronger and tougher. His name was the foundation of who he was to become.
ReplyDelete-Tita
The song “A Boy Named Sue” explicitly expresses the emphasis that our society puts on names. The song posits that names, like all else in our society, are gendered. Just like with the exercises that we did in class comparing the masculinity and femininity of inanimate objects, animals, musical instruments, colors, jobs, etc., we could do the same thing with names. Sue, is assumed to be a feminine name. In the song, gender inequality is typified as we see that the male character Sue is taunted by fellow men and expected to be weak, because women are stereotypically weak beings. Sue spent his upbringing learning to be mean and learning to use his fist because that was the only way he found to prove his manliness with an “unmanly” name. This idea is later reinforced by the explanation that the father gives fro naming his son Sue. He explains that it is expected of men to be rough and tough. Sue spends his whole life trying to be strong all because that is what he feels is expected of him as a man, and that is what he must do to convince the socialized society around him that even though his name imparts a different message, that he really is what he is expected to be.
ReplyDelete- Max Samuels
I thought this was awesome. Names are a big part of society today. Names are definitely growing more and more different over the years. Sue however is still a name that many people would probably make fun of or think is weird. I for instance have an odd name. I love my name but I have gotten weird looks and sometimes thought things would be a little different if my name was David or Mike or something. In the song the boy named Sue hates it, but at the end when he realized why his dad named him that, he loves it. He'd still never name his son Sue which pretty much means that even something like a name influences the views of others.
ReplyDeleteThe song, “A Boy named Sue” is a perfect example of how the society stereotypes names as being either masculine or feminine. In the song, Sue doesn’t like his name because it is stereotyped as being a girl’s name. Wherever he goes, he laughed at. People make funny jokes about him which embarrass him. The society stereotypes women as being weak, timid and incapable of doing the “manly” work. Sue faces the same treatment because of his name. His friends make fun of him as being timid and weak. Sue gets frustrated, but when he realizes why his dad named him and the love he has for him. His dad named him Sue so that he could rise above the common stereotypes and become bold and strong. Sue finally calms down and accept his name. He knows that his name can’t be changed now and he has no other option than to accept his name, eventhough he isn't what his name commonly suggests.
ReplyDeleteThis song helps explain how gender stereotypes can affect an individual through his lifetime. Although Sue could have easily been a name for a guy, it has been associated with a more feminine side, and this is what leads to the demise of the boy in the song. He has been ridiculed and judged all of his life because of his name which shows how strongly these stereotypes can change perceptions of people. Despite his masculine demeanor, his classmates all teased him about his name which also leads him to believe in this stereotype as well. I also think that because of this name, the boy has also become more masculine as a result. He felt the need to prove his masculinity in order to defy what he interprets as the meaning of the name and the femininity that accompanies it.
ReplyDeleteThe song here shows two things. One, the most important thing for the father to leave his son was to make sure he grew up tough. The only thing he left his son was a reason to learn how to be. The second thing is that the boy Sue became tough because of. He felt emasculated by the name and would do anything to show that he’s not a girl. He made his whole identity centered on the need to overcompensate the perceived femininity of the name, not because he cared about the name, but because others thought that it was his character to be like the name.
ReplyDelete-Matthew (11/27/14)
The song by Johnny Cash is about a boy who is named Sue, which is considered by society to be a "girly" name. We often never hear the name Sue and associate it with a boy. Sue's father left when he was young. With that, and society's view of his girly name, Sue had a lot of difficulties growing up. However, at the end we realize the irony of this girly name, because Sue was tough enough to ignore society and fight off the stereotypes, he became very "manly" which is quite opposite of his name. The dad in the end even suggests Sue thank him for leaving and making him tough, so now Sue is very manly.
ReplyDeleteThe song goes against the normal gender stereotypes. Sue, which most people typically associate with females, is a guy's name here. At the end, it is revealed that Sue is actually very manly which surprises the majority of the audience since the name is particularly feminine and most people are initially shocked when finding out that it is a boy in the first place, let alone a tough male.
