Gabby Kuper
January 22, 2018
Comparison Essay
The Essence of Relationships
The foundation of every society begins at the very least of its social domains, the family. Nonetheless, the aspect of two strangers of different genders joining each other in matrimony is of great interest. Because of this, women have set out to show the world what it really takes for two people to co-exist in a mutual relationship. In ascertaining this, the paper scrutinizes, compares, and contrasts the songs Respect by Aretha Franklin and It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls. From the analysis presented herein, it can be concluded that companionship, intimacy, respect, and equality are fundamental to the survival of any affectionate relationship.

Companionship
Companionship is among the most significant themes that can be highlighted from the two songs. As such, both songs admit to the fact that men need women and vice versa. To begin with, Aretha Franklin in Respect reminds her man that she has what he is in dire need of. The singer states that, What you want Baby, I got, What you need Do you know I got it? On the other hand, she also admits that she misses the love that only he can give her. Aretha continues to mention the word home with reference to her significant other thereby insinuating that his arrival is among the events that she anticipates the most day to day. Furthermore, the singer states that she is willing to give her man all her money so long as he respects and loves her. In essence, this is a confession of mutual desire.

Similarly, The Weather Girls in It’s Raining Men suggest that women need men for companionship. In verbatim they state, Get ready, all you lonely girls and leave those umbrellas at home….It’s gonna start raining men. Apart from that, the two women continuously express feelings of excitement as they look outside their window for the raining men. The two implicate Mother Nature as a single woman too who could not bear the feeling of being lonely and thus decided to ascend to heaven to commission the raining of men. Therefore, both songs express the companionship aspect of relationships both in the past and in the contemporary society.

Intimacy
Notably, the artists use several sexual illustrations to depict the value of intimacy in relationships. To begin with, Aretha Franklin in Respect says that Ooo, your kisses (oo) Sweeter than honey (oo). Arguably, this proves her intricate desires to be intimate with her man. On the other hand, the second song—It’s Raining Men—is laden with provocative scenes and lyrics. For instance, the men featured in this video are predominantly nude. Furthermore, their bodies are well toned and their physiques equally appealing. From the way they stare at the camera, the male gaze becomes apparent. Similarly, The Weather Girls use words such as Tall, blonde, dark and lean Rough and tough and strong and mean, which evoke sexual stances. Therefore, both lyrics admit that intimacy enhances relationships between men and women.

Respect
Obviously, Aretha Franklin’s song is about respect. The singer highlights the significance of couples respecting each other and how relationships can easily be ruined in its absence. For example, Aretha sings I’m about to give you all of my money, And all I’m askin’ in return, honey, Is to give me my propers. Furthermore, she threatens that Ooo, your kisses (oo), Sweeter than honey (oo), And guess what? (oo), So is my money (oo)….. Or you might walk in (respect, just a little bit) And find out I’m gone. Therefore, this song—Respect—illustrates that at the core of every relationship lies the need to value each other.
On the other hand, It’s Raining Men provides no insight on the importance of respect in a relationship. As such, the only time The Weather Girls insinuate that women need to be treated exceptionally well is when they state So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy. Apart from that, there is no other evidence of women requesting anything from men. On the contrary, the song portrays women as subjective to men since they glorify the raining of men as if they are miracles. Although this might depict the desire for love, it is not prudent for the songwriters to glorify men whilst shelving their own interests. Therefore, Respect portrays the need for men to acknowledge the worth of women and to be valued as equals, as It’s Raining Men does not.
Gender Parity
In addition to that, the first song contains traces of issues pertaining gender parity. As such, Aretha Franklin in Respect states that And guess what? (oo), So is my money (oo). Arguably, the fact that women earn and keep own their money is a good indicator of gender parity in the contemporary world. Therefore, Aretha Franklin suggests that gender parity gives women leverage to ask for better treatment from men. Furthermore, she insinuates that financial independence offers women the power to walk out of abusive relationships if they are not rectified. On the other hand, It’s Raining Men offers no indication of this whatsoever. Instead, The Weather Girls only highlight the joy men bring and neglect the challenges women face too.

In summary, the two songs Respect and It’s Raining Men provide a satisfactory illustration of the essence of men and women cohabiting in love and romance. However, Respect makes a point to define the threshold of treatment beyond which women should defect, while It’s Raining Men solely focuses on the profound joy men bring to women.