"Manchild" and other songs about male incompetence

Switched on Pop · 2025-06-17

Looking for relationship advice? Skip the self-help books and turn to Sabrina Carpenter's latest single "Manchild" instead. This deep dive into the art of musical insults reveals how pop's newest sensation joins a legendary lineage of women artists who've perfected the craft of calling out incompetent men through song. From Dolly Parton's subversive "Dumb Blonde" to TLC's iconic "No Scrubs," there's an entire musical tradition of witty takedowns that reclaim power through clever wordplay, genre-hopping arrangements, and lyrical traps that expose male vanity.

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Songs discussed

Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild"

Sabrina Carpenter "Espresso"

Olivia Rodrigo "Driver's License"

The Beatles "Get Back"

Heart "Barracuda"

Dolly Parton "Dumb Blonde"

Sabrina Carpenter "Please Please Please"

TLC "No Scrubs"

Destiny's Child "Bills, Bills, Bills"

Destiny's Child "Independent Women Part 1"

Shania Twain "That Don't Impress Me Much"

Carly Simon "You're So Vain"

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Switched on Pop

A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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