DeleteThis song shows the impact of our gender stereotypes on children. The song is about a boy named Sue and his attempt to overcompensate for his feminine name with manliness. Since the name Sue is arbitrarily defined to be considered feminine, the boy feels the need to prove himself to be a man by being tough and develop traits of a stereotypical man. In the end, he became even more manly because of his feminine name.
ReplyDelete-Shannon Healy
This song is a very accurate summary of the role men are suppose to play in society. Although they are "suppose" to stay with their families it is far more likely a dad will leave a mom and child than a mom leaving a dad and child. The narrative centers around a boy whose father left when he was young. If that wasn't scaring enough his father named him Sue; a name our society has deemed feminine. At the end of the song Sue's father explains that without him to teach Sue how to be a "man" he had to name him Sue so he would become tough. The father acts like Sue should be thankful he made Sue a "man" even when he wasn't there for him growing up. This song also highlights how gender roles are reinforced in our minds by our parents and something as simple as a name.
ReplyDelete-Celia Reilly
This hysterical song is about a boy who's father has left him and seeks vengeance. Not specifically for leaving him, but rather for giving him a girl name "Sue." Throughout the song the son is portrayed as tough. When the son finally meets his dad and asks him why he named his son Sue, he responds by saying that all his anger and embarrassment of the name would make him tough enough to survive in the real world. This reinforces the gender stereotype of women being soft and weak, while men are considered to be strong and hardy.
ReplyDeleteThis video is a good example of how society generalizes sex and gender with things like colors, names, and stereotypes of how each sex should be. In the video we see a young boy who is given a "girly" name SUE being ridiculed for it. This causes him to work harder to be the opposite of his name and work hard to fits societies idea of a boy. which he does a good job of because he is "tough". at the end of the video we see that was the fathers reason exactly for giving his son a girly name.
ReplyDelete-Christina Asare
A lot of different discussion has been done, especially in sociology courses, about how gender has been basically given to us from the time of birth. Like this video is saying, even when a male is given a typically female first name, it seems like that person is somehow not manly and has to prove themselves to the rest of society to feel that typical masculine role. If no pink or blue or girl toys vs boy toys ever existed then people wouldn't feel the need to try to somehow prove themselves to the rest of society and they would probably be more content with themselves and what they liked regardless of what the rest of society thought.
ReplyDelete-Chelsea Pudimott
This song is about as the title suggests, a boy named Sue, who spends his life attempting to overcome negative gender stereotypes because of his name being one that is generally reserved for a woman. The song comments on how gender stereotypes can overwhelm us and affect our behavior and personality, shown through Sue's dad giving him a girls name as a means to toughen him up.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well. This gender stereotypes and gender socialization can have serious impact on a persons life, but especially for a child. He would be bullied often for having a girl name making him socially unacceptable. It was wrong doing for what his father did to him. Although his name was Sue, he was actually a very manly person. He broke his social stereotypes and generalization, making him very manly. I believe that what he did to his father might be over the top, but the amount of stress and harm that the boy went through in his childhood is overwhelming.
DeleteThis song is about a boy, named Sue, living with the gender stereotypes associated with his name because Sue is usually considered a female name. Also, his father left when he was young. He grew up ashamed, which caused him to confront his father later in life. You find out that his father intention for the name was to show him either he could succumb to society’s ridicule or prove them wrong that a name does not define people. I feel the song emphasizes the importance of experience and how it plays in the role of shaping an individual’s personality. The struggles Sue goes through help to shape him as an individual, showing how to face adversity and overcome it. He was able to be a strong independent person creating his own path, separate from the gender stereotypes associated with his name. It also demonstrates how names can belong to certain genders.
ReplyDelete-Foofie
This song is about a boy who faces many struggles and has to deal with different gender stereotypes. Sue is generally considered a name given to females and while he is not a female, that poses a threat to the stability of the image of his household that others may have. In addition, being that his father also left disrupts the family image as he is now to be raised by a single mother. This raises financial issues. However, even through his adversity, Sue manages to pick himself up and break free of the stereotypical shackles that society put on him.
