She kissed a girl, and she liked it
As I glimpsed at a poll on Billboard.com one afternoon, I decided that a piece on Katy Perry was too much to pass up. The irony here is that I am not an avid pop music listener, but it was something even CoS couldn’t resist.
The radios have been playing her song “I Kissed A Girl” at regular intervals for weeks, but it seems the public has a few things to say. According to said poll, the big question was whether or not supposedly homoerotic lyrics on terrestrial stations would be offensive to the general masses.
My question, however was somewhat different.
One expects a song like this to catch your attention on the mere basis of its subject matter, and it was probably intentional - why else would that song be the top single? After failing to get a response from Katy Perry or her publicist or her label, I decided to do a little research on behalf of the big topic: why does this song raise so many inqueries?
We’ve seen controversy like this for years over the matter of censorship or just plain ethics when it comes to musical expression. Between 2 Live Crew and (coincidentally enough) George Carlin, the stage was set for the FCC to get involved, and yet they leave this song alone. Why? Has our culture become more open-minded and accepting to such lyrics as “I kissed a girl and I liked it/the taste of her cherry chapstick”? And if they are more accepting, then why are chains like Wal-Mart still sticking to selling only “clean” albums?
Believe it or not, Billboard’s percentages state that approximately 70% of people claim the lyrics are misinterpreted. Instead of referring to the erotic nature, they say that those who think it’s erotic are only looking at the hook of the song. This is because at the end of “I Kissed A Girl”, Katy Perry (or whomever she is speaking for) begins questioning her actions. One could argue that it’s not about what happened between her and the other woman - but the concept of trying something most consider taboo.
Questioning what defines a “good girl”.
Another standpoint could be the double-standard of modern America. Statistics show that people - men and women, alike - are more accepting of two women as lovers than of two men. Is it because the former is more appealing to the mass population? Is it the beauty of two females coercing in such a manner? After all, who knows what a woman wants better than another woman, right?
So why even bother analyzing this track at all? Censorship has always tried to close the lid on things that raise questions, and yet they let this be. The reason for analysis is clear - a second double-standard. I cannot fathom how something so easily mistaken for eroticism can be let go, while hundreds of my favorite songs are put beneath the microscope. This country takes themselves too seriously, so I like this song for two reasons.
One being the obvious - I’m a guy, and this is hot.
The second is not as much so - it sets a precedent. There will be more songs like this in the future, and it will a great day indeed when we don’t need a subscription to Sirius to get unedited material playing on our car stereos.
Why does this song raise so many questions? Because everyone knows what’s coming, and while some fear it, I welcome it with open arms. Freedom of speech is only a freedom when one takes responsibility for their statements, and how can one censor others’ words without inadvertently shirking the artists’ responsibility or the strength behind what they’ve said?
Let the lessons begin.
haha. Interesting Read.
I know of a couple people going to warped next week, I’m thinking of tagging along. If I do, I’ll definitely be checking out her set, just for kicks.
Jill Sobule kissed a girl a long time ago:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3918698
david I gre up listening to rap and everything else but little kids don’t need to hear this on the radio. Now as a parent I have to sensor main stream radio for my litle girls.
As a parent myself, I can somewhat see your point here.
My argument is simple: it’s not the responsibility of the government, the artist, or the stations to censor anything.
The parent has a responsibility - not to necessarily censor at all times, but to explain the messages of these artists to the child/children in a manner they can best understand and a manner you can best phrase.
If you are unable to do so, then my dad said it best - there’s an ON/OFF switch for a reason.
The world is full of things that have always pushed the envelope, since the beginning of time - some good, some bad. Freedom of speech comes with an inherent responsibility by both the one talking and the one listening.
The one talking must accept the consequences of their actions and words, and the one listening must be reasonable enough to decide for themselves whether they want to hear it or not (children or no children).
The world will not stop turning, nor will each generation avoid turmoil and/or rebellion to coddle children or those with sensitive moral grounds, as honorable or well-intentioned as they might be.
My advice is to be open and be willing to explain the message in the music to the best of your ability, or simply change the channel until a better time/place to explain makes itself known.
Oct 4th, 2008 at 11:01 am
[...] while back, I wrote an article concerning Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” and radio censorship. Today, the Lone [...]