Bianca Cirimele HCOM 440 J. Hayes “Before He Cheats” Songs about infidelity are popular in the genre of country music. Carrie Underwood’s popular song “Before He Cheats” tells of a scorned woman who was cheated on by her romantic partner. She offers a detailed account of his possible happenings with another woman in a salty bar scene. The lyrics also describe the revenge that the wronged woman takes on her unfaithful ex in order to teach him a lesson. Many of the themes in the song exemplify the concepts in Stephen Yoshimura’s work “The Communication of Revenge:…” According to Yoshimura revenge can be defined as “an action in response to some perceived harm or wrongdoing by another party that is intended to inflict damage, injury, discomfort or punishment on the party judged responsible.” (Yoshimura, 2007, p. 274) Underwood’s song depicts such a situation. She sings “Right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleached-blond tramp” ("Before He Cheats", 2006). She further indicates that his offense was infidelity by singing, “Cause the next time that he cheats…Oh, you know it won't be on me!” ("Before He Cheats", 2006). These lines describe the wrongdoing committed by her partner. Yoshimura argues that such “transgressions are painful because they often threaten the victim’s face…” (Yoshimura, 2007, p. 275). When one is cheated on, the act is considered a harm that damages the emotions and image of the victim. The offended party may respond to unfaithful transgressions in a vengeful or retributive manner. Whether a victim will respond vengefully depends upon how they view certain factors surrounding the act. How much the victim thinks about the offense affects their response, “Rumination was associated with decreased inclination to forgive offenders… rumination over a specific event was associated with greater degrees of vengeful inclination and general revenge behavior.” (Yoshimura, 2007, p. 275) It is clear that Underwood is stewing and ruminating over not only the event, but the offender. She ponders “Right now, he's probably up behind her…With a pool stick…showing her how to shoot a combo.” ("Before He Cheats", 2006) These and other musings indicate that she is much less likely to forgive her ex and also that she is more likely to participate in vengeful behaviors. Her desire to seek revenge is not uncommon nor is it seen as culturally unacceptable, “Revenge has repeatedly been reported as a perceived legitimate motivation for infidelity across studies in the United States.” (Yoshimura, 2007, p. 275). Once a harmed person has decided to seek retribution, there are many motivations or desired outcomes behind their behaviors. In some situations, “Retaliation helps restore equality and alleviates distress experienced by both victims and harm doers.” (Yoshimura, 2007, p. 275) Repairing equality may also lead to the face repair that is needed after a threatening or damaging event. Additionally, “the wronged party experiences a desire to (re)establish dominance and power over the offender.” (Yoshimura, 2007, p. 277). This can serve as a punishment for the offender and redemption and validation for the offended. The notion of punishment for the delinquent may come in the form of a lesson. Underwood shows that this is her motivation for revenge in the chorus, “maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats.” ("Before He Cheats", 2006). She believes that her retributive behavior serves to teach the offender that his actions are not acceptable and that they will not go unpunished. With a legitimate transgression, motivation, and desired outcome guiding her, the singer decides to stick it to her ex where it hurts. Her revenge comes in damaging his physical, personal property. “I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up 4 wheel drive…Carved my name into his leather seat…I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights…Slashed a hole in all 4 tires.” ("Before He Cheats", 2006). The hurt comes full circle when she seeks to inflict damage, harm, and discomfort on the person that did so to her. The popularity of this song confirms the universality of revenge behaviors and serves as a warning to those defectors who would stray.