ReplyDeleteKenny P
The song describes a story of a son who's father has given him the name Sue which is considered as a female name. The many people would stereotypically think of the name "Sue'" as a female name and assume anyone with this name is immediately a female. The song described the life story of the boy having the burden of carrying a girl's name and having to deal with criticism and humiliation from society. Ironically, the humiliation and criticism the boy received molded him into the man his father dreamt of him becoming. This is an example of how society places stereotypes in names to help identify humans by gender and even their character, however this is not always the case, for the song exemplifies a break in that stereotype. Not all men will have masculine names. Same goes with women having feminine names.
ReplyDeleteThis song brings up an interesting point about gender stereotypes.In our society we have certain names that are dubbed masculine and others that are feminine. In some Spanish societies my name Danielle is considered to be a boys name and I have had some of my Hispanic friends snicker when they heard my name because it sounded like I was a boy.
ReplyDeleteAs demonstrated in this song, the name sue is sought to be a girls name and a girls name only. so guys at bars and other places would make fun of him for his name because sue is typically a feminine name given to women. it exemplifies the gender stereotypes our society faces to this day.
ReplyDeleteBryce Young
This reminds me of the powerpoints in class that showed how we associate certain toys, professions, and even everyday objects with certain genders. Names are no different. In the song, the boy named Sue obviously faced a lot of hardships because of his name being associated with females. It's interesting how we have classified names as either male or female while others can work for either gender, i.e. Alex, Jamie, Drew, Taylor, etc.
ReplyDeleteOyin Adedipe, 0601
ReplyDeleteUpon seeing the title of the song and before listening to the song, I unknowingly thought to myself “why would you name a boy Sue?” This goes to reinforce that gender stereotypes are very unconscious. Even though this song was written and performed in 1969, the message of gender socialization still carries on to today, showing that socialized gender perceptions are culturally transmitted from one generation to the other. The song essentially details the journey of a boy whose father names him Sue and abandoned him. Sue experienced hardship due to his name while growing up and thus sought to seek revenge on his father. He finally encounters his father and a fight ensues among the two men. At the end of the fight, his father comments on how strong Sue was and notes “it’s the name that helped make you strong.” Sue’s father is insinuating that all the hardships Sue experienced with regard to his name made him a stronger man. Society attaches gender to many things and names are one of those things. Sue is commonly a girl’s name therefore it would seem odd to have a boy named Sue. Since Sue is a female name, many female stereotypes are most likely attached to the name. I can only imagine all the torment Sue received concerning his name. This instance shows the negative effects of gender socialization by society as Sue remarks “If I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna name him Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!”
This song is a chronicle about a boy named Sue becoming a man. He was given the name Sue by a dad that wasn't going to be there for him. This is what his dad finally says to him when Sue confronts him at the end of the song. This song tackles two issues. The first is that a man having the name Sue is wrong. We all have gender stereotypes and names do not escape it. Our society has two sets of names, guy and girl names, and having a name from the opposite sex goes against all of our ideas of gender. The point is that gender is socialized, Sue doesn't have to be a girl's name, but it is because we made it so, so it is wrong when a guy has that name. The second issue that this song tackles is about gender socialization is families. The dad assumes that he has to name the boy Sue to make him tough, because the dad wasn't gonna be there for him. This is saying that the dad in the family teaches toughness, but this is less socialized than names, although it may not initially seem like it. Back in the hunter-gatherer days, it was the men who had to be tough and strong so they could hunt. They had to be taught from a very young age and who else is going to teach them how to be tough and strong then their fathers. So we have passed this down generation to generation and it is just how it is now. The first issue is completely sociologically constructed but the second comes from our nature. Strange how these ideas can be brought up in a song.
ReplyDeleteThis song brings up two sociological issues faced today. One being a single family home, and the other being gender stereotypes. Sue had a hard life. His father named him a "girl" name, and then left him. This means he was brought up in a single family home; statistically, he probably faced economic hardships being raised by a single woman who probably doesn't make as much as a man does. He also had the absence of a male figure in his life. On top of that, he faced ridicule in school because he was a boy with a girl name. Sue is a name that society has deemed for women. Because his name breaks that norm, people think it's weird, thus, they make fun of him.
