The Tramp Stamps are that band whom the internet loathes right now. Their social media presence alone provides an indication as to why these women are being ruthlessly cyberbullied on TikTok.
But cringy lyrics and auto tuned vocals would be tolerable if they were the band’s only offense. Beyond overt marketing strategies that have yet to fool a soul, this band’s general aesthetic, lyrics and themes give a sinister impression of anti-feminism via the caricature method.
To caricature something is to “give a comically or grotesquely exaggerated representation of” that thing, according to the Lexico dictionary. That’s what this band seems to be—a caricature of the modern feminist and her values.
There’s something to be said for the “forced” aesthetic of the Tramp Stamps; their multicolor hair, gen Z lingo, constant cursing to the point of immaturity and bragging about having depression. That, and the fact that the band has a gay member, feels very pandered to the gen Z and gen whatever-the-people-born-from-1995-to-2005-are.
The pandering isn’t the worst part, though. These women are real human beings, yes, but this façade they’re presenting for their celebrity image has damaging consequences to the real human beings mocked by the band member’s on-screen caricatures.
If the members of Tramp Stamps aren’t aware that they’re perpetrating this subliminal caricature method to undermine genuine feminist bands and movements, fine! The internet is a wonderful space in which to be educated and to educate.
The stereotypes can be addressed first. Dyed hair, torn clothing—which is obviously expensive by the looks of it—and anger. That’s what we see when we scroll through the Tramp Stamp’s TikTok.
Separately, none of these would be irreparable offenses. Together, they form the caricature of a modern feminist: someone who is angry at the lack of equality between the sexes and who deliberately chooses not to comply with patriarchal standards of beauty by dressing and presenting how they would like to.
But, and here’s the kicker: none of Tramp Stamp’s songs go beyond the perspective of a privileged white woman who feels angry with the lack of good sex or romantic men in her life.
A feminist is someone who upholds the “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests.”
To hammer this point home, let’s look at the lyrics from the three songs that Tramp Stamps have released. Trigger warning for implied non-consensual sexual activities.
“I’d Rather Die” has received backlash on TikTok for suggesting that the song’s protagonist has non-consensual intercourse with a man because of the lyrics, “I don't know how you think we're gonna fuck / When you can't get it up / I'm sick of hearing it's the alcohol.”
The next lyric, “And when you're finally in the mood,” is even more damning because it suggests that the protagonist’s partner was not in the mood for sex when she was belittling and pressuring him.
These apparently powerful women who chose not to conform to patriarchal standards are threatening a man and pressuring him into sex against his will. This is obviously not a great look for feminism.
The use of harsh, vicious language in Tramp Stamps’ lyrics, such as “roll over and die,” create an image of an overdramatic, or even threatening, woman who will be violent because she can’t good get sex as soon as and whenever she wants it.
That’s called entitlement, and it’s usually one of the things feminists want men to stop feeling. Equality can mean no member of any sex feels entitled to another individual’s consent and body. Just saying.
The female protagonist in the song “1-800-miss-ur-guts” takes a jab at her support group and seems just generally angry at the fact that she isn’t dating her high school boyfriend anymore. “Now I got a shit job / Fake friends that don't know who you are,” sings the protagonist character.
This is another very bad look for the feminists whom this band supposedly represents with their caricatures. Treating your friends poorly or choosing to stick around people you don’t like is entirely solvable. The whiney quality to these lines enforces the ‘entitled white woman feminist’ narrative, which modern feminism is attempting to correct and resolve through discussion of intersectionality and privilege.
The third of Tramp Stamps’ three released songs, “Sex With Me,” doesn’t brighten the feminist image that this band is pushing. Honestly, it might tarnish this feminist image the most of the three.
At first, it’s not that bad. The lyrics describe a protagonist who enjoys sex, which is empowering. Then, the words “psycho,” “insane” and “crazy” come in, associated with the protagonist. Multiple times, the protagonist asks the man she’s sleeping with why he’s telling his friends she’s insane. This may seem innocuous on the surface, but plants a dangerous literary seed.
If you’re familiar with the concept of the unreliable narrator, you’ll probably see what this line implies—that there are two sides to this story, and we are only hearing one: the protagonist’s side. That, plus the obvious fury of the protagonist visible in the use of several swear words and shouting, make listeners subconsciously more likely to assume that the man the protagonist is sleeping with might not actually be the bad guy.
The protagonist then goes on to literally threaten the man she’s sleeping with in the lines “maybe if I told them that you cry in bed / you’d have a little respect for the pussy you get.” This threat makes listeners more likely to shy away from siding with the protagonist, especially because her sexual partner doesn’t seem to be threatening her in any way.
But actually—why is this protagonist so angry? Because the relationship is toxic? She says she’s “sick of sticky towels.” Okay, then stop sleeping with this guy. It’s actually a very easy problem to solve. The protagonist shows her true colors when she calls her sexual partner “a stupid bitch” and “a coward” just because the relationship is a little messy.
So no, it’s not about the corny rhyme schemes and obvious pandering, Tramp Stamps. This is a visceral mockery of feminism from the privileged white woman perspective, and clearly implies that the men in every song are the victims and that the protagonists are insane. Fix your feminism and you’ll earn your positive fame.