It seems Ms. Katy Perry has done it again. She's succeeded in enraging me, and many others, with her lyrics and catchy beats. Her song "I kissed a girl" is analysed thousands times better than I could have done here. The first time I heard the lyrics on the radio, I couldn't quite believe it, this is too much bull shit, even for where music seems to have lead us. But with all the negative things that can and have been said about the song, at the end, the listener can be fairly assured that the message is the same as it often is; true lesbianism is non-existent, but women having sex with women is HOT.
I ventured to youtube to listen to it again, and when I did, I stumbled upon her other hit "Ur so gay". I'm not sure which song makes me more angry that she's making money off of, and that tweens and teens every where are listening and singing along with out a thought ... it's too close to call. There is so much wrong with this song, so I'll start with the title. "Ur so gay", the use of the "word" "Ur" is painful; she's 24 for God's sake she could use the term "You're"! (That's proper or common grammar, not feminism, Ms. Perry.) Now, onto more important things, "Ur so gay (and you don't even like boys)" is the basis of this song. "Gay" of course, is being used in a derogatory way; as if this is the only "insult" she can think to aim at her intended prey. Both of these send a message to me, at least, that she's hoping for her audience to be young groups of teenagers, which is scary. She's telling them it is okay to make fun of and discriminate against those who are "different". When they're 12 and 13 is probably the worst time to be telling children this.
Now, onto the actual lyrics... they're riddled with so many stereotypes of a gay male it is painful to hear. Vegetarian males who wear eye liner on myspace. But the first verse sold me on how terrible of a song it is, "I hope you hang yourself with your H & M scarf", yeah, that's good, tell people to commit suicide because you don't like them.
What's even more frustrating, is that while her lyrics to "I kissed a girl" suggest lesbianism is fake, but women having sex with women is still hot and arousing for the male audience, who will inevitably have to be involved, for if they were not, it may be considered an act of betrayal. The lyrics in "Ur so gay" translate to male homosexuality= not acceptable, and men having sex with men is even less so!
As a musician, her music leaves me wishing she just hadn't published those songs. She has a potentially strong sound suited for the genre she's in- but now I have a feeling she's always going to be that girl who kissed a girl and liked it.
My anger towards these songs leaves me thinking and ranting in circles, but I will keep this short, for this is my first post and I thought I might like to just try it.
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I really, really, REALLY hate her so much. Oh are you aware that she comes from a Christian background and have had no luck with her Christian-crap music?
F--k Katy Perry and fuck her shitty, crappy hateful, homophobic, mysogynistic music.
Oh but you know us homos, we will rush to buy anything with the word gay in it!
[/sarcasm]
To defend the "Ur"
(And only the grammar part)
Le Tigre uses similar word reduction in a song called Dude, YR so crazy. And I'm sure we all love Le Tigre (Girl-crush alert on Kathleen Hanna).
But otherwise? I've heard from a million people that while "I kissed a girl..." is catchy, once purchasing the rest of the album, they found it to be pure crap.
It's a guilty pleasure of mine, but I'm a sucker for catchy electro-pop. However, something about it made me twitch and thanks for pointing out what that was. :)
Yeah... Katy Perry makes me want to vomit.
I have many pastimes and hobbies: spelunking, taxidermy, underwater basketweaving, and of course, informing people that the word "gay" is not a synonym for "stupid," "dumb," "pointless,"...etc etc. I tell them to only use "gay" when referring to me, something that is undeniably awesome, or someone else that identifies as "gay" and enjoys being labeled as "gay". This task has taken up much of my life, along with telling people that saying "that's retarded" is derogatory in that it marginalizes people with disabilities, and using such a phrase is along the same lines of using the "N" word.
But anyways, thank-you Katy Perry for reinforcing these negative viewpoints and behaviors. You just made my life undeniably easier by influencing the most influential age groups, those damn teens and tweens. I can't wait to hear all the "that's so gay" comments waiting for me once I step back into civilization in a few weeks.
On to the "I kissed a Girl" song. I HATE IT. It makes me want to rip my ears off so I do not have to endure such homophobic, anti-lesbian, propoganda manifesting itself on the radio. My feeling about the song is that it makes lesbian relationships seem a joke and illegitimate or just for amusement or fun to excite a boy, or a way to pass the time until the boy shows up.
I believe she says in the song that it feels "wrong" Holy HOMOPHOBIA, Batman... Why would kissing a girl be any more wrong than kissing a man? I LOVE KISSING WOMEN AND IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT FEEL WRONG.
Thank-you Katy Perry for helping teens questioning their sexuality know that it is wrong to be a lesbian unless it is just temporary and for fun.
In addition, there is an awesome baby lesbian song written by Jill Sobule called, "I kissed a Girl." Wow, the same name, only I love Jill Sobule and that song. It makes me giddy. I guess this is another reason to hate Katy Perry since I love Jill's totally better song with the same name infinitely more than Katy's piece of shit.
in addition, I am wondering if there has been any type of movement against the song by conservative, republican types, who may interpret the song as a promotion of lesbianism and a threat to the American family and way of life... you know, all that bullshit they claim to be protecting when really they just want to marginalize anyone and everyone that doesn't fit into the exclusive circle of hegemony enforced by held ideologies that they worked so hard to create?
I can see how some may see it as promoting it while others and I see it as more of a slap in the face... kinda interesting, it may be hated for 2 different reason's entirely... so, who the hell likes this song? oh yeah, those people with no convictions or standpoints whatsoever... ignorance is bliss. I think there may be more of these people than we think. But what's better, having a stance even though it is totally corrupt and ridiculous or having no stance at all???
(I think I'd rather be nothing than a conservative republican... but that's just me)
I believe she says in the song that it feels "wrong" Holy HOMOPHOBIA, Batman... Why would kissing a girl be any more wrong than kissing a man? I LOVE KISSING WOMEN AND IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT FEEL WRONG.
In context, that line is immediately followed by "It felt so right." So basically, she's conflicted about doing something on impulse that she would not have done while sober. Yeah, that's a really offensive sentiment...
I read an article in Rolling Stone about her, and she admitted to never having even kissed a girl. The song is supposedly based off of a girl she had a "crush" on when she was like, 10. It just shows that she's trying to be a sell-out and not in a genuine way AT ALL. Bleh.
She horrifies me.
I've only heard "I Kissed A Girl" and not any other song of hers, but based on that I want her to go away fast.
Maybe if she hadn't included the line "I hope my boyfriend don't mind it" (ugh - grammar alert! though that one may be to fit the rhythm of the song) I might be able to look past it as just another annoying overplayed pop song, but with that line it goes from that to complete misogynistic drivel.
Katy Perry, trying to be edgy: UR DOIN IT RONG
The very fact that she wrote a song called Ur So Gay is unbelievable. How many white people get away with songs using the N word??? Can you imagine a song about Jews or people with disabilities on mainstream radio? How can homophobia *still* be ok in our society???? Oh, wait, I forgot: it's because it's about 1) men who "act like women" or turn other men "into women"; or 2) women who *gasp* don't want men... of course.... it's the whole misogyny thing which is still perfectly ok in the 21st century...