Meghan Trainor’s new music video to “Dear Future Husband” has received over 10 million views on YouTube since its release on March 16. Its popularity can be largely attributed to the controversy surrounding its overt sexism.

Although Trainor has previously been recognized for promoting healthy body perceptions among women with her song “All About That Bass,” she is now receiving negative attention surrounding the issue of unrealistic gender expectations.

The video features Trainer baking and scrubbing the kitchen tiles of her made-to-order home, as she sings, “I’ll be the perfect wife/Buying groceries,” a scene straight out of a 1950’s infomercial.

Some argue this stereotypical portrayal of femininity is satirical, mocking the idea of the perfect housewife.

This may have been the intended direction of the video, but there is another more prominent sexist theme that cannot be denied: the idea that women should use sex as a form of control. 

The lyrics, “After every fight/Just apologize/And maybe then I’ll let you try and rock my body right,” as well as, “If you wanna get that special lovin’/Tell me I’m beautiful each and every night,” coupled with images of a “perfect wife” send the message that it’s acceptable for wives to withhold sex in order to get the best out of their husbands. 

In addition to the ramifications Trainor’s video has on women, “Dear Future Husband” also creates unrealistic expectations for men, and more importantly treats them as objects to be possessed by their wives.

In one clip from the video, Trainor’s date takes a crack at a carnival strength tester but is too weak to ring the bell. Trainor responds by shaking her head and walking away, suggesting only strong men are worth a lady’s time.

Then to top it off, just like every other suitor who fails to meet Trainor’s high expectations, a big red ‘FAIL’ is stamped on his face. In this way he’s comically portrayed as a man who fails at being masculine.

In “Dear Future Husband”, men derive their worth from their physical strength, rather than the content of their character. But don’t worry fellas, you can make up for it as long as you’re completely complacent towards your wife or girlfriend.

One of Trainor’s requirements for her future husband is that he “just apologize.” She elaborates, “Even if I was wrong/You know I’m never wrong/Why disagree?” Instead, a man “better love [her] right” by “open[ning] doors for [her]” and “buy[ing her] a ring.” 

These unrealistic relationship expectations create inflexible gender roles and encourage women to dominate, and dehumanize, their husbands.

 While women are faced with oppression and sexual objectification far more frequently than men, Trainor’s new music video to “Dear Future Husband” stretches to the other end of the spectrum by demanding men’s complacency, fandom, and submission.

 As a result, “Dear Future Husband” paints Trainor as less of a feminist and more of a female supremacist, unintentionally causing strain on the fight for gender equality.