Two and a half years, at the very least, since I've had my last Soapbox moment, and this one's been in the making for a few months at least.
Let me preface this blog post with a couple of things. 1. I know the timing is late. I'm not old or late in the game, just late in professing it. 2. I am not a complete conservative, who has no idea what it's like to live in the real world. I am conservative, however, in the idea that a perfect world is safe and honest and complete.
I've never, ever in my life considered myself a feminist. In fact, I'm mad that I no longer have the option to stay home and take care of my family. To me that is most fundamental, but to the world, some feminists included, it's some sort of captivity. I state all this because I'm about to get all feminist on your ass. Update: I realize feminist may not be the best choice of word here, but what should I use? Don't-want girls-to-think-all-they're-good-for-is-sex? A little too wordy, I think.
Jason Derulo. He's an incredibly talented musical artist. His voice is on point, and obviously his choice of instrument is smart. He's got the beat, and the rhythm, and all the goods to reign over the popular music radio stations. In fact, he's quite intelligent sounding when speaking, as though he's been formally educated. But who the hell is writing his lyrics? Forget the idiocy that is Trumpets", I'm heading back to "Talk Dirty".
Let's just go ahead and put the lyrics out there, courtesy of azlyrics.com: You don't have to read them just yet, but here they are.
Get jazzy on it
[Jason Derulo:]
I'm that flight that you get on, international
First class seat on my lap girl, riding comfortable
'Cause I know what the girl them need,
New York to Haiti
I got lipstick stamps on my passport,
You make it hard to leave
[Jason Derulo:]
Been around the world, don't speak the language
But your booty don't need explaining
All I really need to understand is
When you talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me
Get jazzy on it
[Jason Derulo:]
You know the words to my songs
No habla inglés
Our conversations ain't long
But you know what is
I know what the girl them want,
London to Taiwan
I got lipstick stamps on my passport
I think I need a new one
[Jason Derulo:]
Been around the world, don't speak the language
But your booty don't need explaining
All I really need to understand is
When you talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me
[Jason Derulo:]
Uno, met your friend in Rio
Dos, she was all on me-o
Tres, we can ménage à three though
Quatro, ooh
[2 Chainz:]
Dos Cadenas, close to genius
Sold out arenas, you can suck my penis
Gilbert Arenas, guns on deck
Chest to chest, tongue on neck
International oral sex
Every picture I take, I pose a threat
Bought a jet, what do you expect?
Her pussy's so good I bought her a pet
Anyway, every day I'm trying to get to it
Got her saved in my phone under "Big Booty"
Anyway, every day I'm trying to get to it
Got it saved in my phone under "Big Booty"
[Jason Derulo:]
Been around the world, don't speak the language
But your booty don't need explaining
All I really need to understand is
When you talk dirty to me
Talk dirty to me (you you you)
Talk dirty to me (yeah yeah)
Talk dirty to me (talk to me)
Talk dirty to me (oh yeah)
Get jazzy on it
What? I don't understand!
I have a thirteen year old daughter. Fortunately for me, she has a mind of her own. A mind that takes her way beyond the borders set by pop culture. In fact, she was mad that her own father liked this song. Her dad is all about the beats and the rhythms in songs. I'm sure if he realized a song might encourage his daughter to be promiscuous, he would hate it. But he doesn't think that way musically. And here, I have to give a little back story. Both her father and I grew up on gangster rap. Besides the killing and the drugs, slutty women was the main focus of the genre. However, as I'm sure you can guess, in real life slutty girls weren't thought of fondly. By anybody, even guys. But it was more about the musicality than it was the lyrics, at least to the male gender. And it was't just gangster rap. It was TLC and Salt 'N Pepa, and the like. Obviously, that wasn't the only type of music out there. There was also the alternative and grunge - the kind of music that made you feel acutely aware of your awkwardness. You could be slutty, or you could be awkward. According to pop culture, it was our choice. Okay okay, to be completely up front, music wasn't the end-all-be-all of how to behave. But it did have its own power. People know what they see, what they hear. Especially teenagers.
Back to the song. "Don't speak the language . . . all I really need to understand is when you talk dirty to me". Well, there you have it. All that matters is a sexual tryst. Doesn't even matter if you know what the hell she's saying. It could be "Dude, you have the most rotten-est smelling junk I ever been around", but if I say it seductively, you won't even have a clue, but it doesn't matter 'cause all you want is to get off. And that's all guys really want from a girl, to be able to get off.
That's the message. Sorry, that's not the message, that's the flat out song, not even counting 2 Chains verse. How is this even popular? How do we let our boys and girls think this is good? Just because it may have a catchy beat? I could make a catchy beat out of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, if that's all it takes.
Backing up a bit, I said her father doesn't pay much attention to lyrics. But I do, and I still liked that song. Thinking about it makes me realize that my daughter has so much more strength than I did. She understands what's expected in fiction as opposed to what's expected in reality.
I don't want to say that music controls anyone's lives, because it's in the hand of the person living. But what we hear and say and think, ultimately, has an effect on our behavior. There are songs out there that are empowering and/or uplifting, they just don't seem to have that same kind of popularity. Let's change that.
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