ReplyDeleteThe song is about a boy who is named Sue given by his father so that the boy can grow up strong because he would be ridiculed his life by having that name. This song enforces gender stereotype that someone with the name Sue is going to be weak and easily put down. I think in society today, male and female names are somewhat arbitrary and only given their masculinity or femininity based on what society has created that name to be. From an outside point of view a name is just a title for a person put together by letters and should not signify any meaning about who they are as a person
ReplyDeleteJohnny Cash’s song ‘A boy named Sue’ fits very well with the topic of gender socialization. When you hear the name Sue you automatically attach a woman next it. The song pretty much depicts a father who named his son Sue where after he abandoned the family and left the boy to have a rough upbringing being teased and ridiculed for having a woman’s name. The song reflects a gender expectation society where we expect males and females to fit certain roles and stereotypes to fit the mold of the rest of society.
ReplyDelete- Cameron J. Goins/ 12/10/14
7) A very important aspect in a child’s development is feeling accepted by ones peers. Because “Sue” was ridiculed by boys and not liked by girls, he describes how he became “mean” and full of shame. Because Sue is typically a girls name, when a boy is named Sue, society will react strangely to it. This goes back to class when we discussed gender socialization. We as a society attach the name Sue to girls, and it seems out of place otherwise. This treatment by society of seeming out of place had a direct effect on how to boy grew up.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Wigmore
This song illustrates how names (or other characteristics) that are associated with particular gender, negatively affect the person of the other gender. Sue is a name for girls, and because people live in societies, they are influenced by the norms and perceptions of the society. A boy that has a girl's name is treated as deviant, and struggle through life. But in Sue's case, who grew up in a poor family, this was one of the means that could help him get out of the poverty, because since the childhood he had to learn to be better than the others (physically, mentally) in order to survive.
ReplyDeleteIn general this video shows how our life is affected by other people, and the norms that the society adopted.
So this is about a boy whose father left him and his mother, and to make the matter worse, named him Sue. So we can imagine how the boy was teased growing up with such a feminine name. He was angry so he became tough, and after he finally found his dad and was about to kill him, he told him that he named him Sue to help him became tough. It is a very moving song, and we can see what will happen to a boy with a girl’s name. This is not really gender inequality, more like what we assume for a certain gender, like girl should have a name like sue, playing with Barbie dolls and be a nurse. It is not very easy to achieve equality between genders if we have all those stereotypes and reinforce them with what we do in our daily life.
ReplyDeleteLi
This song depicts the story of a boy who’s father name him Sue before he left. The boy grew up mad at his father and ashamed of his name because it is typically a girls name. This stereotype effected Sue’s behavior and perspective on life. Fast forward to when he is older and his father tells him, after a fight, that he was trying to teach the point a lesson about life. By having this name, the boy would grow up to be strong. This meant he could potentially not give into the gender stereotypes seen today and teach others to do the same. After this encounter with his father, he noted that although he would never name his child Sue, he gained a new perspective from this experience. This song can act as an explain of the impact that gender stereotypes have on people, and making them stronger, might not always be the end result.
ReplyDelete-Cierra Horsting
Johnny Cash tells a story about a boy named Sue. His father gave him the name before leaving the family. Sue spent many years hating his father because of his embarrassing first name. Johnny Cash reveals the apparent gender stereotypes that exist. Sue is typically a girl's name. I would imagine that Sue faced a lot of mockery and humiliation because of his name. Society, for the most part, tends to conform with norms and make fun of differences. Sue was bound to experience a hard time, only because he name is Sue.
ReplyDelete-Brandon Chambers
A Boy Named Sue is a song about a boy that grows up in a society where he does not gets judged by his qualities but by his name: Because he has a girl’s name, he gets faced different problems. Eventually he wants to kill the man who gave him the name: his dad. But the dad told him he gave a girl’s name to him on purpose. He wanted him to be tough.
