TW: Mentions of Sexual Assualt

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Dove Cameron's (American soloist and actress) newest and highly anticipated single, "Breakfast", has garnered much attention since its release on June 24, 2022. However, the music video accompanying the song makes an audacious statement. Dove critiques the existing situation regarding abortion laws in the United States and the Roe v. Wade judgement made by the Supreme Court. She uses the song and music video to express the outrage and frustration that all AFAB (assigned female at birth) people in America feel about the oppressive laws that are imposed on their bodies. Said music video shows an alternate universe in which gender roles are reversed: women are in positions of power in every facet, and men are treated as inferior. Some sub-themes seen throughout the music video are gender roles in the workplace and at home and sexual assault (victim blaming). However, abortion laws and reproductive rights are the most focused on.

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As previously mentioned, the entire music video centres around the Roe v. Wade case, which effectively banned or limited abortion in many of the 50 states. In the music video, Cameron shows a universe where, rather than women, men are considered the homemakers in a relationship and women are the breadwinners. She also shows what the situation regarding abortion laws would look like for men if the roles were reversed and they were the ones who could get pregnant instead.

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The music video starts with the voiceover of a news anchor speaking about men's reproductive rights. Cameron's voice cuts over the announcement, continuously interjecting what the anchor is saying and turning the conversation to the women who are not impacted by the laws in this universe. It is a direct depiction of what is happening in the US. Men who know nothing about carrying a pregnancy without preparation (mental, physical, financial, etc.) make laws for the people who do, for several reasons that benefit them. To keep themselves in power at the top of the social hierarchy and continue to push down any other minority group that could threaten them.

How do they get away with it? They convince the women that what they do is not enough. They have been doing so for centuries. In the same voiceover, Cameron says, "You wanna talk about power?" "My husband gets to stay at home and watch TV while I work every day." By convincing men that they have more luxury than women because they are the homemakers, Cameron shows how women stay in power and take advantage of men's positions. It is what has been happening in the workplace for decades. Women are not given positions of control because men fear it will negatively affect them. While women are told they are fortunate not to have these jobs, they lose financial independence, and their voices are oppressed. Throughout the rest of the music video, the men in the office are scared of the women because they know they are the minority and are going against the norm, which is also a reversed portrayal of real life.

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Furthermore, the shots of the television in the music video show a black and white screen with Cameron in a blonde bob cut. This incorporates elements of the early 1900s and shows how these outdated traditional gender roles have carried into the modern world. The contemporary world is shown in the scenes of the office and (presumably) bar where they have the meeting. The shot from 1:18 to 2:14 is where another sub-theme is seen: sexual assault. The man is extremely uncomfortable around the women, even when there is just one with him. He is forced to consume alcohol and be in a sexual situation, which he is shown to regret later.

He rushes off the clinic after getting a call, after which Cameron says, "Men are so emotional; I mean, get it together, you know?" at 2:51. Another dated notion is exhibited here: that all women are overly sensitive. At the clinic, the doctor informs the man that he is okay but then advises him to dress in a way that does not provoke women, blaming the victim of assault for the atrocious violation committed against him. Another direct commentary on biases in the medical field, especially when it comes to cases regarding pregnancy and sexual harassment,

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Another eye-catching part of the music video is, as mentioned earlier, the advertisements. They are shown on an old television, in black and white. Despite making a tiny part of the music video, their distinguishing characteristic is that they are all marketed towards men. The men are told to buy the products or ask their wives to buy them to impress their partners. It shows how, in real life, women are always expected to try to impress their husbands because they are the breadwinners. It is the woman's responsibility in the relationship because their lives are allegedly easier. This stereotype reinforces the belief in men that they do not have to try to be good or even faithful to their wives to continue being married to them. Of course, this notion is not as popular today, but it still exists.

The final part of the music video that stands out is the end. While this happens throughout the video, it is especially highlighted at the end. The television Dove is watching starts glitching. It switches between the advertisements, a woman (Dove) banging on the other side of the screen, and videos of protests against the Roe v. Wade decision. The woman's banging on the screen symbolises how trapped women feel in the world we live in today, surrounded by outdated stereotypes that are continuously reinforced.

Additionally, the glimpses of protest videos highlight the focus of the entire music video. In the context of the video, Dove (outside of the television) realises that the life she lived in the music video is not true at all. It is almost as if she wakes up from a dream and relearns the horrific realities of her world. It is how innumerable AFAB people feel every day of their lives.

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Cameron sets a beautiful example of what it means to be an activist—using a music video to amplify the voices of those suffering the most from patriarchal biases that have been in society for centuries. Because of her, many women in the US and worldwide feel heard and spoken for. Hopefully, the men who do not realise how privileged they are can now empathise with how difficult life gets for others. However small her contribution may have been, Dove attempted to make a change. She and the director of the music video, Lauren Dunn, beautifully summed up the many differences between the treatment of people based on their bodies in various scenarios people face in their day-to-day lives.

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Written by: Tanushree Gupta

Edited By: Vidhi Channa

Designed by: Leeyin Marbaniang

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