Generally songs don´t usually have the power to put overwhelming amounts of rage into my heart, but occasionally it does happen. One I think of off the top of my head being Toby Keith´s "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue".
So now there´s another one. It´s been out for a while, but I never heard it terribly often in the US. However, lucky me, it is very popular here. The recipient of this rageful honor is... drum roll... "Don´t Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls. First of all, I am extremely irritated by the title. Let´s not write things like they´re pronounced, and this also goes for a slew of other songs such as "Stickwitu."
The reason I really hate this song is the message. You can google it if you want, but I´ll give you the gist of the lyrics. It´s a slutty woman singing about how she wants to steal some other woman´s boyfriend/husband, using convincing arguments such as "Don´t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me, a freak like me, raw like me, fun like me, etc etc..." I would like to add a verse that says "a disease ridden skank whore like me", but that doesn´t fit the beat.
I think the reason I hate this so much is because one of the basic principles that I have founded whatever relational philosophy I live by on is that I will never, I repeat never, never fight another woman for a man. By fight I mean compete. I´m sure that deep within this is some reason related to insecurity, but the primary reason is because I would never trust the character of a man who let two women compete for his affection. To me that is a sign of a man who wants way too much attention, and if he is willing to put two women he allegedly cares about through that kind of frustration, then who´s to say what he won´t do for attention as the relationship progresses.
And this isn´t just about men. I´ve seen women do it, too... stringing along a couple of guys as she decides who she loves more (or who loves her more) as pretty much everyone else in the world suffers for her selfishness.
So, yes, it´s a source of frustration for me. How do you guys feel about this? Am I over-reacting? Am I right (like always)? :)
4 comments:
I completely agree with you about the Toby Keith song. At least that one is unlikely to be popular anywhere besides the US. I mean, I can understand that the guy was angry about 9/11, but acting that smug and arrogant is only going to goad more people into commiting acts of terrorism. I mean come on... Al Qaeda probably shows that music video to new recruits to get them riled up.
And to answer your other question, I've always thought that it was incredibly selfish of someone to try to steal someone else's girlfriend/boyfriend. That being said, if someone is unattached and attractive, there is a good chance that more than one person is interested in them. I wouldn't say that it's a negative thing for people to feel compelled to show their good side compared to others, in order to attract a girl/guy. Who knows how disgusting and lazy we men might become if we didn't have to compete for women's affections?
I think the song is degrading to men. It suggests that all they care about is sex. I guess if that's the kind of guy they're after, they can have him, but please. Men have more to offer.
Also it annoys me because I used to hear it all the time on a beer commercial.
I think the song is sad, but only because I 'read' it a different way. As in, the guy dumped the chicky for another girl, and the ex is trying to show him what he's missing. That's why I felt sorry for the singer--because it's like she's looking in a mirror and trying to psych herself up before the big night at the club.
I also feel sorry for the singer, because it's a really crappy song--a hurry! quick! change the radio kind of song.
As a guy who routinely has to fight off women with a stick, I feel that I should weigh in here. (It's my near-encyclopedic knowledge of the "Star Wars" films. Drives women WILD!)
With regard to "Don'tcha," I never made it past the name of the "band." I mean, what do you expect from the Pussycat Dolls? I was watching Good Morning America or the Today show and saw that they were performing live, so I hung around a few minutes to catch some of their song. I had never heard their music, but I turned it off after about 15 seconds. I mistakenly thought they were a band called Josie and the Pussycats. The Pussycat Dolls are nothing more than a packaged band, like New Kids on the Block, but with even less talent.
Forget the Toby Keith song, though. I can disagree with it but still respect it for what it is. Toby's title actually is "The Angry American," I think, which sort of says "hey, I wrote this when I was mad."
No, the song that REALLY boils my blood is called "Have You Forgotten?" and it's basically a country ode to George W. "I hear people say we don't need this war ..." and it goes on to ask "Have you forgotten when the towers fell?" That's the most idiotic question I've ever heard! No one has "forgotten" 9/11, but that doesn't mean people who don't support the war in Iraq are unpatriotic or naive.
Plus, the right-wing whacko who wrote this gem (can't remember his name) tries to rhyme "Bin Laden" with "forgotten."
That's even worse than the Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run," which attempts to rhyme "Texas" with "what the facts is."
--Erik
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