First Time Reaction to Paris Paloma "Labour"

[@LadyLawAlly]

What I absolutely love from this video by Paris Paloma, is that every single detail screams of symbolism. He sits there and does nothing to help as she brings in this entire feast of a meal. She is expected to sit, quietly, while he feeds his face. When he taps the goblet, that was his signal to clear the table but she changes her mind and sits back down. She then picks up the pomegranate (which has so much symbolism itself) and eats ravenously. At the end, the last scene is her disappearing from the table, and his life. This entire song is littered with symbolism about how marriage was supposed to be her savior but instead she was just used. Even the types of plates have deep meaning with the video.

[@TouchyReactions]

The small details are great. Thanks for sharing.

[@grantairias]

i agree with all of this!! my personal favourite detail is that he has a full unlit candle next to him and the one she lights before the first verse is already half gone and slowly disappears until the end of the song when it’s literally burnt out. lots of excellent symbolism there!!!

[@ishaaustin971]

@@grantairias My favourite is the fact that from our (and her) perspective she acted completely justifiably and it wasn't a surprise when she left but to HIM, he was so surprised that when he looked up, there was no trace of her left- it was jarring and completely unprompted for him, this shows how ignorant men are to women and their suffrage and how most men in this type of situation don't learn or realise until they've already hurt someone (and even then most men of this type will call it 'unfair' that she abandoned him and hate women more rather than realising their own faults)

[@Kkkkkkkkkkkk-7]

The red stuff was a pomegranate! I think she ran away at the end, she was talking about an escape plan at the beginning...

[@SailorMoon1fan]

I mean pomegranates do symbolize marriage and fertility so her destroying the pomegranate would be her basically saying I’m done with this relationship 🤷‍♀️

[@SIMMIS_0316]

@@SailorMoon1fan it could be a reference to Persephone, since pomegranates were often associated with Hades.

[@SailorMoon1fan]

@@SIMMIS_0316 yeah that’s true there are a lot of different ways to interpret it ☺️

[@kristal5053]

The escaping at the beginning was to symbolize an attempt to unalive herself,that’s what the rope was for,so maybe she died at the beginning and he was hallucinating

[@Kkkkkkkkkkkk-7]

@@kristal5053 That sadly makes sense 🥲

[@pyrosfuel]

This song is therapy for men who are paying attention!

[@ashleyolson6475]

She has another release of this song with 100 voices labour the cacophony you should check it out it is EXTREMELY powerful with so many emotions. Same song but so much stronger. This is ancestral women's rage anthem!

[@solus8685]

She ate a pomegranate, which is not only a reference to the Bible aka the forbidden fruit but also to femininety

[@azurastar6245]

No. The pomegranate is a fruit that has been attributed towards feminism before the Bible existed all the way to Greek mythology and beyond. It’s the fruit represented in many art and architectural and etc. of feminism. Of women being strong and standing on their own. It has nothing to do with the Bible or the fruit of the apple

[@MessangerOfDiscord]

Not only that but the fact that the first thing she grabbed was a fruit could also allude to the “fruits” of her labour (could be reading the situation wrong tho tell me what you think)

[@solus8685]

@@azurastar6245 I just said pomegranates were the forbidden fruit in the Bible, which is true. Idk about other mythology in relation to it or where it's feminine symbolism came from..

[@maevav5645]

@@solus8685 from what I remember the Bible never said what fruit was🤔

[@SarahRegina29]

@@maevav5645 Wow. Your comment made me realize that it actually doesn't say an apple. Now I'm on a journey to figure out what it was.

[@isabellp.5730]

I wish he would have let her talk. This is a song about women's generational trauma and disenfranchisement and she can barely get a word in over his assumptions. He did not get the point at all.

[@TouchyReactions]

Good point

[@chromolith]

Are we surprised that a man took this song, silenced a woman, and made it all about his interpretations?

[@freyathais]

@@isabellp.5730 this was exactly what I was thinking. Especially when she asked to talk to give her opinion. He should have listened to her and instead of joking "thank God you don't have a relationship like this", ask, does anything about this makes you think of our relationship? At least, I hope they had that conversation in private, he seems like a sweet guy, just needs a little guidance especially with something as nuanced as living as a woman in this world. I did like when he said in the end "did she kill him?" It's like he was starting to understand the feeling 😂

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

Look up the cacophony version. Its a song about a bunch of issues like inequality, self-determination and violence... And the fact that she can talk about that theme and literally hundreds of women immediately volunteer to be a part of it just hows how fundamentally our society fails.

[@ladyofdarkness5887]

She just posted a new version of this song with a bunch of women.