ReplyDelete-Jeroen Meefout
This song has always been one of my favorites and until recently I have never seen the true nature of the song. The song is about a boy who receives what is perceived to be a girls name before his father leaves him, and how he grew up with his name.it is crazy to think that both then and now we still have the problem with the gender socialization of something as small as someone's name.
ReplyDeleteConor wetzel
It’s unsettling to think that a person’s name can shape their personality in a way, and even make them harbor so much hate. I think that the only reason a person’s name has so much importance is because society puts importance on it- and as this song shows, utilizes it for gender socialization. But I think it should be noted that a in the recent past, a lot more parents are naming their kids names that could be female or male names, but the old traditions and socialization still goes strong. However, there is one thing that I’ve noticed. Since America has so many different cultures and ethnicities within it, people tend not to judge foreign names. Names that are in another language, or seem foreign, don’t get judged as much in America because the gender socialization for names is specific for each country. For example, a traditional Chinese name may sound feminine to Chinese Americans, but other Americans (who don't know the language) do not know these connotations, so they would treat that person the same. I think that we should start treating everyone equally despite their names, whether we recognize the connotations of the name or not.
ReplyDeleteto the ridicule society was giving him or show the world that his name has nothing to do with the person he wants to be. He became a really tough man throughout his life, simply from bearing the name 'Sue.' He redefined himself through society and changed the stereotype that accompanies feminine names, because he grew up a man.
ReplyDeleteThe song “A Boy Named Sue” is, like the title hints at, a boy who is named Sue by his father. This is clearly uncommon and typically a girls name, giving Sue a hard time in regards to gender socialization and how society will respect him. Throughout the child’s life, he is ashamed of his “girl” name. One he got older, however, he confronted his father about this situation and was determined to get answers. This led to an argument over his name. It is revealed to us that his father’s intentions from the start were so that he would not have to surrender to the negative reception from society or his friends. His father intended to teach Sue that his name would not hinder him as a person, as he could continue to grow up into the very person he dreamed of being. Because of this, Sue grew to be a resilient person with a tough attitude. By doing so, Sue was challenging the stereotypes that are reinforced throughout society and stood out.
- Louis Pardo
This song is about a boy named Sue which is typically a female name. He hated his father for years because of the name however his father says that he gave him this name on purpose. He believed that giving him this name would make him strong. This shows the direct impact of gender stereotypes can have on a person.
ReplyDeleteThis song discusses an issue that is becoming more prevalent in our society, as names and gender begin to open up for discussion. The song centers around a boy named Sue, which is traditionally a name awarded to females. Sue feels distain for his father, having given him a name which can be perceived as weaker than more typical male names. Although, Sue doesn't necessarily realize the gift he has been given with a name such as this. Through the adversity associated with the name, Sue grew to be stronger and develop a resilient personality. This song speaks to many of the gender stereotypes which exist in our society today.
ReplyDeleteDavid Campbell
This song is about the story of a boy named Sue growing up without his father. When Sue rejoins with his father later in life, he asks his father why he would give him a "girl's name" essentially. Sue's father replies saying that he was going to have to learn how to fight without him being there. Though this song is supposed to comedic, this explores the idea of gender stereotypes. Often times, Sue is thought of as a girl's name, and as a child, Sue was teased for having that name. Sue is still angry with his father by the end of the song, but he misses the point of his father giving him that name. Sue was able to prove himself and create a name/identity for himself, regardless of his "limitation".
ReplyDeleteThis song is about a boy named Sue and how he was given that name by his father who left him and his mother. He got made fun of a lot because his name was so feminine. This relates to gender stereotypes and how everybody considers Sue to be a girl's name. Normally there aren't any boys who are named this name because it is so feminine. The boy had to deal with this for a long time and you can tell that it upsets him very much. He decided to become tough so he can show everybody he is not so feminine after all. He finds his father and was going to kill him. His father told him that he named him SUe was so that he could be tough.
ReplyDelete"Sue" as a name for a boy doesn't fit our social norms and expectations about gender. As a result, the boy is labeled as a deviant and suffers most of his life.
ReplyDeleteKevin Fan