"Miss America" by Blur appears to be a critique of American ideals of womanhood and domesticity. Frontman Damon Albarn repeatedly refers to the titular character as "a Jemima." This is likely alluding to Aunt Jemima, the breakfast food brand that employed racial stereotypes in its logo and marketing campaigns. Specifically, the mascot was based on the problematic "Mammy" stereotype, which faced widespread criticism for exploiting enslaved African American women.
An intoxicated Graham Coxon can be heard yelling "Michael!" at the beginning of this song. The guitarist was speaking to Blur's publicist, Mike Smith. Smith had walked into the studio to find Coxon drunkenly hammering on the leg of a chair. This also ended up on the recording of "Miss America," as Blur's actual drummer, Dave Rowntree, spent that evening down the pub, according to the Modern Life Is Rubbish liner notes.
Blur has only played "Miss America" live on two occasions, with both performances taking place in 1993. Coxon, however, has been known to occasionally include the song in his solo concert repertoire over the years.
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