[@suzannebaxter2888]

Sorry but as a man you missed what she was saying and your wife couldn't get a word in edgeways. It's about the emotional labour, women are forced and have been forced to do for hundreds of years. The music video is highly symbolic and the lyrics are fantastic. "All day, every day Therapist, mother, maid Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant Just an appendage, live to attend him So that he never lifts a finger." The unfair and unrealistic standards that woman are held up to, be crazy in bed, but a virgin. a mother/nurse first and a wife second. The last line means do all the work so he doesn't have to even move, but it also means do all the work so he doesn't hit you. Some men will get this but most it goes over their head. When the children's voices join in at the end brings this very powerful song to another level. Make no mistake this is for all women. We all understood every word she sang we all identified with the scene and that's what makes this so powerful. We identify with it like nothing else before

[@TouchyReactions]

Thanks for sharing Suzanne.

[@19terracottapie]

I think they somehow both missed it? At 5:30 his wife is trying to describe an crazy picture about "the ones up there" (the top percent she says) making the poor people work while taking all the money for themselves, which is actually not even a tiny point of this song...I mean just like her being a perfect victim to patriarchy without even get it a bit (or not willing to say it out loud). I just do not understand her/their conclusion/misinterpretation for that since they read the wikipedia entry about the song which clearly said it is about gender inequality, which they even read out loud. Btw everything you're writing in your analysis just nails it.

[@carolla_michelle]

@@suzannebaxter2888 we all feel this, in our bones, in our DNA. This song is our warrior cry

[@carolla_michelle]

@@19terracottapieher face says to me that she gets it

[@19terracottapie]

@@carolla_michelle Yeah, maybe you're right

[@Ghostn8bit]

This resonated with Her and thats what matters... ❤

[@TouchyReactions]

Absolutely 💯

[@lonelymemeswitgmemainacc]

When she says “it's not an act of love if you make her” and “the silence in our bed chamber is haunting” is referring to SA. His not having to lift a finger refers to abuse and his not working along with the verse about her capillaries, which happens when someone is strangled, abusive partners are more likely to end up killing their sgnigicant other. Her candle being so short means she lights it every day, she puts effort into the relationship, and her husbands is not lit and is still tall. in the end it is completely burnt out, like her. Paris did an amazing job writing this 🥲

[@TouchyReactions]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of this with us. It makes the song hit harder.

[@jubiveeline]

Something to note here is that marriage was historically a woman's *only* escape route, at least one where she could confirm her continued safety (even if domestic abuse was incredibly normalised) as opposed to being a spinster as property of her parents in an often lower social class. Another note is that a lot of men say that 'well you do the dishes yeah but who fixes the car? the TV?' and other mechanical chores of the like. I see that, but it's also wrong. Single women need to do those things? Widows do those things? Married women will anyway do all those things? Plus, these are not every day chores. Imagine coming home from work (and factor in workplace sexual harassment, lower pay, lesser opportunity and not being allowed to be so 'assertive' because we all know when a woman does it its bossy) to spend possibly hours on domestic chores- dishes, cleaning, the bulk of childcare (traditionally, and this pattern persists) for no pay and no recognition, when dads often get looked on as capable parents just for remembering to pack lunches for kids regardless of how healthy they are while a mom gets called a bad mother for conceding to a single processed food item. This cycle then repeats day after day, week after week, month after month, decade on decade, and for 50 of those years she's physically fucked over by the godforsaken menstrual cycle (see: men and women on period simulators) and nobody ever can even bother to say thank you unless its mothers day specifically. God forbid you *miss* something, or you ask your husband to do even *half* that work too, all while looking thin with clear skin and a perfect smile for everyone unless you want to be a scary woman who people should avoid and a perfect parent to children who are taxing and the absolute body horror of pregnancy. It's exhausting.

[@FortheLoveofMonsters]

A daughter sending this to her parents to react to is WILD 😂 I would have follow up questions for her.

[@ChobiChiX]

My favourite visual that goes on, is while the husband eats, she sits waiting for him to finish, she has a clean and untouched plate. The food and wine are closer to him, but he still expects her to fill his cup, when hers is presumably still dry. When she stands to do it but stops, sits and begins to eat, she's taking care of her needs, which include leaving the table or relationship that it one sided. And going into the lyrics: "If we had a daughter, I'd watch and could not save her. The emotional torture, from the head of your high table. She'd do what you taught her, she'd meet the same cruel fate. So now I've gotta run, so I can undo this mistake." - This is not good or healthy for me, and I certainly don't want the same for her, so I'll make the change. And then: "It's not an act of love if you make her." - There's nothing wrong for wanting to care for one's partner, but when the acts that are done out of love become habit, and without reciprocation, the love makes way for resentment to build.

[@NPC8087]

It’s also about the inequality of women throughout history and now. We are still being paid less than make co-workers, the Supreme Court and some states took away the rights of our bodies. In some states we’re not allowed to divorce a violent spouse until we gave birth. BTW she was eating a persimmon. A persimmon is symbolic of women. She’s eating the fruit of her labour.

[@NPC8087]

Oops I meant pomegranate not persimmon.

[@revitacycle264]

I've seen a few reaction videos, this is far and away my favorite! The dynamic between Mr. & Mrs. facial expressions are VERY telling... I'm sure editing was a challenge. 😉

[@TouchyReactions]

Wow, thank you!

[@jimryan6624]

@@TouchyReactions . . . . Point proven !!!! . . . .We SEE you !!!!!!!

[@moondragon3535]

There's no hidden class meaning. It's 100% about gender relations...

[@bentley684]

Paris is a lovely person and I know this because she is my neighbour. When she moved in I was worried about disturbing her as I'm a musician (Alto Sax) little did I know. Please listen to her music she is so talented. She also owes me a corkscrew lol. All the best from London.

[@TouchyReactions]

Love the corkscrew story.

[@bentley684]

@@TouchyReactions she had a house warming party and couldn't open the wine bottle, I eventually bought her one as a house warming gift. She is a lovely neighbour and dare I say it friend. Plus my youngest daughter is a fan so it's brownie points for me .

[@sourcherrypie]

The part where he says he's doing everything 😂 The daughter cooked with this suggestion

[@jimryan6624]

Super catchy? . . . . .. . .RE watch your own video and LOOK at the pain on HER face !!!

[@syliakarar8208]

The dude sucked to much

[@Catdoingkittystuff]

I've never seen anyone point out the candle. She lights it up once she sits down, but his is never lighted up. The way I see it, she's giving him a deadline, while he has the mindset that she's always going to be there, that she's always gonna stay despite whatever he does or doesn't do. In the end, her candle is already melted away, and the fire is no longer there, and from the way he pauses when seeing her gone, it probably means he's surprised. He expected her to stay, like he expected her to do all those things for her.

[@popejaimie]

Shout out Robin, I wish more people would react to this one!

[@WonderLady]

He doesn’t get it

[@zasharadouglas770]

Nope

[@kippuliana5769]

The look in her eyes at “baby machine” while he was just enjoying the flow…

[@sydneybird2462]

Are watching the same video? Did you actually listen to their commentary when they paused the song? I'm a young woman and I feel like he understands perfectly. They both seemed to understand the meaning really well.

[@sourcherrypie]

@@sydneybird2462 yeah, no

[@anonymouslyy_me_]

@@kippuliana5769 Exactly!!

[@annadreamsart9756]

Thank you! You should listen to the new version, Cacophony, with all the other women singing too.

[@Pangerfly]

Notre dame is one of my favorites by her!

[@LilMizRandom09]

And now I have a new song I love. Thank you!

[@karly.asshhh]

absolutely I adore notre dame and it's so underrated

[@charlottevanzeventer9766]

check the song the fruits from Paris Paloma. is also beautiful and also very many hidden meanings in that one

[@sydneybird2462]

Y'all have earned a new subscription! Thank you for this reaction!

[@maxime234_g]

I love this song❤❤

[@MEGQuilts]

Looking for more anger at the patriarchy? "Irrelevant" by Pink. Mostly refers to recent US events, but calls back to the history that got us here, too.

[@TouchyReactions]

Thank you 😊

[@hindaschneider5206]

Paris Paloma is British.

[@lebeaubastion]

Pomegranate is the symbol of women and fertility

[@TouchyReactions]

I never knew that. Thanks for sharing.

[@TK-oq9yf]

You guys got the analysis 100%!!!

[@TouchyReactions]

Thanks

[@carmensnyder3333]

It's a Poamagranit

[@LianaDy-fr5ct]

Hi please react to Regine Velasquez 'ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED' (in that video she is short hair) please I love ur videos!!❤❤❤

[@TouchyReactions]

I'll add it to my list

[@LianaDy-fr5ct]

@@TouchyReactions thank you I'm very excited to ur react of this videoo!!!

[@ruthottender2789]

It's not an act of love if you make her!

[@tinahilliard4447]

She is the one that is gone. She was eating a pomegranate. You missed so much symbolism and double meanings to the lyrics.

[@x8bitboyx]

Kinda interesting and strange to see a man get the point of this music and video over a woman for once he got it on the dot right away not.. Sure she did 💀

[@Gayfrogsonlogs]

I also love “burn your village” by Kiki Rockwell totally different but also similar. Also I just love Paris and her song “the fruits” is my fav :)

[@TouchyReactions]

It's so good!